Asbestos electrical insulation Q&A:

FAQs about the history, manufacture, visual identification: how to recognize asbestos-based or asbestos containing electrical insulation materials in products & buildings - a visual guide to identifying asbestos in buildings.

Page top photograph: asbestos insulation on electrical wiring in a theater.

This articles series about the manufacture & use of asbestos-containing products includes detailed information on the production methods, asbestos content, and the identity and use of asbestos-containing materials. Page top photo shows asbestos used in an electrical motor.

Asbestos Electrical Wiring Insulation Q&A

These questions & answers were posted originally

at ASBESTOS ELECTRICAL WIRE INSULATION - be sure to review the information given there.

Does this electrical wire from 1948 use asbestos insulation?

Hello I stripped about 50-100 feet of wire from this bucket and didn't know anything about asbestos until after.

The house was built in 1948 and finished in 1953. Does anyone know if the wire here looks to have asbestos? Im very concerned that I exposed myself and family to asbestos.

I believe it all came from a barn built around the same time as the house. On 2020-12-13 by Keith

Answer by (mod) -

I see some fabric covered wire there.

Whether or not asbestos was likely to have been used in The Wire insulation depends on what the wire was for.

For example wires used in heating equipment or theaters may have used asbestos insulation.

This could you expose your family to dust from that wire would depend on how much dust you made and stripping it and how carefully you cleaned yourself and your clothes before spending time in your home.

Asphalt impregnated paper in Bergman electrical conduit in 1960's house in Israel contains asbestos?

Does the asphalt paper inside the old metal electricity pipe contains asbestos.

I an old house in Israel (1960's) the electicity pipes in which the wires are in is built from metal.

Inside the metal there is a black paper looks like asphalt paper. Does this paper contain asbestos?
In Israel this electricity pipe are called "Bergman" On 2020-08-06 by Gil

Answer by (mod) -

Asbestos in Bergman electrical piping or conduit (Israel)

Indeed, often it does.

How to identify this electrical wire from a 1964 home?

I am curious if someone can help me identify this type of wire from my 1964 home.

It is the only one in the house left in this style. All others must have been updated along the way. Would it be an asbestos containing wire ? On 2020-01-30 by TLIT

by (mod) - Fabric insulated electrical wire Type SE Style II Type RW - Southwire's AlumaFlex SEU

Tlit

That looks like it may be an aluminum type SE service entry wire produced by Southwire. I have no record of the use of asbestos in that wire insulation.

I haven't yet, Tlit, found a copy of an older Southwire Alumiunum SEC cabling that is fabric covered, but you can see an older SOUTHWIRE SEC CATALOG [PDF] (2010) catalog

and a more-recent SOUTHWIRE ELECTRICAL WIRE CATALOG [PDF] (2014

According to a typical description of the modern product (Home Depot) Southwire's AlumaFlex SEU building wire is used for powering the service drop to the meter base and the meter base to the distribution panel board.

It is available with 2, 3 or 4 conductors. The conductors are made with AlumaFlex AA-8000 series aluminum and are compact stranded.

Your older coated fabric insulated SEC should be similar.

 

Can you tell from a photo if electrical wire insulation contains asbestos?

I was wondering if anyone (who actually knows) can say whether this [photo shown above] is likely an asbestos containing wire or not?
Thank you,
On 2019-08-29 by Jack P

Answer by (mod) - Questions to Help Identify Asbestos Electrical Wire Insulation

Jack

That looks like cloth wiring insulation, BUT I expect that nobody (who actually knows) will venture to claim that your wire insulation probably does or does not contain asbestos without more information or, of course by an actual lab test (typically not cost-justified).

This looks like ordinary lamp wiring but I can't be sure from your photo.

Asbestos on electrical wiring is more likely to be found in residential applications where high heat resistance was needed such as under electric cooktops and in oven or stove wiring, and in non-residential applications where there was special fire-safety need such as theatre wiring.

So here are some Questions to Help Guess at Asbestos Use in Electrical Wiring

1. What is the use of the wire: what application, appliance, installation?

2. What is the age of the wire - when was it probably manufactured? Or if we don't know that,

3. What is the age of the appliance, fixture, or equipment where the wire is used? Or if we don't know that we can at least set an "oldest likely" floor by

4. What is the age of the building where the wiring or its wired appliance is found?

5. What are the country and city where the building or appliance is located or where the wired-appliance was manufactured?

Finally, while I'm obviously interested in the topic and appreciate your question and photo, I also remind readers that the probability that there is a detectable asbestos *hazard* of airborne asbestos fibers shed from wiring such as shown in your photo, unless the wiring is chopped, sawn, ground, or seriously disturbed, is likely to be nil.

Asbestos or carcinogens in "oil" coated Large Lead Power Cables? I've got cancer.

I removed about 6 million lbs of lead cable wrapped in a wax" paper for a 3 multi stranded powere cable in underground conduit,it contained a oil substance, it was for the aec at oakridge in the 70----do you know what this oil was, at the time i thought it was for cooling------thank you melberns@aol.com On 2019-06-28 by mel berns -

The wax paper in large lead power cable that has "oil" in it , is this oil asbestos coated, i removed 6 million lbs at oakridge tn at Y & K plant in the 60 s and now have cancer ,i am 76 and i have been advised it could be melberns@aol.com thank you 2016/01/04 Mike On 2019-03-07 by mel berns

by (mod) - Possible PCB oil in power cables

Mel

Of course I'm sorry that you have to face cancer regardless of its root cause;

I have not yet found a source asserting that asbestos was used in combination with oil or wax on paper in large power cables used in the 1960s - nor refuting that possibility.

Are you referring to having worked at

the YK plant in the UK in Leicestershire?

http://www.ycplant.co.uk

I don't know what the oil was in your power cables. PCB-containing oils were used in transformers.

Commonly, moisture-resistant oils and resins were used in paper wrapped power cables (Thue 2003). Oils were used in oil-filled cabling as early as 1917. The oils that expert cites were rosin, mineral oil, With and without rosin or polybutylene, and by 1940, Sun XX mineral oil. Polybutene introduced in 1966, was used on 138 kV cables. With some of those oils, particularly the polybutylene, a concern for PCBs has been raised.

