Sometimes, rewiring one part of a home provides an opportunity to take care of something really special. While re-wiring the third floor of a 1860′s classical twin in West Philly / University City (an insulating company would not work until knob-and-tube was removed from the attic), I got the chance to fish across 25′ of high plaster ceiling above a gorgeous drawing room, to bring modern cable wiring (NM-B aka “Romex”) to a ceiling pendant chandelier installed in the middle of a 2-foot decorative plaster medallion.
Getting the cable to the location was only half the battle. The original fixture was gas light. The existing electrical replacement used the abandoned gas pipe for mechanical support, but the support system, typically for first-generation electrical fixture locations throughout West Philly, did not accommodate a proper wiring enclosure for junctioning fixture leads to the house wiring system.
I was able to adapt 1/2″ pipe to the 3/8″ gas pipe to coordinate with the 1/2″ knockout of standard wiring enclosures. I used new pipe lengths sized to get the new box flush to the plaster medallion, after carving a new recess pocket for the enclosure using a 4″ hole saw. This location now enjoys superior mechanical support, modern, grounded electrical wiring with both circuit conductors grouped close to minimize EMF radiation, and overall better interface between the fixture’s decorative canopy and the original decorative ceiling oval plaster medallion.
Rewire of antique drawing room plaster medallion chandelier pendant Copyright Robert Monk, 2012
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