How to Know if Your Home’s Wiring Needs an Upgrade

If you’re in Los Angeles, CA, and have recently purchased or inherited an older home, you may have some concerns about the wiring. Homes that do not have updated wiring can cause a variety of frustrating and dangerous issues for you and your loved ones. Consider some key indicators that it is time to upgrade the wiring in your home.

Outdated Wiring

Knob and Tube Wiring

If you live in a home that dates to the 1940s or older, you may have knob-and-tube wiring. This method of wiring was popular in homes from the 1880s up until the 1940s and includes copper wiring that is insulated and runs through porcelain tubes. After running through the tubes, it is then wrapped around porcelain knobs. The wiring is kept in place by being nailed down. This type of wiring cannot meet the electrical demands of a modern household. There are also issues with the insulation breaking down, a lack of energy efficiency, and the wiring not being properly grounded. If you have this type of wiring, it may be wise to update it.

Aluminum Wiring

Homes that were built in the 1960s and 1970s were often outfitted with aluminum wiring. The practice of utilizing aluminum for wiring became popular due to the high price of copper at the time. However, aluminum wiring connections have the potential to loosen over time, corrode, overheat, and cause fires. For these reasons, this type of wiring was found to regularly be a safety hazard and was discontinued. It is common to find the same aluminum wiring in houses built during this period still in use.

Frequently Tripped Circuits

If you are constantly needing to flip the circuit breaker when you are running multiple appliances at one time, this could be a sign that you need to update and expand your wiring. One example of this type of problem would be if you turn on a hair dryer while a portable air conditioner is running and suddenly you find yourself without power in that area of your home. People often make the mistake of simply replacing the circuit breaker with one that has a greater capacity. The problem with this is that without updating the wiring, there is no guarantee that the wiring can handle a greater load of electricity.

Households used to be designed to handle 60 amps of power in the Los Angeles area and beyond. Currently, average households are typically set up to accommodate 200 amps. That means that if you are trying to run a slew of modern appliances, outdated wiring will not be able to keep up. Having your wiring brought up to the demands of today will ensure that power losses will be a thing of the past for you and your family.

Dimming or Flickering

Even if the power in an area of your home does not go out completely, you may encounter flickering or dimming lights. If you turn on a light in the kitchen and it flickers or turns on dimly, there is a chance it may just be a lightbulb going out. However, if flickering or dimming occurs once you already have the lights on and you turn on another appliance, it could be an issue with your wiring. This type of occurrence indicates that the wiring does not have the ability to meet the circuit demands.

Another dimming or flickering issue is if it occurs seemingly randomly. If it happens in just one area of the home, then the wiring problem could be limited to just that part of the household. If it happens in several areas of the home, then the issue could be more widespread. Our team can check the voltage running through different lines in your home to figure out the cause of the dimming or flickering.

Hot to the Touch

If you have noticed that your light switches or outlets are warm when you touch them, this could be a sign of the need for a wiring update. You are going to want to stop using these switches and speak to a professional immediately to protect yourself from any potential danger. This is potentially a fire risk.

Outlets That Are Discolored

If you look at your outlets and find what appears to be burn marks or some other kind of discoloration, this can be a key sign that your wiring may need updating. This type of discoloration can occur when your wiring or your circuits have to carry a higher electrical load than they are capable of. This leads to excessive heat, which is causing discoloration. Over time, continuing to use these lines will likely lead to outlet failure, whole home power outages, sparking, and even fires.

Insufficient Number of Outlets

You may find yourself having to run an excessive number of power strips due to not having enough electrical outlets. Not only is this inconvenient, but it could be a safety hazard if your wiring and circuits are not up to the task. We may be able to update your wiring and circuits to ensure that they can handle your demands while also adding more outlets throughout your household.

Sounds & Smells

If you notice a burning smell coming from your outlets or in the wall, this could be a sign that you are having a serious electrical issue. The smell may be on its own or accompanied by a buzzing or crackling sound. You are going to want to shut the power down and call us immediately to determine what the problem is and if your wiring needs updating.

Non-Grounded and Outdated Outlets

If you have older wiring in your home, you may encounter that you only have two prong outlets. There may also have been new faceplates installed that give the appearance that the outlets are three-pronged when they are not. This is dangerous because your outlets are not properly grounded in this scenario. This can be a serious problem with modern appliances that require grounding to be operated safely.

In older homes that only have two-prong outlets, there are often not enough of them. Older homes were not designed with the thought of how many outlets we would eventually use. Having your home wiring updated with more three-pronged outlets that are properly grounded will provide a lot more flexibility with how you use the electricity in your household.

Your Home Wiring Upgrade Specialists

If you are in Los Angeles or the surrounding area and your home is showing signs of needing a wiring upgrade, look no further than Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric. We have decades of experience and have the knowledge to tackle any electrical issue you might have. Along with upgrading your outdated wiring, we can offer related services like panel upgrades, surge protection, circuit additions, and electrical outlet installation. We also offer the installation, maintenance, and repair of heating and cooling equipment. We also provide a variety of plumbing services and emergency repairs. Give Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric a call today to schedule an electrical services appointment.