PCBs or Polychlorinated Biphenyls are a known carcinogen and are dangerous. I cannot know your specific situation nor exposure but it would in my OPINION be reasonable to mention this as a *possible* exposure when discussing your health with your doctor.

References on PCB use in Electrical Power Cables

• Bobillier, Vincent, R. Frei, and J. Christiansen. Grounding, Shielding and Power Distribution in LHCb. No. CERN-LHCb-2004-039. 2004.
• Fofana, I. "50 years in the development of insulating liquids." IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine 29, no. 5 (2013): 13-25.
• Kojovic, Ljubomir. "PCB Rogowski coils benefit relay protection." IEEE computer applications in power 15, no. 3 (2002): 50-53.
• Thue, Willliam A., POWER CABLE INSULATION HISTORY [PDF] of power point presentation] ICC 2003, original source: www.pesicc.org/iccwebsite/subcommittees/E/E04/2003/ThuePaperHistory.pdf
  

Does this house wiring contain asbestos?

I was curious if I could post [this photo of old house wiring at an electric light fixture] in order to ID potential asbestos insulation.

The picture shown here is of a closet light fixture I was uninstalling. - M.C. 6 Feb 2016

Reply:

Most likely those are conventional fabric (non-asbestos) insulated wires.

Fabric covered (non-asbestos) electrical wire that was black or silver was often comprised of asphalt-impregnated cloth on both the wire jacket and the wires themselves, with the wire insulation made of fabric-covered rubber. Do you also have photos of the markings on the wire's outer jacket?

The asbestos-based electrical wire insulation I've seen appeared as white or gray fabric (theater wiring such as is shown at the top of this page) or in a harder asbestos-impregnated plastic or rubber insulation on wires used in high temperature appliances such as toasters, range tops, ovens, clothes dryers.

Watch out: however as you'll read in the article above there was asbestos-cloth insulated wire of several types, and more-difficult to distinguish by eye alone is asbestos-impregnated cotton fiber wire insulation.

The amount of debris removed by trimming the wire is probably trivial in any event.

Details are at FABRIC NMC WIRE INSULATION IDENTIFICATION

Also see OLD HOUSE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS for more examples of old wiring insulation types & photos.

Did house wiring ever contain asbestos?

I was wondering if house wiring ever contained asbestos. The wiring in my home appears to have an asphalt impregnated type covering almost looks like a snake skin. Could this contain asbestos? - D.T., Canada 10/4/2013

Reply: yes, particulalry in high heat applications, not likely in general household circuit wiring.

A competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that would permit a more accurate, complete, and authoritative answer about wiring (noting any markings, exact composition of its insulation, and perhaps data about its age) than we can give by email alone. You will find additional depth and detail in articles at our website.

That said I offer these comments:

Asbestos was indeed used in electrical wiring insulation, as discussed beginning

at ASBESTOS ELECTRICAL WIRE INSULATION

and appears in our lists of asbestos-containing materials found

at ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS

and at ASBESTOS PHOTO GUIDE to MATERIALS

Asbestos was in particular, more widely used in a more pure form in certain electrical wires exposed to high risk (inside of heaters, toasters, electric stoves, theatre wiring).

I would like to see sharp photos of your wiring, its external jacket, cross section of the insulation, and if occasion permits, an actual sample - those details would permit further comment or even testing of the material.

Depending on the age and appearance of the wiring about which you ask, it may be appropriate to treat it as PACM - presumed asbestos containing material. But don't panic. Usually asbestos hazards are minimized by leaving PACM alone unless it is friable, already damaged and / or subject to damage and is in an occupied space.

I suspect that unless  there is a demolition project in progress, the asbestos exposure hazard from asbestos-containing residential electrical wiring is very low, perhaps below the limits of detection, both because of low friability of the typical (excluding my list above) application and insulation materials, and because wiring is normally enclosed in wall, floor, or ceiling cavities.

Were accent lamps "high heat" applications that might use asbestos wiring?

Were accent lamps considered high-heat applications that would warrant using asbestos in the electrical cords? Did they use asbestos in both cloth and rubber cords? How about plastic cords? On 2022-05-29 by Anonymous

by InspectApedia-911 (mod)

@Anonymous,

Possibly, but we have not found a confirming citation.

Yes.

 

Was asbestos used in telephone cabling or wiring?

Would asbestos ever had been utilized in the telephone cable that has hundreds of copper conductors wrapped in paper and covered with a lead sheathing? Trying to know if this cable can be easily recycled. 2016/01/04 Mike

Reply: yes.

Mike,

I would not rule out asbestos on cable insulation, telephone or other wiring, depending on where it was intended to be used. Asbestos was used for fire protection in some telephone cabling as early as 1901 and continuing at least into the 1970's including as an alternative to the jute core wrap used on wiring that may have been then encased in lead or other metal piping.

I have found research describing asbestos exposure of telephone linemen, suggesting that asbestos was certainly used in some telephone cabling. And some patent disclosures concerning telephone cabling also included asbestos materials.

Research citing use of asbestos in telephone cabling, wiring, and core wraps

• Meguellati-Hakkas, Djamila, Diane Cyr, Isabelle Stücker, Joëlle Févotte, Corinne Pilorget, Danièle Luce, and Pascal Guénel. "Lung cancer mortality and occupational exposure to asbestos among telephone linemen: a historical cohort study in France." Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 48, no. 11 (2006): 1166-1172.
• Anderson, Robert W., and Robert E. Smith Jr. "Radiation resistant cable and method of making same." U.S. Patent 4,051,324, issued September 27, 1977.
• Brorein, William J. "Flame retardant inside wiring cable made with an annealed metal sheath." U.S. Patent 4,154,976, issued May 15, 1979.
• Joseph, Lemieux Roger. "Filled cable core with foraminous core wrap." U.S. Patent 3,681,510, issued August 1, 1972.
• Saylor, Frank D. "Fire-protector for telephone-cables." U.S. Patent 688,970, issued December 17, 1901.

Asbestos use in telephone cable ?

