When it comes to owning an older home, you’ve likely invested time and money in repairs and upgrades due to the age of the structure and made upgrades where needed. Yet, there’s one upgrade that might not have crossed your mind but is very important: rewiring your home. Many older residences need a whole-home rewire.
The electrical systems of older homes were not designed with modern safety standards in mind. These homes were also not wired to handle the amount of electricity modern life can use.
Rewiring your home is a worthwhile upgrade that offers you many benefits as a homeowner. If your home has an older electrical system in need of upgrading here are several benefits you gain by doing so.
Reasons Rewiring Your Home May Be the Best
There are many compelling reasons why rewiring your home may be the best option for homeowners. This essential upgrade can transform your living space and enhance your daily life in more ways than one. Here are some of the most common ones:
- Improved Safety: an aging electrical system is a safety hazard and can lead to numerous dangers such as electrical fires, shocks, short circuits, and other electrical issues. Older systems lose the capacity to process large amounts of power and many may not have been designed with your energy use needs in mind in the first place. A rewire prevents these issues and can protect you from larger dangers such as electrical fires.
- Improved Performance: if you are encountering issues such as flickering lights or your appliances not working correctly a rewire can solve these problems. When you rewire a home you increase its capacity allowing it to support more appliances and larger electrical needs. This also prevents power blinks and brownouts as well.
- Increased Home Value: if you ever plan to sell your home having a rewired electrical system will increase its resale value. With upgraded systems potential buyers know in advance, that they won’t have to pay for the upgrade themselves and this makes them willing to spend more for this value.
- Reduced Costs: an older home’s electrical system can be very inefficient. Electrical pathways may not be optimized and the materials used will not be as modern as current materials used in home electrical wiring. Relying on an aging system can quickly drive up your electric bill every month. A home rewire makes your home more efficient and brings down your monthly power costs. You can also save money due to not having to make expensive repairs in the future.
Signs Your Home Needs a Rewire
Modern living uses a lot of electrical energy every day. If your home’s older electrical system is having issues with performance there are several signs that will tell you so. If you see any of the below issues on a consistent basis it is time for a home rewire.
- Flickering Lights: if lights keep flickering this is a sign of overload or aging wires that cannot handle the current or may be damaged.
- Sparking or Burning: this is a very dangerous sign and one that shows your home isn’t safe. If you see sparks or smell burning your home is in danger of an electrical fire. A professional electrician should be contacted as soon as possible to check your home’s electrical system and make any needed repairs or upgrades.
- Warm Outlets and Light Switches: this is another red flag that you should call an electrician for an inspection. Warm outlets and light switches are caused by pulling too much current. This is a sign of a larger underlying system with your home’s wiring.
- Circuit Breakers Keep Tripping: consistently blown fuses and tripped breakers are a sign of a larger issue. It shows your home’s wiring systems cannot handle the amount of power you are using.
Final Thoughts on Rewiring Your Home
The standards of home construction and electrical safety are improving every year to keep homeowners safe. A home that is only 30 years old may still be out of date for some modern standards and in need of rewiring or a newer electrical panel. A professional can assist in the process of rewiring your home, ensuring it becomes a secure, more efficient space that complies with contemporary standards.