If you live in an older home, your electrical system could be one of the biggest safety challenges you face because of the multitude of electrical appliances and gadgets we have come to rely on. Whether it’s an undersized breaker box or worn, outdated wiring, it’s important to know what to look for if you are concerned about your home’s electrical service.
The issue of demand exceeding the capacity of your electrical system can be more than an inconvenience. An overloaded system can quickly become overheated and cause a fire. Older homes will typically exhibit three electrical safety challenges.
The electrical panel
The electrical panel controls and distributes power throughout your home. Today’s modern panels have a series of circuit breakers and are often referred to as breaker boxes. If your older home has a fuse box the amperage is likely insufficient for your demand, so if it is still operating there is a good chance it has been modified, making it a potential fire hazard.
If your older home’s electrical panel was upgraded at some point to a breaker box, check it carefully for amperage and for extra spaces in which to add circuits. If your panel is 100-amp service, even if there are extra spaces it will likely begin to fail as you put greater demand on it. Homes today are built with a minimum 200-amp panel.
Knob and tube wiring
In homes built before 1950, with far fewer electric-powered items, this ungrounded, simple wiring method was sufficient. This old wiring can quickly overheat if it is overloaded, breaking down its fragile insulation and causing fire in walls, attics, and basements.
You can recognize knob and tube wiring by the tubes running along the joists in your basement and/or attic and the porcelain knobs anchoring the wires. The rubber and cloth insulation and lack of a ground wire make this system risky with today’s demands on electricity. Ensure your family’s safety be replacing all knob and tube wiring, including the wiring running through the walls to your outlets.
Outlets
Those two-pronged outlets in your older home worked fine when there was no ground wire, but don’t assume the three-pronged outlets in your walls are up to code if your home was built before 1950. Sometimes homeowner will replace old two-pronged outlets to accommodate the third prong on today’s appliances even though there is no ground wire to connect. You can test these outlets to determine if they are grounded.
To bring these outlets up to code and protect against electrical shock, you can run a ground wire through the wall or install a GFCI outlet. This is especially important in areas where the outlet or appliance could be exposed to water.
If you are uncertain that your electrical service is sufficient for your home and up to code, contact the experts at Villers Advanced Electric. The team at Villers recommends the following safety tips for any home or business.
- Ensure plastic plates securely cover outlets and switches.
- Avoid using extension cords and bars to prevent overloading circuits.
- Have your breaker box inspected before installing any new appliance in your home.
- Flickering lights and frequently tripped breakers could indicate overload or faulty wiring and should be checked by a licensed electrician immediately.
- Replace frayed or worn wiring on appliances, security lights, and ceiling and wall fixtures immediately or discontinue use.
Make an appointment today with a Villers electrician or click here for details on all Villers’ services for home, business, and industrial applications.