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Whole House Wiring Contractors
Why do you need to rewire your house? Simple, if your house was built before the 1950s, insulation covering for wiring was made of cloth. So, it’s needless to say that this just won’t do. Older homes may also need their electrical panels replaced. An electrical panel is the box that holds your circuit breakers and fuses. Electricians will always check this box when a fault is reported as it is this box that receives electricity from the electric company and distributes it to all your circuits in your home. Older panels most often do not supply the amount of power that your appliances demand causing the circuit breaker to switch off or fuses to blow.
Rewiring your house is the action of pulling out the old wires and installing new ones. Sounds simple? Not in the least. Home electrical wiring most often requires you to upgrade the power source as well. Most importantly, the “ground wire” needs to be installed for safety. Professional electrical contractors will ask you some questions to ascertain how much work needs to be done before they give you a comprehensive quote. If you are looking for an electrician to rewire your home, simply submit the form on your right and receive multiple estimates from electrical contractors in your area.
Whole House Rewire: Factors to Consider
It is important that you are aware of the following:
- Was your house wired before 1950? This information is helpful to ascertain the type of home electrical wire and insulation that has been used and what would require replacing.
- Knob and tube wiring was used for houses built before 1935. This method used ceramic based conduits and is dangerous as the wires are ungrounded.
- The mid 1960s used a lot of aluminum wiring. These wires tend to heat up faster and can cause fires. As the load of electricity that is demanded increases, the risk of fire increases as well.
- All ungrounded wires MUST be grounded. There is no way to work around this.
- Do you have insufficient power outlets? If you feel so, then you need to ensure that your current panel can handle increased outlets. Most often the wiring in the whole house needs to be remapped in order to accommodate more power outlets.
- The excessive use of power extension chords is another indication that your home maybe in need of additional electrical circuits.
When was the last time you had your electricity panel checked for any short circuits or electrical leaks? This is the main distribution system for your home and therefore, it must be checked regularly.
The cost of residential electrical wiring would obviously depend on the size of the house and the type and condition of the existing wiring. It is always a good idea to get a professional electrician to inspect your house before you agree to a price quote.
You need to speak to your electrical contractor whether or not the breaking of walls is necessary BEFORE work begins. It is always a good idea to cut off power to the house from the main panel while rewiring work is being done. Your professional contractor will brief you on the process.
Rewiring your house on your own is NOT a very good idea. Of course, it depends on your electrical knowledge and skills. However, rewiring an entire house is no easy task. It requires special skills, tools and expert knowledge of your home wiring system. It is by far, a smart move to hire a professional electrician to carry out this task for you.
Need to rewire your home? Submit the form on your right to receive estimates from electricians in your area.