When You Want to Call an Electrician, Even If Your Home Has Electricity

Construction & Contractors Blog

If your home's electricity has suddenly failed and you know it's not a storm or other cause for the entire city to be without power, you know to call an electrician. However, there are other times when it's good to have an electrician inspect and rewire your home as needed. This can be necessary even if your home's electricity seems to be functioning. Note when you should call an electrician and why it can be important to have them inspect your home's wiring and make necessary upgrades.

When you're thinking of selling your home

Before selling your home, it will be properly inspected so that everything is up to code, but this may not be enough to entice buyers to put in an offer. A home with upgraded wiring that has added circuits for managing today's oversized appliances as well as demanding electrical components of a home theater can be more valuable than a home with older wiring. Additional plugs in the kitchen and bathroom, and having the master bedroom wired for wall speakers and other such pieces can mean a home that stand out in the real estate market.

Additionally, if your home's wiring is a bit old, even if it's up to code, potential homebuyers may know that they will need to have the wiring upgraded in a few years. A home with new wiring means avoiding that cost, so it may be a better choice for homebuyers. If you're thinking of selling, consider these reasons for having an electrician check out your home's wiring beforehand.

When your home has aluminum and copper wiring

Aluminum wiring was often used a few decades back as a cheap substitute for copper wiring. It typically passes inspection as it is considered safe on its own, but aluminum does corrode when it comes into contact with copper. If you've ever had some of your home's wiring updated and replaced, your electrician probably used copper wiring for those updates. If all the wiring was not replaced and some is still aluminum, this can mean corrosion of that wiring when it comes into contact with the copper wiring. Corrosion can mean bare and frayed wires and, in turn, the risk of electrical fires. If you've had just some of your home's wiring upgraded and know that you still have aluminum wiring in certain locations, it's good to have it all updated to reduce the risk of electrical fires.

For more information, talk to an electrician.

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20 June 2016