Rewiring a house is a big project. Just the thought can be overwhelming for many homeowners. You’ll be relieved to learn that we rarely need to replace all the wiring in a house at once. Often, a wiring update just involves certain sections of a home’s wiring that have become damaged, frayed, or otherwise compromised. Our trained electricians understand the current safety standards of the National Electrical Code. When we inspect your home’s wiring, we will help you identify any areas that are unsafe or inefficient. Below you can find some of the most common reasons we may need to install new electrical wiring in your home.

Is Your Electrical Wiring Too Old?

Old electrical wiring in your house can be a safety hazard. Age is one of the clearest ways to tell that your wiring needs to be updated. Electrical wiring can last for decades if it’s kept in good condition. However, there are some types of wiring that we find in homes that are simply unsafe by modern electrical standards. It was normal for homes built in the 1960s and 1970s to have aluminum wiring. Aluminum wiring is a well-known fire risk. Homes from the 1940s and 1950s used non-metallic wiring, and homes built before 1930 used knob and tube wiring. All these types of wiring have safety issues, and none of them have a fraction of the performance or efficiency of modern electrical wiring.

Do You Have Ungrounded Two-Pronged Outlets?

The National Electrical Code requires three-pronged outlets on all homes built today. So, one way to tell that your home’s wiring is outdated is the presence of ungrounded two-pronged outlets. The third prong at the bottom of a three-pronged outlet is a ground wire, which helps prevent instances of electrocution. Mr. Electric of Fishers can rewire your home, replacing two-pronged outlets with three-pronged outlets.

Does Your Home Have a Lack of GFCI Outlets?

Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets have “Test” and “Reset” buttons. These outlets have an internal breaker that stops the flow of electricity in cases of a ground fault. A ground fault occurs when electricity deviates from the normal path, such as when a hairdryer is dropped into a sink full of water. For many years GFCIs have been required in certain areas of the home. If you don’t have GFCIs in the proper places, your home’s wiring is likely older than you think. GFCI outlets are required in the following areas:

• Garages
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Crawlspaces
• Utility rooms
• Laundry rooms
• Outdoor outlets
• Spa and pool areas
• Unfinished basements

Do You Have AFCI Outlets in Your Home?

Arc fault circuit interrupter outlets (AFCIs) protect your home from potential fires caused by frayed or exposed electrical wiring. An electrical arc occurs when electricity leaves the plastic sheathing of a wire, jumping from one part of the wire to another. This exposed electrical current can cause a house fire if it goes on for too long. So, an AFCI will shut the power off in a circuit if it notices the presence of an arc. AFCIs are required in all 50 states. So, the lack of them in your home is a good sign that you should have your home’s wiring inspected by a team of trained electricians.

Do Your Breakers Trip More Often Than They Should?

If you regularly find yourself making trips to the breaker box to reset tripped breakers, your home’s wiring might be out of date. In the past, homes used fewer electronic devices. So, breaker boxes were equipped to handle 60-amps of power. Today, most homes need between 100- and 200-amp service. So, we can give your home more electrical capacity and increase its safety at the same time by upgrading your breakers and wiring.