According to a 2009 study, faulty wiring is the leading cause of residential fires. The older your house is, the riskier it is because as time passes by, old wiring becomes damaged and hazardous. Moreover, it becomes less likely to support modern appliances.
So if you are a homeowner, you must keep your wiring system up to date to avoid any unwanted situation. Not upgrading your system can also cause trouble in getting your home insurance done as many companies will ask for a higher premium or will simply refuse to provide coverage.
Things That Indicate You Need To Upgrade
Your Wiring
If you don’t act quickly enough, your system is most likely to show you symptoms that it needs an update. Some great indications are dimming or flickering lights, and regular fuse blowups. Sometimes, touching a particular wall, appliance, or switch can give you a tingling sensation which indicates it somehow is passing electricity. A burning smell can be a sign too.
Most of the time, users fail to recognize these signs, leading to bigger problems. So it’s better to get your home checked by a professional to ensure everything is working fine. Call certified electricians and ask for opinions. If you are looking for an electrician in Chicago, you can search online for better options.
If your house is more than 45 years old, it is high time you get the electrical wiring system updated.
Risks Of Using Old Wirings
The biggest threat of using old electrical wiring is residential fires. Electrical wirings are very sensitive; the slightest mistake can cause major accidents. As mentioned before, faulty wires are the number one reason for residential fires.
Another significant issue is that the houses built in the 70s or 80s or even before that are generally built with aluminum wirings whereas today people generally use copper wires. Unlike copper wires, aluminum wires are not safe for long time use.
Aluminum tends to loosen up over time. This creates small gaps between the wirings and connectors. These gaps cause electricity to pass into outlets and sockets. Moreover, these gaps can cause overheating, which leads to fire.
So if you have aluminum wires, getting them updated is a must.
Things To Keep In Mind If You Plan To Change Your wirings
Upgrading all your electrical wiring or changing them won’t be a cup of tea. You have to maintain a few things to ensure it’s done right. It’s easier to do in a newly purchased house or a house where no one lives currently. These are some of the things you need to keep in mind.
Taking A Permit
Homeowners are not allowed to make electrical home repairs on their own. First, they have to consult their local building department to apply for the changes they want to make. Then if the authority allows you to do so, they will inspect the procedure.
They may even advise or assist you to make changes to your plan.
Make A Blueprint
Changing the electrical wirings in your house is not something that can be done in a day. You need proper planning before you start. Unless you are a certified professional, don’t try to do it by yourself. Consult a professional and ask them to guide you. Because it is for the safety of your house, you can even take a second opinion if you want.
Because you don’t work with your electrical services every day, make sure to list everything you want to change or add and get it done at once.
Access The Walls
Once you have a solid plan ready. You can start the actual work. When you want to remove your old wiring, the first step is obviously accessing the wires, which is easy if you just bought the house and haven’t painted yet. But if you are doing it in a well-lived house, your walls are most likely to get a bit ruined because there will be numerous holes made.
If you just bought the house, then it will be easier for you because you can change the wires as needed and then get the walls repaired and painted as you like.
Consider Changing The Outlets
As we all know, the wirings are fed to the outlets, and the outlets then pass it to the sockets we plugin. So if you are removing your wirings, you’ll have to remove the sockets as well. In some cases, you can use the old outlets again. However, it’s best to get new and advanced sockets. This way, your appliances will get the best result.
Fix Locations For New Cables
In most cases, the new wires can’t be installed in the same place old wires used to be without causing severe disturbance to the walls. So, think of where you want the new wires to be set. Generally, these wires are run through your attic or crawl space, you can even get them stapled.
Drilling New Holes
After you fix the locations you want to run the new wires, you will need to make holes that are ideally made with a drilling machine. That’s the reason you want to make these changes before you move in or decorate your home. Because not only will it ruin your painted walls, it will also make a lot of noise, which may not be ideal for the residents.
Replacing Old Electrical Equipment
Because you are working with your electrical wiring, which doesn’t get repaired quite often, it’s best to change all your backdated pieces of equipment. In many cases, old panels don’t support the newest appliances. As a result, you are not able to plug them into your outlets.
Sometimes, backdated outlets don’t have proper insulators, which cause them to overheat and cause a fire. So it’s best to get new ones.
To Conclude
Many people tend to shy away from electrical repair works just because they are not that easy and require a lot of work. But when it comes to the safety of your family, nothing counts small. Hopefully, this article will make it a bit easier for you to revamp your wires.
