San Diego’s Most Trusted Electrician For Rewiring Homes
If your home was built 30 years ago and the electrical system has not been updated then it may have a number of age related issues in addition to not being equipped for the power demands of today’s electrical devices and appliances. To keep it simple homes built back then were built for those times and the electrical devices that were available to homeowners are not at vast as they are today. These added appliances cause older electrical systems which already are in need of updating to be put in a greater strain with trying to keep up with today’s power demands which creates electrical overloads and increases the risk of a potential fire hazard.
To illustrate most of these homes built 30 years will have a 100 amp or smaller service which was sized correctly with the power demands needed back then. Today’s homes should usually have a 200 amp size panel because of the added 50” flat screen t.v.’s, microwaves, portable ac/heater units, hair blow dryers, hair curling irons, electric clothes dryers, and various other appliances that we all have come to love and enjoy.
You will find that many older homes have receptacles that do not have a ground plug attachment. These types of receptacles are called polarized and are common in homes that were built before the early 1960’s. These receptacles are not grounded which means there is not a ground wire or ground protection on the circuit.
The common method of dealing with the issue of not being able to plug a 3 prong plug into a 2 polarized receptacle is to attach a 3 prong adapter. The problem is 3 prong adapters are usually not used correctly in that they are suppose to be tightly connected to the coverplate screw and can only be used if the two slot receptacle is grounded. Our suggestion is that if you have polarized plugs that do not have a ground connection then it is time to rewire your home. The use of 3 prong adapters are not safe and anything that is not safe should be corrected and taken care of immediately.
Homes built before the 1960’s that have not been electrically upgraded will have fuse boxes instead of circuit breaker panels which are what you will find today’s homes. Now many of these types of fuse box panels are 60 amps and some that were installed before 1950 are as little as 30 amp services. These types of systems should definitely be replaced in addition to the wiring that is installed within the home.
When you are dealing with older wiring there can be unseen issues hiding within the walls. Over time the wire insulation can begin to crack, fray, become dusty, and build up with dirt within the wall cavity. If old wires have damaged insulation then they can leak electrical current through the dust which will usually be too small to blow a fuse or trip a breaker. This is called a high resistant short circuit which is a potential fire hazard. There is a test electricians use to diagnose this problem but the safest bet is to have your home rewired if your wiring is over 30 years old. Don’t take any chances with the safety of yourself or your loved ones.
If you feel that your electrical system is not meeting your current electrical needs or if you are having any problems with your electrical system and its operation you should contact a local licensed electrician and get the problem resolved as soon as possible. Have the electrician do a through safety inspection and find out if you have anything to worry about please do not take any chances with your safety or the safety of your loved ones pick up the phone and do something about it today.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at forward@forwardelectricsd.com we love to help and always consult with a trained professional before you start any project. Please be safe and till next time.