One of the most critical systems in your house is the electrical system. It can be compared with the foundation of the building. As everything is built up with the support from this base, it should be of the best quality. The same applies to the electrical system of your home. The output and life expectancy of the electrical accessories depend on the quality of the supply from your house’s electrical system.
But it is often neglected and only gets attention when something goes wrong. One of the reasons behind this is the expense incurred on upgrading the electrical system. Though the high amount of investment might scare you, there are many valid reasons for upgrading your house’s electrical system promptly.
This article will give you an overall idea and instructions while considering a complete electrical system upgrade for your home, or you can just take help from the electricians in Charlotte NC.
Why Should You Consider an Electrical System Upgrade for Your Home?
– You can provide a clean and stylish look to your interior by reducing the number of visible wiring and power strips. It will improve the architecture.
– Increase the rental and resale value of your home by making it up to date with all modern and high-class electrical systems. You cannot use all the modern amenities and facilities with older wiring systems.
Spending your money for upgrading the home electrical system will not only get your house up to the building code which changes after every few years, but it also shows to the potential buyers that your home is fully equipped to manage and handle the electrical demands of the 21st century.
– If the electrical system in your house is not properly inspected and upgraded, then your house is at greater risk of a fire accident. So, it won’t be wrong if we mention that one of the main reasons for upgrading the electrical system of your home is to minimize the fire-related accident risk and other potential hazards.
A study was done by the National Fire Prevention Association in 2009, and they found that inappropriate and cheap wiring is the foremost reason for residential accidents related to fires. The older your wiring and electrical system at home, the greater the risk. It’s like you’re living inside a potential bomb.
– During the early 20th century, it was knob and tube wiring that was the trending electrical system. It is not inherently dangerous, but it is not up to the mark as per the code now. It also minimizes the property price if you want to sell your home. Moreover, wire insulation deteriorates over time which makes it more dangerous.
During the ’60s, aluminum used to be the material of choice, unlike copper that we use today. Aluminum stretches when it gets heated. As a result, the wires collide with adjacent wires and a short-circuit occurs.
If an inspection has not been conducted by the professionals, it is worth an inspection by an experienced electrician now, especially when your electrical system is showing the following signs.
Signs That Indicate You Need to Upgrade the Electrical System
1. You’re running your basic machinery in your home like light, fan, TV, etc, but when you turn on your microwave oven, everything shuts down. That is because of your circuit breaker tripping. This is an obvious sign that indicates your system needs an upgrade.
2. Electrical panels like switch plates become hot and risky to touch.
3. Warm, discolored, and sparking outlets are also a sign for upgrading. It can lead to a burning smell in your room.
4. Intensity of the lights is dimming, or sometimes, they are flickering.
5. The small shocks we get from the outlets that we don’t care about can also result in an accident later.
6. Insurance companies are asking for a greater premium due to your home’s old wiring system.
What Do You Need to Do?
Get Professional Help from A Consultant
Security first. The electricity running through your house’s electrical system has the power to injure you; it can even take your life. A report from the Electrical Safety Foundation International stated in 2017 that a total of 2246 electricians had injuries, both major and minor, while they were working. So, don’t even think of taking it on your hand.
National Electrical Code (NEC) compliance has some requirements and restrictions that can only be followed by a professionally skilled and licensed electrician. They can advise you better about which things in your home’s electrical system need an upgrade.
GFCI Is Crucial for The Safety of Your home
The full form for GFCIs is ground fault circuit interrupters, which are also known as RCDs- residual current devices. These are normally used by the NEC for installation in your outlets that run along with the countertops of the washroom and kitchen. You’ll also find it in the unfinished basements. This thing is for protection against home electrocution as a safety measure in home appliances that use electricity and are in close proximity to water.
Your Electrical Panel Should Get an Update
Houses which were built almost three to four decades ago were designed to provide power ranging from 30 to 50 amps for using electrical service. But now, this design of the system sounds obsolete when you know that a central air conditioning unit alone uses 200 amps for its operation. Actually living in that kind of home seems impossible in today’s ultra-modern world. In a nutshell, a home with that kind of configuration will just cause frustration.
For the last few years, electrical malfunctions were the second leading reason behind all the house fires.
Structured Wiring Should Be Your Consideration
If you want to ensure access to the connected devices from every room of the house and remotely too, you need proper fitting of high-capacity coaxial wiring, low-voltage wiring, and networking cables.
You can install IoT devices on these outlets to make your home smart, and everything can be controlled by your mobile device. Get the latest technology.
Associated Cost
If your home is anything around 1500 to 3000 sq. feet, then it can cost you around USD 7000-15000. Installing the wiring, opening of walls, switches, and outlets, and then closing the walls and outlets back up: all of these things are included within this.
Remember, this investment is not going in vain! It will benefit you in the long-run and prevent accidents.