An Electrician May Need To Upgrade The Outlets In Your Home And Add More Dedicated Circuits
It's important to keep your home's electrical system upgraded and in good condition or a family member could get a shock. Bad wiring might even cause a house fire and destroy your home and endanger your family. You might consider hiring an electrician to do an inspection if your electrical system is old and hasn't had any work done in recent years. Here are some upgrades an electrician might recommend for an old electrical system.
Upgrade Old Outlets
If your outlets are old, they may pose a fire hazard. Years of wear can make the prong holes bigger, and when that happens, cords might slip out if they're not secure in the outlet. If a cord hangs out partially, your pet or child could get a shock.
Outlets are sometimes cracked or damaged by hitting furniture against them, and damaged outlets should always be replaced. Also, ungrounded outlets need to be replaced to keep your family safe and to protect your electrical equipment.
Another upgrade your electrician may recommend is to install GFCI outlets in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, garage, and outdoor outlets. Electrical codes require GFCI outlets in rooms that have the potential to get wet. The outlets trigger and shut off the supply of electricity to an outlet if stray electricity is detected. This could protect you from a dangerous shock, so it's a good safety measure that keeps your family safer around home electricity.
Add More Circuits
Your home might have enough outlets, or you might need more to stop problems with circuit overloads. You might even need additional circuits, especially in the kitchen. Modern appliances need dedicated circuits, so your electrician may recommend adding some for convenience and also to prevent a dangerous overload.
If your home isn't too old, it may have a large enough panel so the electrical contractor can add new circuits to it. If your panel is old, there may not be enough room for the electrical upgrades you need. An old panel may need to be replaced anyway if it's near the end of its life. A new panel can supply more power and more electric circuits so you'll have plenty of room to expand your electrical system in case you want to add more appliances or an EV charger to your home.
An old electrical system often has trouble keeping up with a modern family's demand for electricity. You may have multiple televisions, game consoles, computers, appliances, and other electronics that may overwhelm an old system and cause the circuit breaker to trip regularly.
This can be annoying, and using extension cords or overloading circuits can be hazardous. Discuss your family's needs with an electrician so they can add all the outlets and dedicated circuits you need when they upgrade your old system to make it safer.