Whole-house rewiring is one of the more ambitious but necessary projects for many homes. Especially if your house is older than 20 years, there is a good chance that much of the wiring no longer meets your needs. Safety can also be a serious concern as wiring ages. Asking one of our professional electricians to tackle the work is vital, and here is why.
Experience
More than anything else, good rewiring work requires experience. Our electricians know how to spot the subtle signs of damaged wiring. Even something as seemingly minor as the loose feel of an outlet or switch can indicate bigger problems that require rewiring. Metallic or ozone smells near electrical components, especially panels, also offer important clues.
Experience guides seemingly simple choices, too. For example, electricians must know when a new circuit is preferred over rewiring runs from the same slot on the breaker panel. Load calculations and experience inform these decisions.
Tools
Each of our vehicles is well-equipped with tools for handling a variety of rewiring problems. Thermal imagers make it easy to identify hot spots in walls. We also have testing tools that make checking voltage levels and even harmonics easy. Similarly, we have tools for removing existing wires from walls and running new wire into oddly-shaped locations.
Warranty and Insurance Requirements
Data shows that non-professional wiring presents a 70% higher fire risk, which is why many modern warranties and insurance policies now require professional installation. For example, many HVAC manufacturers will not warranty installations with DIY wiring. Insurers also tend to assess higher premiums on houses that don’t have documented proof of professional wiring.
Code Compliance
Keeping up with changes in the National Electrical Code and local regulations is not an easy job. New rules come into effect each year, making compliance part of ongoing education efforts within the electrical industry. For a house to be compliant, it must avoid having overloaded circuits prone to overheating. Likewise, homes need safety systems like GFCI outlets in indoor locations within six feet of a water source and all outdoor locations. Code requirements can be complex, even mandating the wiring gauge for circuit amperage, and you need to ensure you meet them all to ensure your home remains in compliance.
Thoroughness
Our team members are familiar with many of the wiring issues common in older houses in this part of Minnesota. When we complete projects, we go through a punch list to confirm that everything is done. Our goal in rewiring any house is to be beyond thorough. We have a complete checklist for every project we tackle, and we don’t leave until every item is addressed.
Quirks
Electrical wiring, especially in older homes, can involve quirks that might be unfamiliar or entirely foreign to homeowners. Simple things like the distance between an outlet and its junction box can lead to problems like stretching, shifting, or sparking wires. There is an art to turning wiring nuts enough to ensure a safe and efficient connection. Many DIYers don’t realize how much space is needed between kitchen appliances so people can comfortably move them around to plug or unplug them. Electricians understand and study these little details so that we can better serve your needs.
Anticipating Future Needs
A common homeowner mistake in whole-house rewiring projects is failing to consider future needs. Something as simple as leaving enough open slots on the electrical panel for future wiring work makes a difference. You also want to anticipate future needs, such as adding appliances or an EV charging station. If you decide to account for these during the present rewiring process, your life will be easier as your household’s needs change.
Planning
When it comes to what should or shouldn’t be on a particular circuit, planning matters. Some systems, such as heavy appliances and HVACs, need dedicated circuits. Even areas with lower power demands can still get overloaded due to poor planning. People often overload living room circuits because they run out of outlets for TVs, phone chargers, video game consoles, entertainment systems, and all the other elements of modern life.
Plugz Electric rewires entire houses for residents of Forest Lake, MN and other parts of the Twin Cities Metro Area. Since 2021, we have taken pride in the high professionalism of our electricians. We are fully licensed to perform whole-house rewiring.
If your Forest Lake house is ready for complete rewiring, contact Plugz Electric today.
