There are many reasons your home may need rewiring. Some may be unnoticeable, so knowing when to schedule a rewiring and looking out for key signs helps keep your house safe and up to date.
Electrical rewiring is when outdated, old or faulty wiring inside the walls and floors of your home is removed and new wiring is installed to replace it. This helps keep your home up to date and fit to meet the standards of modern electrical equipment.
It isn’t just the wires that can be replaced. Often, you may need a new breaker box/electrical panel to help prevent overloading and allow you to use your home’s electrics at maximum capacity safely. Rewiring without updating the electrical panel could lead to potential overloads, which can be a fire hazard.
Sockets, switches, fittings and fixtures may also need to be replaced, for both safety and modernisation. You may also choose to replace these simply for aesthetic reasons as well.
One reason you may need to have your home rewired is if your wiring hasn’t been updated for a long time. If you know your home hasn’t been rewired for decades, or if you have no way of finding out, having it done is a good option to ensure safety and to make sure everything stays running smoothly.
If your lights are flickering or flashing, it may be due to faulty wiring and circuit issues. Persistent flickering can be a sign that electricity isn’t being conducted through wires properly.
It’s worth checking all bulbs are properly screwed and secured as loose bulbs can cause flickering lights. However, if your bulbs are fitted correctly and the flickering persists, it may be a sign that you need a home rewire.
If you find your circuit breaker is frequently tripping, it could be that your home’s wiring is simply worn out and no longer able to handle the amount of electricity passing through anymore.
Breaker boxes are installed for safety and to help prevent surges. If this ceases working correctly it could put you in harm’s way, so replacing faulty wiring and equipment as soon as problems present themselves is the best bet for keeping your home safe.
If a persistent burning smell that seems to have no cause is present in your home, it could be the scent of burning plastic from your outlets. Loose connections and faulty wiring can cause outlets to spark, which in turn melts the plastic around them.
This can also cause outlets and switches to become discoloured or warped. Yellow or brown-tinged plastic can be a sign of sparking.
Paired with the burning smell mentioned above, you’re almost certain to need a rewire. The sparks caused by degraded wiring can get worse and can cause irreparable damage if left.
This can be harmful and can lead to more serious and dangerous fires, so replacing these as soon as possible is important. Any signs that your electrics are failing or faulty should not be ignored and if you find any issues, it’s always best to call an electrician and get an opinion on what the problem may be.
