We use electricity in almost all aspects of our home–from the switch we turn on to light our rooms and pathways to the shower we use for our morning and evening bath. We use it to control the thermostat and keep our house cool or warm, depending on the season. It also powers kitchen stoves and ovens, as well as makes sure pots, pans, and dishes are spotless. Electricity sees to it that we have clean and pressed clothes, too.
Electricity becomes all the more crucial now that most of us are working or studying from home. We need it for our computers, laptops, and connect to the internet. Watching TV keeps us informed while listening to music helps us relax after a tiring day. We can connect to the world as long as we have a full battery on our smartphones.
You name it, and there's something bound to be plugged or connected to a power source to get things done at home.
While we rely heavily on our home's electrical capacity, we tend to forget that it also has the potential to injure family members and us. However, upgrading electrical wirings can eliminate these risks and more. Doing so will also allow homes to meet existing local electrical guidelines. Enhancements on wires, outlets, and electrical panels meet the demands of current inhabitants. They can even be made with the safety and convenience of future homeowners in mind.
Need For Upgrade
We may think that everything is okay when our lights and appliances work. Unfortunately, electrical wiring can go wrong in time due to increased demand from numerous appliances and devices.
Thus, the wiring will require an inspection and even a possible upgrade by a professional electrician, like the team at Southside Electrics, when the wiring shows the following conditions:
- Age of Structure: homes that are more than 30 years old that carry aluminum wiring or operate on 60 amps
- Warm or discolored outlets
- Burning smell from a room or appliance
- Recurring trips from a circuit breaker
- Fuses blowing periodically
- Experiencing a tingling sensation when holding an appliance
How Does An Updated Electrical Wiring Increase Your Home’s Value and Safety?
The situations mentioned above can pose hazards to homeowners and their property. Neglecting these signs can cause injury to inhabitants, such as electrocution and other related accidents. Worse, it can lead to fire and may even cause your home to burn and crumble to the ground.
Having an updated electrical wiring can also be beneficial for you if you’re planning to sell your house in the future. Here’s how an updated electrical wiring can increase your home’s value:
1. Precaution Against Fire and Electrical-related Hazards
Upgrading your home’s electrical system serves as a precaution for all these safety issues. You can modify electrical systems by:
- Adding strategic outlets to eliminate power strips and extension cords. By doing so, children and older people living in the house will no longer encounter accidents due to cables and wires around the house.
- Installing ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCIs) or residual current devices (RCDs) as protection against electrocution in areas close to water, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and swimming pools.
- Setting up a new electrical panel can meet the existing electrical needs of 200 amps to power aircon units, flat-screen TVs, computers, and other gadgets without overloading the circuit or causing damage to sensitive devices in times of power interruptions.
- Using durable cables and wires to anticipate future electrical demands. It’s best to prepare the home for future products and innovations that rely on electricity and require greater connectivity. This way, you won’t need to change your wirings every time you buy a new appliance.
2. Essential In Obtaining Home Insurance
Since most insurance companies exclude older wirings or charge higher, making the necessary electrical upgrades allows you to secure comprehensive home insurance. Thus, having updated wirings ensures inhabitants' safety and brings additional peace of mind through sufficient coverage.
3. Ensures Compliance
Installing new wirings and electrical panels ensures compliance with existing electrical codes. When the time comes to sell your house, it can help you get past the inspection phase and nail the approval of a home inspector.
4. Makes Homes Efficient
Aside from ensuring safety, upgraded electrical wirings can also make homes more efficient. It enables connection among various gadgets and devices in and around the home. With the use of a smart home system, homeowners can access and control heating, lighting, and security features while at home. They can also do so while at work or on vacation.
An increase in connectivity makes it more convenient for the family to use their respective gadgets wherever they are in the home. Structured wiring ensures that devices communicate across a home network and also provides timely updates to its owners.
Homeowners benefit from upgraded wirings and increased connectivity. These modifications make it convenient for family members to work, study, play, and relax while inside the home. Aside from immediate advantages, homeowners can also count on the upgrades to boost their home’s value during resale.
For Future Resale
Most prospective buyers are looking for homes that not only look good but stand out from the rest. Electrical upgrades may even elicit a generous offer for all the upgrades you've done to boost your home's modernized electrical features.
Innovative home features, such as cabinet lighting and smart video doorbells, can convince buyers that your house is electrically sound and rightfully equipped to handle the demands of safe and connected homes.
Conclusion
Electricity is an essential utility in our homes. It helps us perform various household chores and essential activities for work and school. However, this increased demand for electrical devices entails a routine inspection of the electrical system to ensure that it doesn’t pose electrical or fire hazards that can endanger owners and their families’ lives and safety.
Undertaking an electrical system upgrade is often done with the safety and convenience of family members in mind. New wires and cables sustain power requirements, while structured wiring connects devices and allows remote control and access. These enhancements upgrade the home's value for current and future homeowners. It transforms a regular house into a smart home that’s ready to take on the demands and challenges of the 21st century.
