Electrician for Electrical Wiring Upgrade

Is your residence due for an electrical wiring upgrade?

You will find older homes in nearly every community across the Lower Mainland, including Burnaby, Vancouver, New Westminster, and Coquitlam. Each year in British Columbia, there are approximately 180 home fires attributed to faulty or old electrical wiring.

If you are living in an older home that is 40 years old or older, the wiring will likely show signs of deterioration and instability and should be inspected and addressed immediately.

 

Are Your Family, Belongings, and Home Safe?

If you are perpetually using extension cords and power bars to supply electricity to locations that have no outlets or have an insufficient number of outlets, it is probably a sign that you should consider an electrical wiring upgrade along with an electrical panel upgrade.

Along with visible signs of aging electrical wiring, it is quite likely that the original 60 amp electrical sub panel installed in your older home is no longer adequate to meet today's electrical requirements.

If you have experienced any of the points listed below, we suggest you contact our qualified Abbotsford electricians to determine if an electrical wiring upgrade may be necessary for your home:

• Wall outlets have become discoloured, sometimes spark, or are warm to the touch.
• Lights in various rooms flicker or dim all on their own.
• You experience the smell of burnt wires coming from one or more rooms of your home.
• Your Fuses blow repeatedly, or your breakers continually trip.
• Appliances give you a tingling sensation when you come into contact with them.
• There are no Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI outlets) installed in your home.
• Electrical outlets in your home only have 2 prongs, indicating that there are no ground wires present.
• You are aware that aluminum wiring (or knob and tube wiring) are in your home and should be replaced.

What are the Benefits of An Electrical Wiring Upgrade?

Safe wiring is necessary not only to protect your home but to also protect your family and belongings. If you upgrade the wiring or electrical panel (or both) in your home, some insurance companies will even provide you with a discount on your insurance premiums. Speak with your insurance agent to see if you qualify for these savings before having an electrical wiring upgrade done.

It is impossible to know what kind of technological advances might be made over the coming decades. Smart Technologies are being incorporated directly into new homes, and many of them will require additional electricity, as well as cable and optic supply. You may even consider installing a structured wiring system in your home.

What is Home Structured Wiring?

Structured wiring (or structured cabling) refers to entire networks of electrically related components and wiring that are incorporated into new Smart home construction. These can include various dedicated outlets installed throughout the house for telephone, television, video, data, security, and audio purposes. Structured wiring is primarily utilized in new home construction but can also be incorporated during an electrical wiring upgrade or when renovating a home.

Upgrading Electrical Wiring Cost

The cost of upgrading the electrical wiring in your home can vary depending on the project. If your walls were already exposed and open as a result of a renovation project, this would be a perfect time for updating old wiring or for adding additional wiring and cabling to meet future needs.

Often, electrical wiring upgrades require the removal of wall coverings such as drywall or panelling. New holes sometimes need to be drilled through the internal structure of walls, and existing openings through floor joists beneath each level of the house may need widening or more holes drilled to accommodate an increased number of electrical, cable or optic lines throughout your home. Each project would need to be assessed and estimated individually.

Summary

Not only will a home wiring upgrade and a new electrical panel upgrade improve the safety of your home, but they will also provide your family with easier and better access to power while increasing the value of your home as a whole. It will also prepare you for future installation of technologies as time goes on.

If you have any questions about old or aging electrical wiring in your home or you feel you need an electrical wiring upgrade and/or an electrical panel upgrade, please contact our Abbotsford electricians Mike Speakman and Tristan McAllan today at 604-308-6195 or send us an email.

Premium Electric also offers 24-hour emergency electrical services as well as professional electrical safety inspection services conducted by our fully licensed and certified Abbotsford electricians.

Electrical Wiring Frequently Asked Questions

Is old Knob & Tube wiring bad?

Generally, we only find old knob and tube wiring in homes and businesses that are older than 60. Over time, knob and tube wiring, which is not CSA approved, can deteriorate and crack, resulting in loose wiring and potential electrical safety hazards. Where the safety of your home and family are concerned, it’s never too early to rewire your home to bring it up to today’s BC electrical codes. Rewiring your older home will allow you to continue to live safely within your old character home, but it can also potentially add extra value to your home and help reduce your insurance premiums.

Should I be concerned about Aluminum wiring?

Aluminum wiring can be safe if it has been properly installed. It can, however, develop a number of issues. Aluminum wiring does tend to oxidize, heat up, and may even corrode, which is why we generally recommend wiring upgrades to replace old aluminum wiring.

Do you install communications wiring?

Yes. Premium Electric has a lot of experience installing wiring for a wide variety of home and business communications systems from computer networking and wiring to entertainment system wiring and intercoms.