Why Do Houses Need Rewiring?

When we buy a house we are not only buying a house. We are buying convenient proximity to restaurants, shopping, infrastructure, and other services. We’re buying access to a good school district. We’re buying the views and our place to make memories for years to come.

Furthermore, we’re also buying everything in the house. This includes the plumbing, air conditioning, heating, and the electrical system.

Unless the plumbing, HVAC, or electrical systems have issues, we rarely think about them. We sometimes forget that we need to repair or replace these items within a certain amount of time. That said, if your home is over 40 years old, you likely need to replace the wires in your home and rewire your electrical system.

You may wonder why a house needs rewiring. Keep reading below to learn more about why a home may need to be rewired.

Situations When A House Needs To Be Rewired

Sometimes a house needs to be rewired for safety reasons, updating wires to meet new needs, and convenience. 

Old Wires Wear Out

All things wear out over time. Electrical wires are no exception. Decades of use can take their toll on the wires, causing them and the wiring insulations to wear out

Additionally, in today’s day and age, we need much more technology than we did 40 years ago. We have more devices to charge, appliances to use, and we have to support our home’s internet usage now. This increased need for electricity means that your wires are being used more and longer. 

Not only can this cause your wires to wear out faster but this could start a fire in your home. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), “Today’s electrical demands can overburden the electrical system in a home putting it at a higher risk of an electrical fire.” USFA also notes that “Eventually, given enough time, any home can be at risk of an electrical fire as wire insulation ages, connections loosen, receptacles and switches come loose or wear out, and oil and dirt cause electrical components to overheat.” In 2016, the US Fire Administration noted that 31% of the time, the specific items first ignited in residential building electrical fires were electrical wire & cable installation.

Additionally, many old homes have ungrounded two-prong electrical outlets. These can be dangerous and should be updated with a rewire.

Lack of Outlets & Light Switches

As we mentioned before, in the old days they didn’t use as much electricity as we do now. In fact, there was an era in the 1900s when most homes didn’t even have light switches in every room.

While these old homes and buildings might have a certain charm to them, a lack of power outlets can be dangerous. This is especially dangerous when you have to utilize multiple power strips and extension cords to function in daily life.

A lack of light switches might not necessarily be an inherent danger or a likely cause of a fire. However, not having enough light switches is downright inconvenient. 

Remodels

Renovating and remodeling a room will often require updates to the electrical wiring and plumbing.

We do electrical installation for remodels! Give us a call.

New Appliances

When families make a home their own, they’ll often switch out appliances and even add a few new ones. Adding several new appliances to a home will likely draw more electricity than before.

Combustible Materials

Let’s say that your home is older than 40 years. More specifically, let’s say your house was built in the late 60s early 70s. During this time, aluminum wiring was a popular electrical wire material. In comparison to other materials, aluminum was less expensive and thought to be long-lasting. However aluminum wiring has been linked to an increased chance of a residential fire. If your home was built during this decade or if your home has aluminum wiring, you should get it inspected and rewired soon with copper wires. 

Signs You Need To Rewire Your Home

Age is not the only factor that determines if you need to rewire your home’s electrical system or replace a certain set of wires. Reading below for some of the telltale signs that you need to replace wires in your home:

Tripped Circuit Breaker

Does using your hairdryer trip your circuit breaker? Does having many appliances in the kitchen cause your power to go out? If this sounds like a problem you’re having, it’s likely time to rewire your house’s electrical system. Your circuit breaker will trip when there is too much power going through a particular circuit. This protects your home from an otherwise dangerous power surge. If you find that your circuit breaker trips often, you should schedule an electrical system inspection.

Sizzling or Popping Noises

Do you hear a light sizzling, buzzing, or popping noise coming from your outlets or light switches? This is a sign that something is burning or electricity is arcing inside your outlet. If you hear these noises, you should book an inspection with an electrician and consider rewiring your home.

Burnt Smell in Walls

Do you smell something? If a burning smell or smell of burnt rubber is coming from your walls, you should look into replacing some wires or rewiring your house. A burning smell can indicate a fire. A burning smell can also indicate loose connections or worn-out wires and insulation. 

Frequently Burnt Out Light Bulbs

If you constantly need to replace light bulbs in lamps plugged into a particular light switch or outlet? The wires may not have enough power to sustain modern light bulbs or the light fixture. Updating your electrical system with a rewire will solve this problem. 

Burnt Electrical Switch Plates and Outlets

Look at your electrical outlets and light switch plates. If you’re noticing brown or black marks inside of your outlets and on the plates of light switches, you may have a wire that is shorting and sparking. Feel the plate on the outside of the outlet and any wires that were connected to the outlet recently. Do they feel warm? If so, you may be dealing with a dangerous outlet or light switch. We recommend shutting off power to that room and calling a professional electrician right away. If left to spark for too long, this could cause a house fire.

Central Heating Cooling and Plumbing

Trusting a licensed electrician is the safest way to ensure that your home’s electrical system works properly. Our team of certified electricians at Central Heating Cooling Plumbing and Electrical provide comprehensive electrical services. Come see us for inspections, insulation, upgrades, repairs, and of course, rewires. call us today at 406-756-6656.

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