If you live in an older home, you probably have wiring that was designed to support far less voltage than the demands of today’s modern equipment, like computers and home entertainment centers. The wiring might also be starting to decay, leading not only to potential power losses, but fire hazards as well. In many cases, you should invest in at least partial—if not whole-house—rewiring to upgrade your home so it can handle the electrical load and prevent hazards.
Call G&S Heating, Cooling & Electrical, Inc. to look over your home if you suspect aging and insufficient wiring. Our skilled Mill Creek, WA electrical repair technicians will determine the best route to take to replace your wiring.
Here are a few signs to look for that may warn you it’s time for wiring replacement.
Signs that it’s time to re-wire
- Constant power surges: Power surges aren’t just problems that occur during electrical storms or when trees fall over power lines. Surges occur regularly when large appliances make increased voltage demands on the electrical system that are too much for it to handle. With aging and declining wiring, power surges will become more and more common, and you will start to notice lights dimming around your house every time an air conditioning compressor comes on or the laundry machine starts. Either select or whole-house rewiring is necessary to increase the electrical load of your system.
- Power outages and tripped circuit breakers/blown fuses: The next stage beyond constant power surges are frequent power losses. If you find that you often have to make trips to the fuse box or circuit panel, a flashlight grasped in one hand, then either you need to upgrade the fuse box or the wiring. (Most of the time, you should do both.)
- Hot, sparking, or buzzing outlets/switches: Poor wiring often manifests first at outlets and switches, where loose connections can cause an increase in heat that can eventually cause fires. If you notice abnormal heat emanating from switches or outlets, or burn marks around them, you need to call for an electrician immediately before the fire hazard becomes more serious. Sparking from the outlets also indicates a wiring problem; at the very least, you will need to have the outlets or switches replaced, but it will also probably call for more thorough re-wiring to keep your house safe in the future.
Stay safe: call an electrician
Do not try to make wiring fixes on your own. The potential for a high voltage shock is too great, and you will unlikely be able to make any effective changes anyway. Call for professional electrical repair in Mill Creek, WA from an experienced company like G&S Heating, Cooling & Electrical, Inc. We will help you with the re-wiring you need.