Would asbestos ever had been utilized in the telephone cable that has hundreds of copper conductors wrapped in paper and covered with a lead sheathing? Trying to know if this cable can be easily recycled. How much asbestos I may inhale if I work with electric wire with asbestos for about a week. The fabric was torn and creating dust. On 2016-01-04 by Mike S

by Mod

Mike, yes asbestos was used in some telephone cabling & wiring. For space and to permit research citations I repeat your question and offer a detailed answer at the bottom of the article above.

Use the page bottom CONTACT link to send me some photos of the cross-section and outside view of your cabling and we can comment further.
Daniel

 

Was asbestos used in vacuum cord SVT electrical cords?

Does vacuum cleaner cord SVT have abestos? Or has it ever contained abestos?

Svt cord is a type of UL cord that they use in vacuums it's probably highly unlikely that they use asbestos in this type of application. Am I right? (May 2, 2014) Frank d

Reply by (mod):

Asbestos was used in some electric wire insulation such as high temperature wiring in heating devices and stoves and in theater wiring.

Dillon (1942) and other of our citations given below describe widespread use of asbestos in electrical appliances, devices, and in their wiring and line cords.

So SVT electrical cords are basially a cord with a thinner insulating jacket, intended for use on vacuum cleaners - appliances that often want to use a spring-loaded spool to re-wind and store the cord when it's not in use. That thin-ness limits the use of the power cord to just certain applications.

Weber (1997) cites SVT components in older guitar amps that did contain asbestos but that asbestos use was in the amplifier's structure.

I don't know that that application speaks to being able to assert the use or non-use of asbestos whatsoever. My OPINION is that where heat is an extra concern (such as toasters) we might be more likely to find that asbestos was used in an appliance electrical cord. Heat may indeed be a concern, or rather heat tolerance, in a power cord that has also to use a thin insulating jacket for other reasons.

The specifications for electrical wire insulation have much to do with tolerating heat as well as other factors (flexing in power cords, moisture resistance, etc).

Asbestos was in fact mixed with rubber in some applications.

You might approach the question of whether a specific power cord contains asbestos more easily by stating the product's name, model, and date of manufacture, and if available the manufacturer could certainly answer the question. The alternative is to have a sample tested.

Possible Asbestos Insulation in Power Cable for Electric Welder

The damaged power cable shown above was used with a 1970's electric welder.

Beneath the heavy rubber exterior of the welder power cable we see a cloth fabric that might be an asbestos fabric needed for extra heat resistance. - reader anon by private email 2017/04/18

I was curious as to what it was, and it's 90% cellulose insulation as tested by Western Analytical Laboratories. The test for asbestos cost $30. U.S.D.

Now the $150 worth of scrap copper is safe to scrap. - Anonymous by private email 2017/04/25

Asbestos hazards in arc welders? Yes.

I have 2 old arc welders which I salvaged, one has copper windings and the other aluminium windings. I want the windings to use in our hobby of jewellery makeing. Both are wrapped in a type of paper tape as insulation. Could this also contain asbestos?

Sorry, Just went out and had another look, the aluminium windings have a paper like tape as well as a laquer and the copper windings have a hessian string coating with a what is now a brittle black woven sheath. same question though (July 22, 2014) Mark Hunter

Reply: Here's research on asbestos used in arc welders

Here is some research on asbestos used in arc welders as well as exposure of individuals using arc welders to asbestos

• Becker, Nikolaus. "Cancer mortality among arc welders exposed to fumes containing chromium and nickel: Results of a third follow-up: 1989-1995." Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 41, no. 4 (1999): 294-303.
• Becker, Nikolaus, Jenny Chang-Claude, and Rainer Frentzel-Beyme. "Risk of cancer for arc welders in the Federal Republic of Germany: results of a second follow up (1983-8)." British journal of industrial medicine 48, no. 10 (1991): 675-683.
• Clarke, E.J. "Electrode for electric arc welding or soldering." U.S. Patent 1,893,160, issued January 3, 1933. describes use of asbestos yarn
  Excerpt:
  
  Previously electrodes for the deposition of stainless steel have comprised a mild steel core wound with asbestos yarn or other suit able non-conducting composition or material in open spirals together with an extruded coating composed of the usual fluxing ingredients and a certain proportion of powdered ferro-chromium or chromium metal; when fusion takes place under the action of the electric arc the chromium or ferro-chromium alloys with the mild steel and a deposit of stainless steel results.
  
  Electrodes for depositing stainless steels containing nickel, chromium and iron have also been made by electrolytically depositing the nickel upon a mild steel core, winding the rod so prepared with asbestos and then coating it with a compound containing powdered metallic chromium in addition to the usual fluxing ingredients.
  
  -There is a limit however to the amount of metals which may be added to the coating of such electrodes. In those cases where the amount of added metals is relatively high, complete solution of the iron, nickel and chromium does not take place.
• Kennedy, H.E. et al, Gas, Electrode Carrier. "Electric arc welding." U.S. Patent 3,023,302, issued February 27, 1962. includes use of asbestos (and mica) in flux carriers
• Doig, A. T., and A. I. G. McLaughlin. "X ray appearances of the lungs of electric arc welders." The Lancet 227, no. 5875 (1936): 771-774.
• Sjögren, Bengt, Klaus Stagis Hansen, Helge Kjuus, and Per-Gunnar Persson. "Exposure to stainless steel welding fumes and lung cancer: a meta-analysis." Occupational and environmental medicine 51, no. 5 (1994): 335-336.

 

What was my asbestos exposure when I worked for Texas Instruments in the 70s soldering components?

Hi. I worked for Texas Instruments in the 70s in Texas. I solder computer, calculator boards. Was there ever asbestos in soldering wire. I know am waiting for diagnosis of cancer. Pleural Enffusion On 2019-03-24 by Cindi

Answer by (mod) - Research Citations on use of asbestos in solder, soldering, welding & soldering / welding products

Hi Cindi.

Asbestos use in solder & soldering products & materials

Asbestos appeared as a filler in some solder products (probably as part of a flux or soldering paste) and asbestos was used in some soldering equipment such as heat shields, pads, soldering iron rests or holsters and asbestos braid solder wipers, as early as at least 1915 and as late as at least 1981.

