When you are renovating a house that was wired before the 1950s, you are most likely going to have to rewire the whole house. The primary reason is the cloth insulation that was used on household wires. With age, cloth insulation will begin to deteriorate. This will cause it to fall away from the wire, exposing it. There is a strong possibility that an exposed wire will cause a shock, spark, or even a fire. That is why replacing the wiring is the most sensible course of action.

Empire Electrical Solutions, based out of San Luis Obispo, can help you by providing information, and even give you an estimate on the project at hand. When you rewire electrical systems, it is important not to do it yourself unless you are trained and experienced. At a minimum you should consult an electrician before starting a project that requires a whole house rewire.

Knowing if your Home Needs Rewiring

There are important reasons why you should rewire your home. Here are some of the key tell-tale signs that you need a full rewire of your home or business.

• Cloth Insulation – Being substandard, cloth insulation poses a major fire hazard for your home. This should be addressed immediately by an experienced Empire Electrical Solutions technician.

• 1950 or Older Home – Aside from the issue of cloth insulation, there is another important reason you need to know about before rewiring old houses. These houses may be ungrounded in some parts if not all, the electrical system. This can cause some serious issues and might be against code in your area.

• Tube & Knob Wiring – Electrical systems, especially the oldest ones, utilize a tube and knob wiring system. Houses built before the 1930’s use this system.

• Aluminum Wiring – There were over 2,000,000 homes that have been wired up with aluminum. This happened in the ’60s and ’70s. Aluminum wiring is a fire hazard, and it is advised that it is replaced as soon as possible.

• Ungrounded – Ungrounded houses will not conduct the excess electricity to the ground and out of the home. This can result in some hazardous shocks, as well as fire risks in the home. Houses built before the 1950s are often ungrounded and should be serviced or rewired by a licensed Empire Electrical Solutions electrician.

• Insufficient Power – Underlying electric issues are aggravated by excessive demand on the system. You know if you have excessive demand if you are constantly tripping breakers or crowding your outlets often.

If you’re constantly using extension cords or resetting flipped breakers you should consider a complete rewiring renovation to protect your home and family from fires and other hazards. Call Empire Electrical Solutions today to schedule an inspection to receive an estimate for your project.