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Keeping Current: Why Your Older Home Definitely Needs Electrical Work

Written by Posted On Monday, 05 November 2018 16:11

Older homes often offer a kind of charm that modern homes lack. It can be anything from a style of building that no one does anymore to the look of antique wood flooring. Where older homes lack charm is in their electrical systems. These systems often can’t support modern technology and need electrical work to become safe and usable.

You Probably Have Outdated Wiring

Wiring has changed a lot since electricity first came into houses. Today, wiring is primarily made of copper sheathed in thermoplastic coatings. Things were a little different in the old days. You often find cloth and metal sheathing around old wiring.

That wiring used rubber as its insulator and it worked well. The problem is that the rubber deteriorates over time, much like old tires deteriorate. You also find aluminum wiring in homes dating from the mid-60s to the mid-70s. Aluminum moves the electricity around just fine, but it often causes problems when spliced with modern copper wiring.

You Don’t Have Enough Outlets

Older homes were built around the needs and assumptions of the day. In the 1940s and 1950s, most homes used comparatively few electric devices. You might need only need one or two outlets in any given room for a lamp, a few kitchen appliances, or a television. These days, every room in the house must support multiple devices.

You’re likely to find a computer, printer, television, and multiple phones/tablets in every bedroom. Many homes have one, if not several, gaming systems. In older homes, this can lead to using power strips and extension cords. It also increases the chances of overloaded circuits and blown fuses. Installing new power outlets is a job best left to a licensed electrician.

You Have Two-Prong Outlets

Two-prong outlets are ungrounded outlets. That’s not a problem for many appliances, such as alarm clocks or electric mixers that come with two-prong plugs. Most major appliances, such as computers and refrigerators, come with three-prong plugs. While you can use adaptors to make three-prong devices work with two-prong outlets, it increases the risk of fires, electrical shocks, and damaged electronics.

Older homes are worth the effort for many people, but you should go in with your eyes open. The electrical systems in them often prove outdated and even unsafe. If you want the conveniences of modern technology, it almost always means getting work done. You may need anything from new outlets to complete rewiring to get things up to speed.

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