Examples are found in these patent disclosures

• Clay, William C. "Solder iron holster." U.S. Patent 3,637,120, issued January 25, 1972.
• Shipman, Emanuel F. "Solder catch pan." U.S. Patent 1,844,872, issued February 9, 1932.
• Noland, James S., and Miroslav Hajek. "Epoxy based synthetic solder." U.S. Patent 4,273,686, issued June 16, 1981.
  Excerpt:
  
  The fillers used herein to reinforce the solder may be any conventional filler which is compatible with the polyepoxide and suitable for use in solders. Examples of these fillers include aluminum powder, calcium carbonate, wood flour, metal oxides like iron oxides, gypsum, asbestos, talc, clays, and other silicates and the like. Asbestos is not preferred due to environmental problems. Optionally the filler may be treated with such as stearic acid to improve the thixotropic properties of the composition. Generally the fillers have particle sizes on the order of 1-30 microns.
• Thayer, Jr Harry C. "Method of protecting solder-coated articles." U.S. Patent 2,933,412, issued April 19, 1960.
  Excerpt:
  After the solder is applied to the bottom edge portions of the strip 9, the strip is advanced between asbestos wipers consisting of pieces of graphited braided asbestos packing material 17 and 18 which are held into pressing engagement with the lower portion of the strip 9 by holders 19 and 20, respectively.
  
  The asbestos wipers are impregnated with graphite and have applied to the portions thereof in contact with the strip 9 a preservative composed essentially of a carrier comprising polyalkylene glycol conditioning additive ice comprising a diester of a glycol and monocarboxylic fatty acid. The amount of graphite in the asbestos wiper is approximately 5% by weight, i.e., 5% of the weight of the wiper.
• Graves, Lester S. "Self-fusing solder." U.S. Patent 1,151,679, issued August 31, 1915.
• Sastry, G., T. Anagnostou, and N. Dixon. "Polymeric solder composition." U.S. Patent 3,842,023, issued October 15, 1974.
  Excerpt:
  
  Various fillers, tackifiers, antioxidants and similar additives may be employed in the composition such as carbon blacks, finely divided metals, asbestos, silica, quartz and metal oxides. Such materials should be thoroughly mixed with the liquid polymer during blending of the principal components. Upon blending, the compositions of this invention formulated for use as a body solder have the consistency of a grease or Vaseline-like material which can be readily handled and applied.
  
  However my SUBJECTIVE OPINION is that if asbestos exposure was a factor in developing certain cancers there may be other sources of significantly-greater exposure. (Though one might look at the effects of breathing un-filtered air in an industrial soldering operation where fume hoods or fresh air control were not present).

There have been studies of asbestos exposure from breathing soldering fumes, but primarily focused on welding operations rather than electrical solder.

Lead exposure may also have been a hazard when soldering electrical components including lead fumes from heated solder.

• Arab, Mohammad Reza, Ramezan Mirzaei, Mehrbod Karimi, and Rezvaneh Mashhadi. "The study of histological effects of solder fumes in rat lungs." Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences 13, no. 3 (2010): 63-68.
• Stern, R. M., A. Berlin, A. Fletcher, K. Hemminki, J. Jarvisalo, and J. Peto. "International conference on health hazards and biological effects of welding fumes and gases." International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health 57, no. 3 (1986): 237-246.
• Sferlazza, Steven J., and William S. Beckett. "The Respiratory Health of Welders1-3." Am Rev Respir Dis 347 (1991): 143.
  

Does knob and tube electrical wire contain asbestos?

The house we live in has knob and tube wiring. The wiring is coated with silver-colored painted on insulation. This coating is wearing off, flaking off in some places. Could this coating contain asbestos? On 2019-03-01 by Kathe

by (mod) - Asbestos in wire insulation is more likely in high-heat applications

Asbestos is not likely on common household electrical wiring.

See KNOB & TUBE WIRING at https://inspectapedia.com/electric/Knob_and_Tube_Wiring.php

Asbestos in wire insulation is more likely in high-heat applications such as described in the article above.

What was my level of asbestos exposure from asbestos-insulated electrical wire?

What kind of exposure risks would I have made by removing 30-40 feet of wire that, after the fact my buddy said it was asbestos insulted On 2017-10-23 by Kid

by (mod) - exposure risks by removing 30-40 feet of asbestos-insulated wire

If the wire insulation was not friable (crumbles to dust if squashed between thumb and finger) and you didn't chop, sand, grind, saw, or otherwise make a dusty mess, probably the asbestos exposure was below the limits of detection unless you were sanding or grinding it.

Was asbestos used to insulate Belling electric cookers in the UK

Was asbestos used to insulate electric cookers in the UK ? I have one that dates form about 1988 and was wondering whether the oven was insulated. It is a Belling. On 2017-07-03 by Will

by (mod) - asbestos used to insulate electric cookers in the UK

That's possible - asbestos insulated wire was often used in electrical appliances where there were high temperatures sucb as ovens and toasters.

An early version of BX armored cable that has cloth wiring inside it. Does it contain asbestos?

I have an early version of BX armored cable that has cloth wiring inside it. Does it contain asbestos

I would like to install new light switches and would not want to inhale any asbestos since I'm already exposed at work. This is what it looks like: ... [unpublished links]

It also says on the UL tag LC783...and then its cut off On 2016-06-24 by Pete -

by (mod) - not likely in general purpose electrical cabling, common in some appliances

Pete:

I can't tell from just photos if that fabric insulation contains asbestos or not; usually asbestos was used on special-application high-heat -exposure wires such as in electrical appliances such as toasters and range tops, and in theatre wiring; I haven't found records of its use in general-purpose electrical wiring: in sum it's possible but we have no confirming data.

I suspect that unless you're doing something unusual, the amount of airborne asbestos generated by carefully disconnecting and reconnecting wires to terminals even if the insulation contains asbestos, would be below the limits of detection.

