Electrical Rewiring Is An Essential Part Of Home Maintenance And Safety
A home’s wiring is one of the most commonly overlooked hidden problems – yet failing to check or replace electrical wiring can result in serious consequences.
In the UK alone, more than 8000 house fires a year are caused by faulty wires or outdated electrical work.
Inspecting and replacing wiring is an essential part of running your home and keeping your family safe.
Today’s power-hungry electrical and household items (e.g., gaming systems, computers, TVs, and stereos, etc.) place an even higher demand on electrical systems.
When used with outdated wiring that was designed to handle far less power throughput, this can present considerable risk, possibly resulting in electrical overload or worse, fires.
Why Is Electrical Wiring In A Home Important?
Aside from the obvious safety considerations, there are many reasons you should have your home’s electrical system checked and upgraded regularly.
- Rewiring protects against the dangers of electrical fires.
- Performing a full replacement of the wiring in your home will also give you the chance to add extra sockets to rooms to cope better with your electrical demands.
- New wiring will increase the value of your home while also ensuring you’re compliant with regulations.
- New wiring will improve your home’s energy efficiency.
- While upgrading, you could consider including new ‘smart’ technology and monitoring devices.
- New wiring will give you peace of mind that your home is safe.
Tell-Tale Signs Your Home Needs Rewiring
As your home’s electrical wiring passes behind walls and under the floors, doing a comprehensive check on cables can be a daunting process.
It will likely involve lifting floorboards and drilling walls.
However, aside from doing a full check, there are also some tell-tale signs which can indicate your wiring needs replaced.
The Age Of Your Home Is A Tell-Tale Sign Your Electrical Wiring Needs Attention
Checking the age of your home may give you an idea that the wiring needs replaced. Any home built pre-1994 will likely feature outdated cables. Check the maintenance records of your home to see if any remedial work has been done in the interim.
Flickering lights
Do the lights in your home flicker when you turn on power-hungry appliances or electrical items? It might be a sign the system can’t handle the requested load.
Stained sockets
Staining or discolouration around the sockets can indicate that your electrical system is experiencing power surges.
Blown fuses and tripped breakers
If you find you’re excessively blowing fuses or tripping breakers, it may be a signal your current system isn’t capable of delivering the power being requested.
You use many adaptors or extension leads
Old-style household wiring typically only featured one or two sockets per room (as we had fewer gadgets and appliances, there was less demand for power outlets).
How Often Should A Home Be Rewired?
As mentioned, if your home is over 25 years old, you should have the wiring checked. Also check maintenance records for any work that might have already been done.
As a general rule, the wiring in your home should be checked every ten years. It is recommended landlords should have their property’s cabling checked every five years, to ensure the safety of tenants.
Last Updated on June 22, 2023 by Lucy Clarke
