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Serving the South Puget Sound and Western Washington Areas Since 1976

Serving the South Puget Sound and Southwest Washington Areas Since 1976

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Sunset Air Blog

When You Should Schedule Whole-House Rewiring

Rewiring an entire home’s electrical system is a large task, but one that often necessary to improve daily electrical use and to increase safety. The job requires a team of expert electricians and should never be undertaken as a hobbyist “adventure” or delegated to amateurs who offer suspiciously low prices.

If you believe your home needs to have whole-house rewiring, a call for electrician from Sunset Air. We are proud of the skills of our team of electricians, and we offer many electrical services—large and small—to the South Puget Sound and Southwest Washington areas. We will help you decide if whole-house rewiring is the best option for your home.

When Whole-House Rewiring May Be Necessary

The amount of electricity that we use in our homes on a daily basis has increased exponentially since the 1980s, and seems to rise each year. We have more powerful appliances than ever before, as well as new gizmos that need a steady electrical supply. Just think about how many devices you need to have hooked up every day just for recharging, and you will have an idea of the recent boost in electrical needs for U.S. homes.

All this heightened demand for power can overwhelm older wiring systems, even ones from only a few decades back. If you think that whole-house re-wiring is something necessary only for houses more than five decades old, you might be surprised to learn that your home needs it!

However, old homes are a good place to start. If you live in a house built pre-World War II that has never received an upgrade to its electrical system, you should schedule rewiring right away: old copper wiring can become dangerous with the growing amount of electrical demand placed on it.

For newer homes, be on the lookout for these signs that you will benefit from whole-house rewiring:

  • Aluminum wiring: This metal replaced copper after 1965 and remained in use through the mid-1970s. However, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, aluminum wires can overheat and cause fires. Check with an electrician if your home was built between 1965–1973 to see if you have aluminum wiring.
  • Constantly tripped circuit breakers: If you are habitually going to the circuit breaker panel to reset tripped breakers, then your home is sending you the signal that its electrical system cannot handle the current demands placed on it.
  • Charred, discolored outlets: These marks indicate electrical fires caused by shorts within the outlet. At the very least, the outlet will need an upgrade… and possibly all the wiring as well.
  • Acrid smells: Do you notice a burning smell whenever you turn on the lights in your home, but cannot find the source? Then it’s time to call an electrician, because something could be seriously amiss with your home’s wiring and it will need replacement.

If possible, you should arrange for rewiring during a remodel a safeguard. However, if you have emergency indications like those above, or if your home simply cannot handle the daily electrical demands placed on it, call for an electrician in Puyallup, WA from Sunset Air to see if you should schedule whole-house rewiring ASAP.

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