Whether you have lived in your home for a number of years and are looking to renovate, or you just moved in and are looking for ways to make your new house into a home, there is never a bad time for electrical upgrades.
Over time, certain aspects of a home’s electrical system can become outdated and inefficient. In some cases, old wiring and other dated electrical components can be downright hazardous and should be upgraded as soon as possible.
To help you determine which upgrades you might want to consider, and to prioritize the most necessary electrical upgrades, we have prepared a brief guide discussing residential electrical upgrades.
Reason to Upgrade Your Residential Electrical
- Added safety
- Enhanced convenience at home.
Either way, each one is worth consideration, especially when one of the expert residential electricians at A-Max is ready to provide you with our fast, friendly and reliable installation services.
Residential Electrical Upgrades Guide
Add More Outlets
These days, the average homeowner and their family use a lot more electrical devices compared to even twenty years ago. For those with older homes, this can mean there is a serious lack of access to conveniently placed electrical outlets. If this is the case in your home, you might consider having extra outlets installed in places like the kitchen, bedrooms and home office. You may even consider upgrading your outlets to include ones with a direct USB connection for things like phone and tablet chargers.
Upgrade to GFCIs Where Necessary
Some older homes which haven’t seen any electrical upgrades for a long time can actually lead to unsafe situations. If, for instance, you don’t have a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlet installed wherever an outlet is near a water source, it is definitely time to upgrade. Building and electrical codes from today state that it is required for GFCIs to be installed in places like bathrooms and kitchen counters. Without these outlets, the risk of electrical shock and dangerous short circuits caused by water exposure is far too high. This should be a top priority for any homeowner.
Power Capacity Upgrade
If you find that the breaker switches on your panel are often tripped when you are trying to use multiple appliances, it might be time to upgrade or enhance your breaker panel. This is often the case when homeowners renovate and add extra lighting or new appliances that are new to the home. While it is often possible to use an existing breaker panel, sometimes this puts too much strain on the system, causing the breakers to regularly trip. If this happens, you can have an additional ‘pony panel‘ installed beside your existing panel to pick up the slack and help you avoid annoying power interruptions.
Wiring Upgrade
Lots of older homes are built with inefficient wiring such as aluminum or even knob and tube systems in some cases. This type of wiring can not only become highly inefficient, but it can also be downright dangerous, especially if it hasn’t been inspected for an extended period of time. Replacing your wiring is an expensive and sometimes painstaking project, but when it comes to improving the safety and the overall efficiency of your home’s electrical system, there is often a no better option.
There are plenty more great upgrades available for residential electrical systems such as LED lighting and smart home systems. If you want to find out how you can improve the efficiency, safety and performance of your home’s electrical system with upgrades like these, be sure to contact A-Max Electrical today!