Old electrical ceiling wiring

jeaniene · 01-16-2013, 01:21 AM

Can anyone identify this? There was a ceiling fan and I want to put up a pendant light. Can this be done? I want to know if I can remove the pipe without removing everything. It is a plaster ceiling. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

joed · 01-16-2013, 08:25 AM

Pipe could have been for gas at one time. Don't know if you can remove it safely or not.

joecaption · 01-16-2013, 08:37 AM

And it looks like they just cut right through a ceiling joist, a big no no.
Going to have to check that out from above to see what's up.

danpik · 01-16-2013, 09:26 AM

Can you access that from above? A lot of old boxed like that had the down tube installed to suppert the light that hung from it. Most of the time it can be removed. Joe, that looks like furring strips to me

joecaption · 01-16-2013, 09:31 AM

I see that now, looks like a pan box attached to the bottom of the rafter, my bad.

Speedy Petey · 01-16-2013, 11:04 AM

CALL AN ELECTRICIAN.

That box needs to be replaced in order to hand a modern fixture, and it's not a simple job. This is an extremely common issue around here in old homes.

jeaniene · 01-16-2013, 11:26 AM

Thanks so much for the quick response from everyone. I just found out that at one time there was gas lighting in this house. I have lived here since 1999 and there has always been a kitchen light up there as was for the previous owners from 1961 to 1999. Never had any problems. Ok so my next question would be, How do I hang a pendant light from this? Do I need to buy anything
special? My Pendant light is very lightweight. The ceiling fan that I took down was much heavier.do I need a bracket of some kind to hold this pendant light? Thanks so much in advance.

Speedy Petey · 01-16-2013, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeaniene

Ok so my next question would be, How do I hang a pendant light from this? Do I need to buy anything
special? My Pendant light is very lightweight. The ceiling fan that I took down was much heavier.do I need a bracket of some kind to hold this pendant light? Thanks so much in advance.

Once again, you need to replace the box.
Regardless of what was there before,there is no legal or safe way to hang a new fixture from that iron box.

joed · 01-16-2013, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joecaption

And it looks like they just cut right through a ceiling joist, a big no no.
Going to have to check that out from above to see what's up.

Looks to me like only a piece of 1x2 furring used for the new ceiling is missing.

jeaniene · 01-16-2013, 03:02 PM

I removed the pipe fitting only to find another capped off pipe which is shorter. There is no attic above my kitchen ceiling but the bathroom. I found out from owners son that long ago there was gas lighting in here. The gas has been cut off back in the 50's. The ceiling is plaster and lathe and I am not going to remove anything that is already there. The wires are hard and bendable. I am thinking about getting the sleeves which slide over the wires and you heat them up to adhere. Also any input on the type of bracket to use to hang the pendant. I have attached a picture of the light I want to hang. It is very lightweight(not more than 5-6lbs). Thanks

jeaniene · 01-16-2013, 03:04 PM

you are correct on the furring strips.

Marqed97 · 01-16-2013, 03:13 PM

Welcome to the joys of old home ownership. We redid our master bedroom shortly after moving in 2 years ago. It's a big room (23'x14') and had 2 ceiling fixtures, one with a fan. I had to tear down the plaster & lath ceiling (huge mess), remove the old gas light lines, and have an electrician friend run new Romex and put in new boxes as it was all original knob and tube. All the outlets and 1st floor lights had been rewired already but the bedroom lights were left alone.

A lot of work for 2 new small fixtures? You bet. Was it worth it? Absolutely. No longer have to worry about the condition of the ceiling, the weird and possibly dangerous wiring, etc, and I know I can easily replace the new fixtures down the line.

The other bedrooms had dropped ceilings and were much easier to rewire, although its temporary until I work up the steam to do those ceilings too.

Could you attach the new fixture to what's there? Where there's a will, there's a way. Is it correct, legal, and safe? Nope.

Speedy Petey · 01-16-2013, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedy Petey

Once again, you need to replace the box.
Regardless of what was there before,there is no legal or safe way to hang a new fixture from that iron box.

I KNEW this post would simply be ignored.

Speedy Petey · 01-16-2013, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marqed97

Welcome to the joys of old home ownership. We redid our master bedroom shortly after moving in 2 years ago. It's a big room (23'x14') and had 2 ceiling fixtures, one with a fan. I had to tear down the plaster & lath ceiling (huge mess), remove the old gas light lines, and have an electrician friend run new Romex and put in new boxes as it was all original knob and tube. All the outlets and 1st floor lights had been rewired already but the bedroom lights were left alone.

A lot of work for 2 new small fixtures? You bet. Was it worth it? Absolutely. No longer have to worry about the condition of the ceiling, the weird and possibly dangerous wiring, etc, and I know I can easily replace the new fixtures down the line.

The other bedrooms had dropped ceilings and were much easier to rewire, although its temporary until I work up the steam to do those ceilings too.

Could you attach the new fixture to what's there? Where there's a will, there's a way. Is it correct, legal, and safe? Nope.

THANK YOU for this!
Maybe hearing it from another homeowner and not an over-priced electrician will have it sink in.

fa_f3_20 · 01-16-2013, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joecaption

And it looks like they just cut right through a ceiling joist, a big no no.

I think that's just a piece of lath.