Discover signs indicating your home requires rewiring. From flickering lights to outdated systems, ensure safety with our comprehensive guide.
Homes provide comfort, security, and warmth. However, amidst the hustle and bustle of every day, it’s easy to forget the silent workings of electrical wiring, as it is hidden deep inside the walls. Although the wiring is hidden, it ensures modern conveniences in a home like a washing machine, TV, system unit, microwave, fridge, air conditioning, and any other electrical devices run smoothly.
Electrical wiring is prone to wear and tear. This article will offer the top signs you should look for to indicate it’s time for rewiring. Ignoring electrical signs can put your home at risk of accidents and compromise the entire electrical system.
6 Common Signs Your House Needs Rewiring
While a whole-home rewiring may seem expensive, its benefits, like making your house safe, outweigh the expenses. It’s human nature to ignore the subtle signs of electrical deficiency until it’s too late.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there has been an 11% increase in fires, an 8% increase in injuries, and a 21% dollar loss from 2010 to 2021 due to residential building electrical malfunctions.
In the next section, let’s look at the top signs you need to be aware of:
1. Dimming or Flickering Lights
When the lights in your home start flickering or dimming, make it your top priority to have a professional check the wiring. No, it’s not a ghost, so don’t ignore this sign. When your bulb brightens, unusually, there’s too much voltage, and when the bulb is dim, it’s not receiving enough voltage. Although the issue may be with the bulb itself, this decline or spike in power is common with faulty circuits or loose wiring.
2. Frequent Blown Fuses
Most homes have modern electrical appliances but still use older-style fuses. As a result, the fuse may repeatedly break, or the breaker may keep on tripping the circuit due to overload.
Appliances like HVAC or dryers use special circuits to accommodate the high power demands. Another reason why your fuse keeps blowing may be due to having too many multi-outlet extension cords on one circuit.
3. Unusual Sounds
Again, this isn’t a sign of paranormal activity in your home unless you have proof to believe otherwise. Buzzing sounds, in particular, are signs of faulty electrical wiring. Typically, the electrical flow of current should never produce noise audible to the human ear. But when the electrical wire is damaged, there’s a loose prong or other existing issues, and the current may create a buzzing noise.
4. Faint Smell of Burning Wires or Unusual Odors
Strange smells of burning in your home can be a sign of an electrical fault and should be addressed immediately. The smell results from overheated wires that burn the surrounding insulation, which breaks down and releases a “plastic-like” smell in the air. If the issue is more apparent, like having smoke or burning on the sheathing, disconnect everything from the circuit and manually trip your breaker. It’s essential to have a basic understanding of electricity safety in such cases.
5. Discoloration or Scorching on the Outlet Plate
Check all your electrical outlet points around your property. Look for scorching or strange colors, which may indicate an electrical system issue. The discoloration happens because the wiring connected to the outlet has become too hot.
Also, if you feel the outlet emitting heat, it’s a clear sign that your home’s outlet is heating up. It’s not unusual to have the outlet slightly warm, but it shouldn’t be so hot that it’s uncomfortable to touch or cause damage to the outlet plate.
6. Visible Damaged Wiring
Damaged wiring may seem like an obvious sign that your home needs rewiring, but most people overlook it, thinking it won’t cause an issue. Even if the wiring looks in good shape, it’s better to fix it before it causes any damage to your home.
Issues to check include bite marks from vermin. Bitten wires look okay, other than aesthetic damage, but sometimes bite marks may go deeper than you think. If you have a home pest issue, check nearby wiring for damage.
In Conclusion
It’s easy to forget or ignore electrical wiring as it is not in plain sight. If left unaddressed, electrical issues can lead to severe issues with deadly consequences. Ensure to work with a professional electrician for inspections and rewiring. Home rewiring may seem like a significant project, but it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.