I cannot find a UL Standard exactly matching LC783 (double-check what you saw) but there is

UL 783 a standard for flashlights used in hazardous locations

by Pete

Thanks for your help. It could have been L733 but not sure. The number continued but the rest was cut off. It was an old underwriters laboratory sticker that said armored cable on it, etc. If the dust isn't a major problem I will go on with the project. Thanks for your time.

by (mod) - asbestos hazard from L733 labelled material?

733 is an oil heater standard;

Stay safe. You're more likely to be hurt falling off of a ladder.

Asbestos use car radios in the 1960s and 1970s?

I installed car radios from 1965 - 1977 and have recent diagnosis of Mesothelioma. Trying to track down where I may have been exposed to asbestos. Do you know if asbestos was used in the electrical wiring in cars during that period? Thank you. Howard On 2016-02-28 by Anonymous

by (mod) - asbestos was used in some electrical wiring in cars

Howard, I don't have authoritative data about dates for the cessation of use of asbestos-wire insulation, but certainly it's possible that asbestos was used in wire insulation or in the wire loom or flexible conduit that covered the wire.

Unless you created or were exposed to a rather dusty mess, I am unclear about what might have been the source of a substantial exposure. If you are or were a smoker, of course, the risks are greater for you.

 

Was asbestos used in PCB's (printed circuit boards)?

Was asbestos ever used in PCB's (printed circuit boards)? (Jan 13, 2015) Anonymous

I'm concerned my sega genesis and its game cartridges might contain in. The sega genesis came out in 1988 in Japan and 1989 here in the usa.

Reply:

Anon,

By 1988 it's unlikely you'd find asbestos in printed circuit boards. In older electronic equipment where asbestos may have been used in non-friable components most likely any asbestos release from those undisturbed components would be below the limits of detection.

Keep in mind that many electronic circuit boards include other highly toxic components that may be released, particularly during burning and possibly during demolition, as is the case as well with plastics in general.

PCBs are of course a separate hazard.

Reply:

Thank you for the quick reply, i feel better about using my sega genesis now, thank you.

Was asbestos used in 1970's table lamps?

We took an old table lamp apart from the mid 1970's. Would there be the possibility of any asbestos in the wiring or the felt glued to the bottom. There were some fibers in the lamp on the felt bottom when we tore it off.

Also a few days later, it felt like something was stuck in my left nostril and was throbbing. It took about ten minutes of blowing and the use of saline solution to get any relief. Could this be because of asbestos spores in the air. The lamp was taken apart in the bedroom. 29 January 2015 Mary

Reply: asbestos was used in some (not all) electric lighting lamps in lamp cords, sockets, insulators from at least as early as 1903

Mary

Asbestos was used in some (not all) electric lighting lamps in lamp cords, sockets, insulators from at least as early as 1903 (See Sylvania (1903) below. Its use in felt used to avoid scratching a table surface seems unlikely. However asbestos was used in a paper form in some lamp bases - See Vaughn (1950) in my citations and See Lewis (1935) in the citations below for an example.

I'll add that if the lamp bottom looks like white or white-gray paper that might be asbestos paper. If it looks like green felt, it probably is green felt.

• Des, Jardins Leonard A., and Fred R. Fleming. "Apparatus for disinfecting shoes and the like." U.S. Patent 2,070,858, issued February 16, 1937. this product used asbestos
• Heiser, Myron G., and Wheeler C. Gilbert. "Attachment plug." U.S. Patent 2,343,664, issued March 7, 1944. used asbestos in the cord plug and wiring
• ISAACS, M. "Seed germinator." U.S. Patent 1,648,309, issued November 8, 1927. used asbestos sheets and a duplex lamp cord
• Lewis, Edward H. "Lamp cord." U.S. Patent 1,989,483, issued January 29, 1935. cites use of asbestos in the lamp wiring.
• SPATIG, CHARLES W. "SYLVANIA." U.S. Patent 729,862, issued June 2, 1903. Excerpt: This receptacle is provided with interior partitions 2, which form a box to receive the iron core or heating-coil 3. This latter is insulated with asbestos 4 or other suitable material which prevents the wire or core from coming in contact with the metal and has the feed wire 5 connected thereto.
• Vaughan, Daniel J. "Lamp base." U.S. Patent 2,515,747, issued July 18, 1950. Used asbestos in the lamp base. Excerpt:
  
  The base I comprises a body portion 3 of insulating material, preferably porcelain. The said body portion 3 is secured to the end of the envelope 2 by means of a metal skirt or collar 4 which is secured to an enlarged shoulder 5 on said body portion 3. Before the skirt 4 is slipped over the end of the tube 2, a thin strip 6 of asbestos paper moistened with a. solution of sodium silicate is wrapped around the envelope 2.
  
  The skirt 4 is secured firmly in place on the envelope 2 by a suitable clamping strip 'i, the skirt 4 being provided with a multiplicity of slits 8 therein so as to be readily compressible by clamping strip 1 around the asbestos strip 6 and clamp the latter between the lamp envelope 2 and the clamp I.
  
  The outer end 9 oi the body portion 8 carries a spade-shaped nietal electrical contact prong it which extends outwardly therefrom and longitudinally of the lamp envelope 2. The said prong i0 is electrically connected by a flexible conductor ii to the end of a current lead-in wire I! which extends through a seal l3 and is electrically connected to the electrode or filament (not shown) in the envelope 2.

Mary said:

The paper glued to the bottom of the lamp was a white-gray paper. You said that it might be asbestos. We tore it off the lamp when we were repairing the lamp. We did this work in the bedroom. A few days later I had an irritation in my nose that lasted for about ten minutes. What should I do? Is there possibly asbestos in the air? What should I do with the lamp? What should I do about breathing asbestos in the air? Is there anyone I can contact?

Reply:

Mary,

If it was gray white paper it may have been just cardboard or it *might* have been an asbestos paper.

Some examples of asbestos paper are at ASBESTOS PAPER DUCT INSULATION

Unless you really shredded the paper, I would guess that the amount of airborne asbestos from pulling off and throwing away a say 6-inch diameter piece of paper on a lamp bottom would be beneath the limits of detection.

I would not be inclined to spend much on this but if you are very anxious it might help to collect a settled dust sample from the bedroom (using clear adhesive tape) and have that examined by a test lab. That cost is about $50. U.S.D.

