Category Archives: Electrical Wiring

Electrical wiring in homes isn\’t designed to last forever. You may need rewiring at some point to keep your home safe and your electrical devices operating as efficiently as possible. Here at Turn It On Electric, we are experts in this task. We can help you understand the most important electrical rewiring basics. Read on for everything you need to know.

Electrical Rewiring Basics

Many older homes, especially those built in the 70s, were constructed with aluminum wiring due to a shortage of copper at the time. This type of wiring may deteriorate over time. Ultimately making it more difficult for the wires to steadily transfer current to your electrical devices. In addition, building codes have changed over the decades, and the wiring in your home may no longer be up to code. If you plan to remodel or renovate your home, you may need to have it rewired to meet current building standards.

Why Rewiring Is Necessary

Aluminum wires may become prone to overheating, possibly causing shorts or electrical fires. Even the faceplates on your electrical outlets can get very hot, especially their mounting screws. If you brush up against one inadvertently, you could be in for a nasty burn.

For the safety of your home and your loved ones, it is essential that you have your electrical system rewired by a professional. In addition to enhancing your safety, this may also help your system operate more efficiently, saving you money on your energy costs over the years.

Finally, not all electricians give their work the same level of attention to detail as we do. It is possible for your existing wiring to have been installed incorrectly. This can create problems throughout your home, leading to difficulty using your electric devices and appliances.

How to Know If You Need Electrical Rewiring

One of the most important electrical rewiring basics is knowing when it is time to rewire your home. Look out for the following signs:

• Lights flickering
• Faceplates and hardware that are hot to the touch
• Sparks coming from electrical outlets
• Frequent shorts or power outages
• Increasing electric bills
• Devices or appliances that won\’t turn on or only work intermittently
• Crackling noises when using electricity
• Burning smells or smoke

If you have any concerns about your home\’s electrical system, it is essential that you contact an experienced electrician right away to address the problem. The longer you delay, the greater your risk of electrical fire.

Working with a Professional Electrician

Electrical rewiring is a complex task that you should never attempt to do on your own. If you don\’t know exactly what you are doing, you could be exposing yourself to the risk of electrocution or starting an electrical fire. Instead, it is much better to leave this task to the professionals. This will ensure the job is done safely and accurately.

When you work with Turn It On Electric for your rewiring needs, we\’ll send someone out to your Phoenix home as quickly as possible. We\’ll start with a thorough inspection of your property to identify any problems and evaluate the condition of your current electrical system. We\’ll then walk you through the rewiring basics so you can make an informed decision.

We welcome you to reach out to us at any time for answers to all your questions about electrical wiring and the services we provide. Our friendly team members are always happy to help, so get in touch with us today to learn more. We\’ll set you up with a free consultation to find out if electrical rewiring is right for your Phoenix home. Call today to reserve your appointment at a time that is convenient for you.

If you have an older home, you may need house rewiring. Perhaps you’ve experienced some indicators there’s an electrical problem and your local electrical contractor has advised house rewiring. What do you need to know?

House Rewiring 101

To avoid violating any electrical codes, creating any unnecessary fire damage risks, or potentially injuring yourself or others, please do not attempt to rewire your home yourself. –EasySafetyCert

When an HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) professional says you need an expert to change a basic AC filter; be wary. When a professional electrical contractor says house rewiring is not a DIY (do-it-yourself) project, believe it.

Rewiring is a complex renovation that can have safety issues and hazards not worth risking by doing it yourself. Clues you may need house rewiring include:

• Appliance source lights flicker
• Breaker flips off often
• Can’t run certain appliances at the same time
• Electrician says there’s wiring without “grounding” or “earthing”
• Flickering lights
• The fuse box has no circuit label, a wooden back, cast-iron switches, and/or confusing panel of switches
• House has old-fashioned, black rubber-covered wires
• Socket outlets are old-fashioned round, pin-type
• Socket(s) warm to the touch

Factors Influencing House Rewiring Costs

Sometimes rewiring is isolated to one room or the garage. Whole-house rewiring depends on many variables, especially square footage. Your cost may be somewhere between $1,500 to $20,000.

