When it comes to your home, it is generally the place for relaxation and rest away from the busy and hectic outside world. But when you have a serious electrical problem, and your home needs rewiring, how do you deal with that? Here at K and M Maintenance, we are electrical experts. As a result, we have produced this guide to rewiring your home.
Warning signs
In some circumstances there are warning signs that indicate your rewiring is something that you shouldn’t put off. These include:
- Signs of age and damage
- Hot plugs and sparking
- Dim lights and flickering when switched on
- An outdated fuse box, with black rubber wiring and fitted onto a wooden panel. It may also have cast iron switches.
What does a full home rewire involve?
Taking around 2-4 weeks of a professional and qualified electricians time, a home rewire is a big project. As the homeowner of landlord, you can expect some disruption during this time.
All of the homes existing wiring will need to be removed, and replaced. Where possible, this will be done by hooking out the cables from above, with as little structural disturbance as possible. However, on occasion where this is not a valid option, it may be necessary to channel down internal walls to remove and replace wiring.
If your fuse box also needs replacing, then this will occur at the same time, and all of the new wiring will lead to the new fuse box.
Risks
When it comes to rewiring older properties, there are some risks involved.
Homes that used aluminium wires, in the eighties or earlier, will not include an earth wire. This means that there is a greater risk of electrocution, and damage.
In addition, aluminium wire heats up a lot more than copper wires. As a result, it is more prone to causing fires.
In summary
Rewiring your home is not a job that you should put off. In fact, this can be dangerous. However, a full rewire will mean at least 2 weeks of disruption for your home and family and this is something you will need to prepare for. If you need a full house rewire, or any electrical work, why not contact us at K and M Maintenance today?