At ASBESTOS TESTING LAB LIST you can find certified asbestos testing labs

At DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE you can see how to collect dust samples to send to a lab.

 

Does black insulation on the electrical conductor look like asbesteos?

Just had a light fixture and light switch changed out at my home. Does the black insulation inside of the cloth look like asbestos? On 2022-02-12 by Jay

by Inspectapedia Com Moderator (mod) Asbestos was not used broadly in typical residential branch circuit wiring

@Jay,

Regrettably nobody can assert the presence or absence of asbestos in electrical wire insulation by a photo alone;

Asbestos was not used broadly in typical residential branch circuit wiring but might be found in older high-heat installations such as in an appliance or in some light fixtures.

Leaving the wires essentially undisturbed, regardless of the wire insulation makeup, you would not be able to detect a contribution from the wire to indoor airborne particles.

What kind of electrical wire is this from 1947?

What kind of electrical cable does this look like to you in my 1947 home? On 2021-11-12 by Sam

by Inspectapedia Com Moderator (mod)

@Sam,

It looks like fabric-insulated electrical wire, hot, neutral, and without a ground wire. Probably copper, based on wire age, but the metal wire itself is not visible.

Thick wrap around 1910 U.K. electrical cable might be asbestos?

We have a thick electrical cable underneath our stairs which we’ve recently plaster boarded over. We had an advanced survey in which it didn’t get flagged.

Do you believe this could be asbestos tape wrapping? The wrapping is in very good condition and doesn’t seem to be as “cottony” as other pictures I have seen. Thanks. On 2021-01-12 by Callum

by danjoefriedman (mod)

Callum

I can't tell from your photo if there is an asbestos material or not. There are other clues such as the age of the building that can serve bounds of possibility.

by Callum

@danjoefriedman,

Sorry about that I do have another one attached. The property was built in 1910. Apologies for the poor quality. I’m UK based.

by danjoefriedman (mod) - possible UK asbestos pipe wrap

If that's a paper like material it could be an asbestos pipe wrap that someone put around wiring. Unfortunatley we can't see enough detail to have a confident opinion about asbestos in your photos.

 

Was asbestos used in the insulation in this WWII M7A3 Bazooka?

We have a collection of old ww2 ordnance that get used for demonstrations with the public. We have an original M7A3 bazooka rocket, does the insulation look like cotton or asbestos too you guys, do you know what was used on these? On 2026-03-22 by John

Here is another picture.

Opinion by InspectApedia Publisher (mod) - quite possibly ... I fired this weapon in military training in the 1960s

@John,

It's possible that there would be some asbestos insulation on what looks like wire in your photos.

We would need to find the original military product specification to know for sure.

I actually fired those weapons during military training in 1965 and 66.

Our Target was an abandoned laundry truck across a small Valley. Most of us came nowhere close to hitting it.

Daniel Friedman

by John - is this asbestos suspect bazooka material friable?

@InspectApedia would this be classed as friable and would people need to dispose of clothing etc if they had been handling it?

Opinion by InspectApedia Publisher (mod)

@John,

In my opinion, no. The total amount of material looks trivial and if you're not disturbing it is not likely that there could be a detectable hazard.

If you want to improve the safety of the cable or wiring insulation or whatever it is that looks like that, try spraying it with a clear sealant.

Daniel Friedman

 

Was asbestos used in telephone handset spiral cord?

Any idea if asbestos was used in plastic spiral cord connecting a phone handset to a phone cradle? On 2023-04-10 22:32:15.945440 by Anonymous

Answer by InspectApedia Editor (mod) - research results on use of asbestos in phone wiring: where was asbestos used in telephone system wiring?

@Anonymous,

We're researching your question on asbestos use in telephone handset cords - so far without finding any confirmation.

The coiled telephone handset cords that I've cut or connected or examined over the last five decades did have an interior of jute, fiberglass, or nylon.
Asbestos was widely used as a reinforcement in plastics including some bakelite products that were used in older telephones themselves.

This reference may interest you

Masson, Don. he Story of the Plastics Industry [PDF] (1972). US DHEW.

Abstract:
This is an illustrated informative booklet, designed to serve members of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., and the plastics industry as a whole. It provides basic information about the industry's history and growth, plastics raw materials, typical uses of plastics, properties, and methods of prccessing and fabricating. - original source: files. eric. ed. gov/fulltext/ED089027 . pdf

posted and linked-to at ASBESTOS ELECTRICAL WIRE INSULATION -

There you'll read that where asbestos was used in electrical wire insulation it was principally for applications that required extra heat or fire resistance - not something applicable to a telephone.

Asbestos was used in related applications such as in plastic conduits for telephone wires. (Levin 2018)

Levin, Lester. "Properties and Uses of Asbestos." In Asbestos: The Hazardous Fiber, pp. 27-43. CRC Press, 2018.

Is there Asbestos in NARRAGANSETT 6 - 2 -- 8 - 1 TYPE SE STYLE U 75C electrical wire?

I found some thick wiring in my 1960's home in Western New York disconnected on both ends. The wire says, "NARRAGANSETT 6 - 2 -- 8 - 1 TYPE SE STYLE U 75C". It looks like it was intended to be used for an electric stove hookup. Similar to Pete (Jan 5, 2022), I was pulling on the wire and there were some translucent fibers drifting away from the insulation. I could only see them because I was pointing a bright flashlight on the wire.

Any ideas whether it contains asbestos? I'm worried because I breathed in some of the fibers. On 2022-12-05 by Nathaniel

Answer by InspectApedia (Editor) (mod) - possible but not likely

@Nathaniel,

You're supposed to say it's possible but not likely in that wire. Please take a look at the details we offer in our homepage for this topic found at

ASBESTOS ELECTRICAL WIRE INSULATION

Followup query by GL

@Nathaniel, did you ever find out for sure? We have the same wire and are trying to answer the same question.

Answer by InspectApedia Publisher (mod)

@GL,

To know "for sure" as you put it, Whether or not that wire contains asbestos you would need to either establish the age of the wire is post the use of asbestos in the country where it's installed or you would need to have a sample tested.