Some of the factors that affect rewiring cost are:

• Commercial wiring (ex: home walk-in business) vs. residential)
• Community, city, state codes
• Inspections
• Knob, tube wiring removal
• Labor
• Materials needed – type and quantity
• Permits
• Preparation
• Rough-ins (installation of boxes, breaker panel, fixture mounts, sub-panels, wiring)
• Running electric to separate building

What Your Electrician Will Do

House rewiring requires a lot of planning. You and your electrician may need to decide where new outlets should go. After a preliminary inspection, your electrician will begin making chalk notations to position new outlets.

There are 2 methods of house rewiring installation:

1. Concealed wiring over wires and ceilings
2. Wiring passing through or behind walls and ceilings

Important considerations for outlets and wiring methodology are:

• Accessibility
• Energy use
• Safety

The entire house rewiring turnaround time – and again, there are many variables – can be anywhere from 3-10 days. The job is also inconvenient.

You can’t use some electrical appliances for a while and may have unlit rooms. You’ll have to move furniture around for the electrician(s), and even though they will clean up after themselves, you’ll still have a mess to manage and additional cleaning after they leave. If it’s not a risk to wait, some families schedule a vacation during their house rewiring.

You Can Trust TIO

Are you considering electrical rewiring for your commercial or residential property? The electrical professionals at Turn It On Electric work in a culture of integrity and take pride in their work. Our primary motivation is to ensure safety for homes like yours. Contact TIO Electric to learn more about house rewiring options.

Many older homes in the Greater Phoenix area have aluminum wiring. However, this type of wiring may not be the best for your home and can actually cause significant problems over the years. If your home is equipped with this outdated wiring style, it may be time for aluminum rewiring to ensure your safety and the proper operation of your electrical system. Here\’s why you should consider aluminum rewiring.

Prevent Fires

As aluminum wire connections deteriorate over time, they lose their ability to effectively carry current. This can cause them to overheat, possibly starting dangerous electrical fires in your home. With aluminum rewiring, you\’ll get new copper wiring, which is much more resistant to fire, helping to keep you and your loved ones as safe as possible. When your safety is on the line, you can\’t afford not to make an appointment for aluminum rewiring right away.

Protect Electrical Faceplates

When your aluminum wires get hot, a lot of that heat transfers into the faceplates of your electrical outlets, as well as their mounting hardware. In some cases, the metal screws on the faceplates can reach temperatures of up to 300 degrees. This can cause severe burns to your skin if you unknowingly touch a hot faceplate. The faceplates can also emit sparks, increasing your risk of fire. Aluminum rewiring will eliminate this problem and make your faceplates safe once again.

Aluminum Rewiring to Stop Flickering Lights

Because aluminum wires lose their ability to carry a charge over time, they can cause your lights to flicker. When the current is uneven, your lights won\’t get the power they need to stay steadily lit. This results in flickering or lights that don\’t work altogether. While not particularly dangerous, this can still be quite an inconvenience. After aluminum rewiring with new copper wires, this problem will be eliminated.

Power Modern Appliances

Today\’s appliances, while more energy-efficient than their predecessors, still require a steady supply of power to operate effectively. Old aluminum wiring, even if it doesn\’t have any major issues, may not have the ability to carry enough of a charge to power newer devices, especially those that use a lot of electricity, like refrigerators and other appliances. After aluminum rewiring, your appliances and other electronic devices should have all the power they need.

Save Money on Energy Costs

When your electronic devices aren\’t getting the steady power they need, they won\’t be able to operate at their most efficient level. This can result in your home drawing even more power from the main power grid, even though it isn\’t effectively delivered to where it needs to go. Over time, this can drastically increase your electricity bills. Once you have completed an aluminum rewiring service, your home will be able to make much better use of the power it receives, minimizing the amount of electricity you\’ll have to pull from the power grid. You\’ll likely begin to see savings on your monthly energy bills right away.

Get Started with Aluminum Rewiring

Because of all these potential problems, it is crucial that you schedule an aluminum rewiring appointment as soon as possible. The experts here at Turn It On Electric will be more than happy to assist you. We have helped countless homeowners in the Phoenix area with their aluminum rewiring needs, and we can help you too. Reach out to our team today to learn more about this important service and schedule an appointment for an estimate to evaluate your home\’s needs.