That’s especially the case with home electrical issues. There are plenty of things to check out before you renovate, but most people don’t know what to look for. That’s why we put together this handy guide!
1. Check Electrical Panels
One of the first things you should do to check home electrical issues is inspect the electrical panels, especially if you are looking at renovating a really old home. You may find that the old panels are incompatible with many modern appliances such as hairdryers, and that’s guaranteed to be a pain for both you and your guests.
Sound surprising? Depending on how old the home is, it could easily predate the time period when hair dryers were invented. So that means when you use it, it ends up using much more power than the old school wiring system was expecting, meaning you could overload the system and it loses power.
Bottom line? Your very first inspection stop should be to see if you need to upgrade and modernize these panels! Consult with a professional to see what you should do first to upgrade your home in the safest possible manner.
2. How Many Outlets?
Many of the suggestions on this list are relatively technical home electrical issues and require a degree of electric savvy. This one, though, is pretty straightforward. Take stock of how many outlets you have in the house, including how many are in each room.
Lots of homes (and especially older homes) were not built with our modern world in mind, meaning that rooms will not have nearly as many electrical outlets as you need. This forces you to rely on power strips, which is an annoying solution that can also be an eyesore throughout the house.
Fortunately, this is a problem that is easily fixed. One call to a professional, and you can be well on your way to adding as many outlets to your home as you need!
3. Faulty Wire Check
If you’re considering renovating a home, then there’s no time like the present to inspect for faulty wires. Once you know what to look for, you’ll know if you need to go for an upgrade!
First, check to see if your outlets are properly and safely grounded. As a good rule of thumb, two-pronged outlets are usually not grounded and three-pronged outlets are usually grounded.
You also need to inspect the wires themselves. If they are old and brittle (or otherwise faulty), then you run a significant risk of these wires eventually causing a house fire!
For maximum safety, you should have a professional inspect the entire home. They are likely to notice things that you might overlook and can offer immediate advice on what to repair and what to replace!
4. Appliance Friendliness
We live in a really wired world. Your home is always likely to have multiple devices and appliances running at the same time. One thing to check for before renovation is just how well everything can run at the same time!
For instance, if the power turns off when you’re running too many electrical devices, that’s a big problem. Could you possibly live with such an annoyance? Maybe. Should you have to live with it? Definitely not!
If you’ve been having this issue, then it’s time to have a professional give you and your home the upgrade you deserve!
5. Check for GFCIs
No homeowner likes to imagine terrible things happening to their home. At the same time, though, you can’t really protect your home if you aren’t ready for things to go sideways on you.
That’s why you need to make sure your home has GFCIs in it. These are your Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters, and they turn the electricity off immediately if an item that is plugged in encounters moisture.
It’s best to have these in places like the bathroom and the kitchen, where plugged in devices are likeliest to encounter water. Many older homes do not have these or do not have enough of them. Adding these during a renovation makes the home safer and may even place you more closely within local safety guidelines!
Reach Out Before Renovating
Before you renovate your home, you need to reach for the phone and give On Time Electrical a call. We are the professionals who can help you inspect your home, replace the wiring, and give you the upgrades you’ve been wanting. Why wait? Give us a call today!