Top Reasons to Rewire a Home

Rewiring the home is one of the best solutions to prevent hazardous electrical problems and ensure peace of mind.

An aging home needs several repairs and upgrades to keep up with changing lifestyles and ensure household safety. However, wear and tear can take a toll on various home systems, including the electrical wiring. Old and defective wiring fails to meet a household’s needs, reduces home value, and can cause electrical issues that pose safety concerns for the property and family. For example, thousands of electrical fires are reported in the US annually, and faulty wiring is one of the leading causes. 

Rewiring the home is one of the best solutions to prevent hazardous electrical problems and ensure peace of mind. While having the home rewired may seem expensive to many, it has several benefits, safety being the major one. Here are a few indicators that a house needs rewiring:

Old aluminum wiring

Copper is a safe and widely-used material for home wiring due to its excellent properties. However, several older homes, especially those built from the mid-1960s to the late 70s, have aluminum wiring. Builders and electricians used aluminum wiring as a cheaper alternative when the prices of copper shot up during that time. Unfortunately, aluminum wiring is a safety hazard as it is more likely to overheat and fail and increases fire risk at connection points. Consider rewiring if the panel jacket has the letters AL or ALUM. 

Flickering or dimming lights

While a faulty bulb may cause light to flicker, there is a more significant issue when the lights throughout the home regularly flicker. A spike or decline in voltage can arise from faulty wiring. In addition, deteriorated or corroded wiring can cause a problem with the lights. An electrician can check the home for its rewiring needs.

Burning smells

There is a severe electric issue if there is an unexplained persistent burning smell, the source of which seems difficult to identify. For example, fault wires behind walls or under the flooring can heat up and cause a burning smell. Please switch off the circuit breaker and call an electrical contractor immediately as it is a fire hazard.

Repeatedly tripping circuit breakers

Circuit breakers trip to halt the electric flow to a circuit when it overloads and exceeds the amperage it can handle. It is a safety feature incorporated to ensure home protection. Frequent breaker trips indicate an overloaded system, and rewiring the home is an efficient solution to manage the electric demand.

Outlet issues

Loose, scorched, or discolored outlets and switches, sparking outlets, sizzling or buzzing sound, or electric shock from an outlet are all severe problems homeowners should not overlook. An electrician can evaluate the system for rewiring needs.

Increased reliance on extension cords

The lack of outlets forces homeowners to run electric cords throughout the house. Extension cords are dangerous for several reasons. Over-reliance on extension cords is a tell-tale sign that the home needs rewiring and the addition of new sockets. 

Damaged insulation 

Broken or exposed wires can melt the surrounding insulation leading to various safety hazards. Rewire a home if the wires have exposed metals.

Consult an expert to protect the home

Rewiring the home is not a DIY job. It requires experience, special tools, knowledge, skills, and training that only a licensed electrician possesses. Always rely on a local electric contractor to rewire the house.

ACT Electric performs quality, licensed and bonded work at affordable prices for both residential and commercial jobs. From troubleshooting to whole-house electrical renovations, their primary concern is the comfort and safety of their customers. Give them a call at (480)986-1722 today!