10 Essential Tips for Upgrading the Electrical System in Your Home
The electrical system in your home is certainly one of the most important yet often neglected things that only get attention when something goes wrong. While it may sound like a hefty investment, upgrading your home’s electrical system can significantly reduce the number of visible power strips, increase the resale and rental value of your house and provide you and your family with comfort and protection.
As far as the cost factor is concerned, the average cost of wiring upgrade for medium to large homes can cost you anywhere between $8k to $15k. Noticeably, this figure involves the opening/closing of walls, wiring installation, switches upgrade, etc. This amount might scare you at first, but there are many valid reasons why should you be upgrading your home’s electrical system in a timely manner.
Keep Your Home’s Wiring In line with Recent Building Codes
Building codes may fluctuate from time to time, and updated safety standards may have been put into effect since the electrical system in your home was established. Upgrading the electric system in your home is one of the ways you can easily align your wiring with the most recent building codes. This is particularly critical if you’re planning to rent or sale your house. Since the violation of building code rules may obstruct your sale/rental contract from being completed, you have to keep your electrical system in line with the current standards.
Reduce the Risk of Fire Hazards
Your home is at greater risk of fire hazards if the electrical system inside your home is not well-maintained and upgraded. So, it wouldn’t be incorrect if we say that one of the biggest reasons of upgrading your home’s electrical system is to lower down the risk of fire dangers and other associated perils. Make sure you hire the services of an electrical contractor in Brisbane who can thoroughly check your electrical system to determine the issues that could increase the risk of fire hazards and solve them appropriately.
Keep Up with the Power Requirements of Latest Home Appliances
Considering the today’s fast-paced living standards, even an average household consumes a lot of electricity and it is only expected to grow with the passage of time as more and more electronic appliances will emerge from this point forward. In order to keep up with the power needs of your modern home appliances, you have to keep your electrical system updated and in good shape. Remember, the lack of maintenance will result in frequent circuit breaker trips and an elevated risk of fire hazards that could occur because of the system overload.
So, what particular things you must pay attention to when considering a complete electrical upgrade for your home?
- Watch for Current Infrastructure
Ask twice, drill once. In order to avoid excessive damage, it’s extremely important that you make sure nobody punches holes in the wiring setting. Working on older constructions is specifically complex and should be supervised by professional and experienced electrician who knows and understands about old infrastructure and wiring.
- Plan Well
Making a list of all the appliances you’ll be using in your home will help you figure out the needs of your electrical system based on which you can frame the specifications of the job. Once you have successfully figured out your basic requirements, sit down and prepare a punch list that comprises of what you need to be done and when you want to complete your project.
- Check Your Local Codes
From number of outlets you’ll put in each room to the type of wiring you’ll use, your local codes set standards for everything. One of the biggest things you must consider before upgrading your home’s electrical system is to carefully go through your building codes as failing to acquire permits can obstruct your electrical restoration work in one way or the other.
- GFCIs are Essential
GFCIs popularly known as Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters are basically designed to immediately switch off the electricity if the plugged-in appliance gets hit with water or moisture. While these devices are common in today’s latest infrastructure, you have to install them separately if you own a home that is based on an old infrastructure. Installing GFCIs is a job that needs substantial electrical experience, so make sure you hire professionals who know what they’re doing.
- Structured Wiring is the Key
Taking into account the smart home technology, homeowners today are showing immense interest in connecting their smart home appliances such as home security systems, smart TVs and phone through a connected smart home eco system. Structured wiring is one of the best solutions if you want to make your home ready for future connectivity.
- Power Upgrade
Old-fashioned panels have restrictions on available space to include the circuits. Also, many outdated panels are of low-quality and need an upgrade to work smoothly. A power upgrade is particularly suggested to boost the capacity of the current electrician services. With a huge number of smart home appliances we have in our homes, it’s pretty evident that old infrastructures don’t have ample power to keep up with the latest technological demands. That is where a foolproof service upgrade comes to your rescue.
- Electrical Wiring
No matter how well-built and durable your old house infrastructure is, you may have to upgrade its electrical wiring at some point. As mentioned above, the electrical appliances that are staple in our lives today need certain amount of power to run without hassle.
- Upgrade When You Renovate
House renovation is certainly the best time to upgrade the electrical system in your home. If you’re required to renovate the walls as part of your house remodel project, performing a rewiring makes perfect sense.
- Structured Media Enclosure
Structured media enclosure is yet another important aspect that enables all devices in your home to connect with each other. For instance, you can easily connect your security system with your smart TV or have switched on your home music system when you open the door.
- Seek Expert’s Help
Electrical work is dangerous and can kill or injure you if you do it without professional assistance. This is why it’s important that you seek expert’s help to upgrade the electrical system in your home instead of taking the DIY route.
About the Author
Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.
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