But for conventional building electrical branch circuit wiring, that is where it's not a high heat or theatre or other special-risk situation the use of asbestos-insulated wire would be uncommon and unexpected.

Do these 18 AWG "Translucent" insulating fibres on a ceiling light contain asbestos?

I found this wiring in my 1960's era home in the U.S., connected to recessed can lights in the floor joist area between the upstairs and downstairs. When I disconnected the wiring from the existing lights, I could see clear/translucent 'fibers' disintegrating away from the insulation under the bright light of a flashlight. On 2022-01-05 23:10:09.969772 by Pete D

Is it safe to work with? Does it contain asbestos? The conductor is quite small, 18 AWG, stranded. They were supplying incandescent BR40s, and I'm replacing them with 12W LEDs, so the power draw will be substantially less.

Answer by Inspectapedia Com Moderator (mod) - not at all likely

@Pete,

Compare the photos and context of use of wire insulation at

ASBESTOS ELECTRICAL WIRE INSULATION

Followup by Pete

@Inspectapedia Com Moderator, Thanks for replying! I wasn't able to find any pictures or descriptions there that were similar to mine. After some more reading, I feel more comfortable with what I have, that it is (hopefully) safe!

Is there any chance this Type NM-B wire contains asbestos?

I found this traveling through the 2nd floor back hall of a 3 decker building in a modern looking wire hiding strip going up the wall. It seems to not have any significance on the actual 2nd floor.

My first question would be if there is a chance of it containing asbestos.

My second would be if anyone could tell me it's actual purpose.

The outlet on the wall near it has two different gauge wires (one on top, the other on the bottom on reverse sides?) and the thinner gauge on the other hot / neutral on each side and some of the wire covering (which looks like rolled paper in most of the unit carrying either 2 wires or 2 wires and a ground), that particular one was charred badly and had a burning smell, it also does not have a visible ground wire....which I only mention because the wire in the photo clearly says "Ground" on it.

Any insight on either question would be appreciated. On 2021-06-04 by Anonymous

Reply by inspectapedia.com.moderator (mod): NO: That's NMC type NM-B or "non metallic cable" plastic wire insulation, #10 wire with ground.

@Anonymous,

That looks like NMC type NM-B or "non metallic cable" plastic wire insulation, #10 wire with ground. Plastic wire insulation is not an asbestos material.

Encorewire.com a manufacturer of NM-B describes that particular wire type as follows:

Type NM-B (Non-Metallic Sheathed Cable) is commonly used for residential wiring of luminaries, devices and appliances. Type NM-B ampacity limitation shall be in accordance with the 60ºC conductor temperature rating, as specified in the NEC. Type NM-B is rated 600-volt for both exposed and concealed work in normally dry locations. Type NM-B may be installed or fished in air voids and joints and in masonry block or tile walls where such walls are not exposed to, nor subject to, excessive moisture or dampness. Type NM-B features SuperSlick Elite® technology for easier pulling. - Encore Wire, 1329 Millwood Road,
McKinney, Texas 75069 USA Tel: (972) 562-9473 Website: https://www.encorewire.com/

Take a look at

Electrical Service Entry Cable Sizes, Branch Circuit Wire Sizes & Ampacity Tables

found at inspectapedia.com/electric/Electrical_SEC_Sizes_Amps.php SE CABLE & WIRE SIZES vs AMPS

you'll see that wire is rated for use on a 30A circuit.

Now take a look at the 30A breakers in your electrical pane and see what they're labelled as "for"

or

Follow the wire

Does this 1980's Skope Fan Heater / Wall Heater Contain Asbestos - is it safe?

We have an old Skope fan heater on the wall in our holiday home in New Zealand and was wondering if it had the potential to have asbestos in it and if its safe to use?

It was purchased about 85-86 and is made of stamped metal. The white fluffy stuff in the grills i am hoping is just dust, but thought id ask. On 2026-06-27 by Johnn

Answer by InspectApedia Publisher (mod) - we see house dust, no asbestos in this Skope heater

@Johnn,

The white fluffy stuff on the steel heater fdront cover around the grill openings on your heater are accumulated house dust, not asbestos.

You can damp wipe the cover but more effective would be gentle vacuuming.

Your Skope fan heater is indeed an older unit, but Skope still offers support in New Zealand: by calling the company's New Zealand office at 0800 947 5673 or email to skope@skope.com.

When we were in Christchurch I found that Skope units could be serviced or repaired by Cali Comfort Solutions Ltd +6433470366 info@calicomfort.co.nz but I'm not sure how much of the country they cover.

About the use of asbestos in Skope heaters in New Zealand and Australia, I'm still researching but I've not found specific reference confirming asbestos use in those appliances. However some older night heaters used asbestos in electric wire insulation and on insulating asbestos-cement boards (not friable if not damaged) up to about 1975. As your heater is ten years newer it's not likely to contain asbestos.

My OPINION is that if not mechanically damaged, even those 1950-s to 1970's older heaters are not likely to release detectable levels of asbestos fibers into building air.

But Fibre Safe (a company whose business includes asbestos abatement on heaters) found what looks to me like friable asbestos packer washers on the feet of some older night storage heaters (that was NOT a Skope heater nor therefore was it your unit). See https://fibresafe.com/asbestos-in-heating-appliances/

I searched the web for any report of finding asbestos in Skope heaters and reviewed the results where the word "Skope" appeared - NONE of them actually cited finding asbestos in Skope wall heaters.

Thank you for a helpful question.

Daniel Friedman

 

Is this asbestos wire insulation in a 1919 building where there was a fire? Did burnong wire insulation release asbestos?

Is this asbestos covering the wires? It is 1919 building. There was a fire in the building, toxic smelling fumes. Wondering how likely it is that asbestos wires burned and released particulates. On 2026-03-25 by Cat

Here is another photo of wires inside wall for light switch. 1919, NYC pre-war building. Is this asbestos covering the wires?

Reply by InspectApedia Publisher (mod) : NO; burning asphalt impregnated cotton or jute wire insulation wouldn't release asbestos - but the wiring is unsfae

@Cat,

It's not likely that a residential electrical circuit for a switch or receptacle in your 1919 NYC building would have used asbestos wire insulation.

