New York Landmarks Conservancy
Common Bond

Flaws in electrical wiring and equipment are serious threats in houses of worship, where unseen hazards lurk behind walls and ceilings, in organ chambers, and attics. Improvements are one way to avoid the risk of fire and help maximize the use of various spaces within a religious complex.

Risks can arise from antiquated electrical service equipment such as fuse boxes, panels and switches, as well as from old wiring and fixtures. In their book, History of Electric Lighting and Wiring (see Resources), Melissa Cook and Maximilian Ferro point out that old insulation of copper wires, whether of fibrous types prior to 1900, or rubber compounds common after 1900 until the 1950s, is subject to aging and water damage. Insulation dries out, cracks, or separates. Water penetration in a poorly maintained building can destroy insulation originally placed in dry locations, and can cause short-circuiting wherever insulation is deteriorated. Any moving, bending, or strain of wire insulated with rubber may cause the fragile rubber to crack. Accidental damage from cuts or abrasions, and inspections or adjustments of the wiring may produce hazards. Flexible BX conductor armored wiring, widely used after 1910 that was pushed and pulled (or "fished") through existing framing or placed in brick walls behind plaster, is subject to rust and hot spots that can produce sparks. All old wiring of these types should be replaced.

How to Identify Hazards

Congregants, kitchen-workers, and other users can report fire and shock hazards such as worn-out appliances, frayed cords, damaged cables, damaged or hot switches and outlets, and obviously antiquated service equipment. Symptoms of inadequate electrical capacity, such as multiple extensions on outlets, and short circuits that blow fuses or trip circuit breakers, originate with users.

Most congregations have a relationship with a licensed electrical contractor who is familiar with their building. An electrical contractor can bring certain hazards to the attention of the owner and suggests ways to rectify them. Straightforward repairs, such as replacing sections of old wiring in limited areas, can be done directly through the contractor, who is responsible for meeting applicable codes in the installation. But an overall evaluation of the electrical system, as well as the design for system upgrades, should be performed by an electrical engineer.


Planning an Electrical Upgrade

An annual inspection performed by an experienced licensed electrician as part of a fire prevention checklist will flag deficiencies. Even more helpful is a mechanical and electrical inspection report prepared by consulting engineers with substantial experience in historic institutional buildings. Such reports are usually part of an overall building conditions survey coordinated by an architect or conservator.

The inspection report should include a description of the electrical system and the approximate ages of its components; an appraisal of condition and safety based on inspection of accessible parts of the system, loosening and viewing selected wall- and switchplates, and spot tests; prioritized recommendations and cost estimates for work needed to ensure safety and comply with codes; indication of whether further testing is needed; and the recommended period before reinspection.

The electrical system should be analyzed in relation to present and anticipated functional needs as well as life safety and code requirements. It makes sense to coordinate improvements in systems for fire detection and safety, security, telephone, and television with an electrical upgrade. It may increase planning time and costs, and result in a larger project, it is more economical in the long run than having to go back and redo or change work. Even if all the equipment is not to be installed at once, service should anticipate future system requirements. Cook and Ferro explain that the currently recommended product for economical, durable, and nondestructive rewiring is armored cable. Any place of assembly must have some form of flexible metal armor, with thorough grounding, for electrical cables that are fished through cavities. Note that the National Electrical Code requires special cables for hazardous or damp situations, and New York City has its own code with exacting requirements, such as metal conduit in basements.


Electrical Upgrade of the Temple House Congregation Beth Elohim, Brooklyn

This very active congregation worships and operates its programs in two buildings built in 1910 and 1929. "The growing children's programs brought demands from teachers for air-conditioning and more electrical outlets for computers," says Executive Director Nancy Rubinger. "It had been apparent for several years that major electrical and mechanical work was required, but the full extent was never defined." In 1996 an Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Study by G & W Associates, New York was undertaken in conjunction with a Master Plan for the temple by Jack L. Gordon Architects of New York.

Due to a wish-list of requests from the various programs, the study revealed the need for a much larger scope of electrical and mechanical work with unexpected priorities. The congregation had begun to accumulate a capital fund as it began the planning process, thus was able to proceed with the most urgent safety and code-related items, as well as increase service for users.

The engineer's report contained a detailed description of existing conditions of the power system, lighting, fire alarm system, and telephone system. In the evaluation section, code violations and fire and safety hazards and issues were identified, including efficiency in use and energy consumption. A separate section by mechanical engineers covered the heating and air conditioning systems. The most important part of the report is the prioritized itemization with cost estimates of essential electrical and mechanical work.

An engineer's report is not a document that can be handed to contractors for bidding. Detailed design, including specifications and drawings, is required before work can be bid and carried out by electrical and mechanical contractors.

The items identified by the engineers as requiring immediate attention were estimated at over $100,000. All of the work was completed, including replacement of deteriorated wiring, and all of the classrooms have more outlets and electrical capacity. Additional items with lower priority, including a costly air-conditioning system, were deferred for consideration as part of the long-term Master Plan.

It is important for the owner to anticipate the potential inconvenience to occupants and disruption of their normal activities when major electrical work is in progress. To reduce complaints, Ms. Rubinger encourages building owners to organize a presentation by the project coordinator, architect, and/or engineer and contractor, and distribute and post printed materials explaining the work.

Ms. Rubinger also advises owners of buildings that will be in use during construction to budget up-front for after-hours electrical work at overtime rates. Paying more was worthwhile to avoid the disruption and loss of income and goodwill involved with shutting down daytime programs.

Applying Preservation Standards when Planning Electrical Work

Design standards for protection of historic building fabric and the architectural character of the building should be discussed before any electrical contractor is asked to bid on or perform work in the building, and before an electrical engineer prepares specifications and drawings. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards are a good point of reference. Recommended practices in the Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings' pamphlet Electrical Installations in Old Buildings include the following:

* Concealing cables in closets, service rooms, and wall cavities. Cable should not be laid over the surface of moldings, cornices, etc. Sometimes cable can be run in the gaps behind baseboards and door casings.

* Locate service boxes and panels, new outlets, and switches to minimize the impact on the appearance of the site.

* Holes or cuts should not be made in the structure, internal finishes, columns, cornices, or woodwork.

* Historic fixtures and switches to be rewired and reused should be specified. It may be preferable to choose switchplates and outlet materials and colors that will blend into the wall background.

* For solid walls where external or interior wiring cannot be concealed in wall cavities, cables should be run in areas beyond the normal field of vision, following the lines of the building in places like the tops of beams and cornices. Visible cable should be in colors that blend with the background, or painted.

* Unsafe or redundant wiring and equipment should not only be disconnected, but removed wherever practical to avoid future confusion and unwieldy clutter.

* Determining how and by whom construction repairs will be made in the course of electrical work (e.g. plaster and carpentry) Conclusion Obsolete and defective wiring and equipment can be literally "out of sight, out of mind," yet present a very serious hazard. Owners are strongly urged to promptly begin to assess and remedy electrical hazards. Preservation architects and certain electrical engineers have considerable experience in evaluating electrical systems in historic religious properties along with life safety, code, functional, and aesthetic concerns.