How to Know When Your Home Needs Rewiring

Electricity powers nearly everything in our homes, and faults in wiring can create huge issues with extensive consequences. Sometimes it’s tough to know when you need home rewiring, since the majority of home wires are hidden within the walls and insulation. Here are some indicators and things to look for when you may need home rewiring. 

Regular Maintenance

It’s recommended to check the wiring, if not rewire altogether, every so many years. Regularly scheduling or planning for maintenance or upkeep will help you catch problems early on and even prevent potential issues from occurring. If the building or home is over 30 years old and has yet to be rewired, it’s suggested that it be rewired regardless of any issues. 

Warning Signs

If you see any damaged insulation in your home, that’s a good indicator to check the wiring. Usually, when wiring is damaged, it affects the surrounding insulation as well. If you see any frayed or altered insulation, you should call an electrician to see if you need home rewiring. Some other things to look out for are shocks from light switches or outlets and frequent flickering or dimming of lights. While these things can happen frequently in any home, they may be the symptoms of a larger problem that you may need to investigate. 

Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers can trip often and are designed that way to protect a building or home from potential electrical fires. However, if your circuit breaker trips regularly, there might be an underlying issue causing it. A circuit breaker trips usually when it is overloaded and overheated. Think of what was going on when your circuit breaker trips. If you were running something that takes extra power, like a vacuum or an air conditioner, that could be the cause of overheating and consequently cause the circuit breaker to trip. However, if your circuit breaker trips regularly, despite whatever you might have been powering in your home, that may be an indication that you need home rewiring. 

Outdated Electrical Panels

Electrical panels serve a different purpose than circuit breakers. Circuit breakers are put in place for protection, while electrical panels have more direct control for directing electricity and turning it on or off. Electrical panels can be considered more of a “control panel,” and therefore any problems affecting it will ultimately affect the rest of the electricity and home wiring. There are several safety precautions to take when working with electrical panels, so make sure you keep your safety in mind when approaching one. 

Electrical panels have a long lifespan, but still need to be replaced and repaired like any other equipment. Check to see if your electrical panel needs to be replaced after 20-30 years. 

Other Potential Issues

If you’re having problems with the electricity in your home, home rewiring isn’t the only solution There are some common electrical repairs for residences that can happen at any time. Some issues that might indicate the need for electrical repairs include: 

• Buzzing appliances
• Repeated blown fuses
• Sparks from switches and outlets
• Loose power outlets

The risk of these problems can range from mild to severe, but any type of problem can always get worse, electrical or not. It’s best to stay updated on the repair and upkeep of your appliances and devices so that any issue will come with minimal surprise to you.

Does Your Home Need Rewiring?

Stack Heating, Cooling, & Electric in the greater Cleveland area offers repair and rewiring services! Our trained and qualified professionals can help with any repairs you might need, whether it be heating, cooling or electrical. Call us today at (440) 294-8986 or visit our website!