Asbestos based electrical wire insulation was found principally in high-heat applications such as theatre wiring or inside appliances like toasters.

More typical cloth covered electrical wire of the era in your photo was cotton or jute impregnated with asphalt or else painted.

Watch out: if the wires in your building were partly burned or even overheated by a building fire the wiring is likely to be unsafe and should be replaced.

Thank you for the question and photos.

Daniel Friedman

Asbestos in ceiling fan wiring in a 1906 home?

Went to go replace a light fixture in my 1906 home, and found this (pictured). I’ve replaced all but one room and it’s all been “modern” wiring from 70’s-90’s with evidence of disconnected knob and tube. The dining room has five ceiling lights - four “vintage” lights that look very old and one terrible ceiling fan/light from the 80’s.

The picture is from the ceiling fan - removed it and found two “newer” wires and two with what really looks like a braided asbestos containing material.

I know there is no way to know without testing - but I just have to ask - is there anything that looks like this that is NOT asbestos? I’m guessing there is a high probability it is?

(Also looks like it might be knob and tube?) Thanks! On 2023-10-12 by Jen

Answer by InspectApedia DF (mod) - not likely to be asbestos wire but we see other safety concerns in your photo

@Jen,

Thank you for a helpful asbestos electrical wire insulation question.

In your photo that white wire that I think is insulated with a cloth fabric looks in good shape - at least the part that I can see. And the fabric that we can see does NOT resemble asbestos wire insulation by physical appearance.

Asbestos wire insulation was for high heat applications such as in appliances or in theatre wiring - as we can read above on this page, so asbestos insulation not likely at a normal residential ceiling light fixture.

See details about old fabric insulated electrical wire identification

FABRIC NMC WIRE INSULATION IDENTIFICATION

Watch out: Other details worth noting in your photo where I've marked both plastic and cloth fabric wire insulation are

• Drywall screw (circled in white) and thin retrofit type shallow electrical box both are compelling evidence that your ceiling fan electrical box is a retrofit installation that is newer than the building where it's installed.
• False electrical ground: though the installer connected the ceiling fan green ground wire to the electrical box fan support strip, since there are only two conductors visible in the photo there is probably no grounding conductor present, so the ceiling fan is not electrically grounded.
• Unsafe ceiling fan support: this shallow retrofit electrical box is NOT designed to carry the weight of a ceiling fan, and worse, the only supporting connector we see between the electrical box and the ceiling wood framing is a drywall screw - not a structural fastener. The ceiling fan could fall onto someone.

Followup by Jen - was horse hair used in electrical wire insulation?

@InspectApedia DF, @InspectApedia DF, thank you for that.

After talking to some folks in my neighborhood, they mentioned horse hair insulation on old residential wires.

I can’t find anything about that online, and it just doesn’t seem to make sense? Honestly, the first thing I thought when I saw that was “why is there so much horsehair in this junction box!” - it was a couple of minutes later that it occurred to me that asbestos might be more likely.

Have you ever heard of horse hair being used to insulate wires? This is a 1907 house in the historic streetcar suburbs section of Philadelphia.

Reply by InspectApedia Publisher (mod) - horsehair was not found in wire insulation but was used in some electrical experiments in the late 1800s

@Anonymous,

No, but Animal hair, including horse, was common in plaster in older homes like yours.

Horsehair was used as a component in early experiments employing a wheel rubbing against violin strings to produce static electricity (FESSENDEN ON INSULATION AND CONDUCTION, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS. New York, March 23d, 1898..) but

I have found no direct citation of use of horsehair as a component of electrical wire insulation, after researching between 1880 and 1930. Horsehair is occasionally mentioned, such as in

The Electric Light on the U. S. Fish-Commission Steamer Albatross.—II -which unfortunately doesn't provide free access to the article - at:
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ns-2.42.671.b

Did 1950's Weatherproof Cu conductors electrical wiring use asbestos?

I am searching for information on old overhead conductors used by electric utility companies in the 1950s and prior. Specifically Conductors referee to as Weatherproof Cu conductors. Did that insulation contain asbestos? On 2023-07-15 by William Smith

Answer by InspectApedia Publisher (mod) - NO explicit mention of asbestos for that wire

@William Smith,

We searched patents (though not exhaustively) and some other publications describing weatherproof copper electrical conductors (Weatherproof Cu conductors) and did not find explicit mention of asbestos used in the insulation for that wire.

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. For example some rubber wire insulation contained asbestos.

I suggest doing your own survey of overhead electrical conductor wire insulation patents between day 1945 and 1965.

An EXAMPLE detailed description of the wire in your question: " old overhead conductors used by electric utility companies in the 1950s and prior. Specifically Conductors referee to as Weatherproof Cu conductors" is:

This document provides the specification for annealed stranded copper conductors used as jumper wires in 25kV AC single phase traction overhead equipment. It outlines the requirements for the material, dimensions, construction, defects and other properties of the copper wires and stranded conductors. Key points include: - The conductors shall consist of drawn and annealed round copper wires. - Volume resistivity and elongation requirements are specified for the copper wires. - Nominal wire sizes of 1.016mm, 1.25mm and 1.64mm are permitted. - Joints in wires are only allowed during stranding and must be hard soldered or welded. - Density, coefficient of linear expansion,
Original Title
IS 12164

Is found at www.scribd.com/document/426531115/IS-12164 with a maddening advertisement blasted "free download" if you open an account.

Excerpting (stolen by AI)
Weatherproof Insulation (WP): The conductor was covered with a fibrous, weather-resistant braid—often saturated with asphaltic compounds—or thermoplastic materials like Polyethylene (PE) or Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). This covering was meant to resist rain, snow, and sunlight, though it was not considered insulation for high-voltage protection, merely a shield against the elements.

The answer to your asbestos wire insulation question is most-likely "no", given the description of the wire insulation. You'll see in detail in our article on asbestos use in electrical wire insulation that principally it was used in high-heat applications.

Daniel Friedman

Also see the old fabric insulated electrical wire identification guide at

FABRIC NMC WIRE INSULATION IDENTIFICATION

...

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