If a property has not already been rewired within the last 25-30 years, the chances are it will need a rewire and upgrading.
Does your house need rewiring?
Rewiring a house can be a major task and expense. But due to endangerment of degraded wiring, rewiring indeed should be considered. Furthermore, it is necessary to keep your wiring in check after a while. If you notice that your house wiring is either deteriorating or has wears and tear, it is high time to call for a highly qualified electrician. They will do a thorough inspection to consider to what extent does your wiring needs repair. Moreover, after a serious examination, they will recommend you replace the old and faulty wiring items with advanced wiring materials. With this, improved safety measures in your house are assured.
Why rewiring your house is necessary?
Your house wiring has not been updated in years
Residential fires are highly contributed by outdated wiring in a house. This should give you enough reason to upgrade your electrical system. If your house is more than 30 years old with its original wiring, rewiring should be executed. Rewiring your old house will erase all the existing and unnoticed wiring wears and tears. It might sound expensive though you will have achieved modernized wiring. This will bring about improved safety and convenience as more sockets will be added to allow increased usage of electronics. Besides, your house will be lively due to advanced bright lights achieved by the installation of modern lights.
Dimming or Flickering Lights
Flickering lights have a lot of impressions. It may be due to either loose bulbs because of improper twisting or faulty wiring. This shows that there is a defect with insufficient light being produced. For this, replacement is urgently needed to avoid irregular connections. Also, flickering lights usually interfere with our eyesight if it happens repeatedly hence you should take action as early as possible to avoid more damage. Destruction of bulbs is among the more damages.
Electric shocks
When it comes to electric shocks, our sensitive bodies are exposed to unexpected pain when in contact with an electric energy source. This should not be taken lightly as it can result in injuries or even death for a serious case. If you experience uncertain electric shocks in your house, consult a qualified electrician about the problem for a better handle. Also, a buzzing sound from a socket may be another sign of a problem with your electrical system. All in all, electric shocks a sensitive problem and they should be taken care of immediately.
Repeatedly blown fuses
This occurs due to overloaded sockets over insertion of too many appliances. Moreover, some electric appliances pull more electric power so the fuse overheats and melt. Blown fuses are very dangerous and destructive. It may result to fire if it gets in contact with flammable parts of your house. Also, your expensive electronics such as television can be destroyed due to the heat generated by extra electricity if not under guard. With this, you can invent the addition of more sockets to ease the overloading. Furthermore, you can distribute your devices according to their power usage. Rewiring also will lead to even distribution of power hence fewer damages.
Loosely hanging sockets
Exposed electric wires due to loosely hanging sockets are very dangerous especially when children or pets are in the house. Besides, it can result in malfunctioning of the socket due to disconnected wires. Reach out to a skilled electrician to handle it for safety reasons. Also, when repairing handing sockets your electrical system should be inspected first before making corrections. This will ensure no electrical problem is pending hence the sockets will perform normally. After the repairs, the sockets should be sealed properly to avoid unnecessary object penetrations.
Discoloured switches or sockets
Rewiring your home is best when your switches or sockets look burnt. It shows either they are not working or are in bad shape. This can result to fire if it is ignored as the formation of specks of dust on the exposed live wires can lead to ignition. Replacement of dead outlets should be done for proper wiring connections and to avoid power failures.
Untraceable persistent burning smell
This comes about due to burnt plastics on outlets or wiring. If you smell faint plastic burning and it’s unnoticeable, it is high time to call an electrician. This is due to sparking wires resulting in burning the plastic casing inside your walls. Immediate action by a profession is required.
Selling an old house
For you to appeal to the buyers, the electric system of your house should be perfectly connected to avoid doubts from the buyers. With modern rewiring, it will boost your house appearance hence increased potential buyers. Also, a consistent power supply to your house raises its possibility of being bought.
The cost of rewiring a house
The expense of rewiring a house usually depends on the damages, wear and tears. Modern rewiring seems to be expensive due to the application of new technology inventions. Also, for full rewiring, you will spend more than when you are replacing a specific damaged part. Furthermore, the working time also plays a role when it comes to paying the electrician. Though, all your work can be done under a fixed price set by the electrician according to the problem attended to. Rewiring your house can sound expensive but it is worth the move.
Issues to consider before rewiring your house
Vacate the rooms. Rewiring causes a lot of disruption and it is easier to be done in an empty room. This is due to wiring channels are routed inside your walls. Also, cabling is not safe to be mounted on the surface hence floorboards and coverings will need to be pulled up.
It should be done before any house renovation. In the case of decoration and plastering, rewiring should be done first to avoid inconveniencing other activities.
Electricity in wet areas. Wet areas have an extensive risk of electrocution. Thus, wet areas such as swimming pools, bathrooms and kitchen should be carefully handled during rewiring. Also, special restrictions should be put on wet areas to avoid people landing into problems. Therefore, handling moistened areas with electricity should only be done by qualified electricians for safety measures.
Ensure there are enough sockets. Confirm if the sockets in your house serve you in plenty. This is because when rewiring, you can decide to add more if feel the existing sockets are inadequate. Many sockets also put your house in an advantaged position of being bought.
Electrical Installation Condition Reports
It is a regular house inspection report regarding its safety concerning fixed wiring. It usually depends on the state of the installation and it recommends to be done at least every five years. It works best when to comes to home buyers test or landlord safety test. This report has been highly put to work by the government to ensure all the tenancies and landlords have fully followed the installation conditions. This is recommended to avoid mistakes in the future.
Is it safe to do the rewiring work on my own?
Rewiring is a complicated and sensitive job. Doing it on your own will not only endanger your family, but also it may result in losses due to an outbreak of fire if poorly installed. This will put you at risk of not being compensated by your insurance company as it will be considered non-accidental. Moreover, it is not safe for you to handle wet areas as you may not be fully aware of the restrictions hence end up getting electrocuted. Besides, when you want to sell your house, it must pass building regulations and the electrical installation conditions are among them. Nobody will want a house with a poor power connection. That’s why an electrician is highly recommended for the work. Ensure their details match the electrical work at your home and bears registration with a regulatory body.
Rewiring should not be done in a non-professional as it can result in more damage than the existing one.
Final thoughts
When you are on edge of deciding does my house need rewiring, you have to explore and analyze the state of your home first. Ensure all the damages are noted. You can then enquire about qualified electricians, propose and negotiate the cost of the work. Rewiring your house improves electronics productivity as power will be evenly distributed due to a smooth wire connection. Moreover, modern cables will make your house less vulnerable and less hazardous to break downs. Rewiring should be made a habit at your home periodically as it reduces chances of damages and your family safety assured.