Does your home have old wiring that you are looking to replace? If so, you likely have a few questions about how the process will work. Here is what you need to know before you hire your electrical contractor.
Will Your Entire Home Be Without Power During The Process?
One concern people have with an electrical system rewiring is how long they are going to be without power. Thankfully, you don't have to be completely without power at your home except for short moments. That is because each circuit coming out of your electrical box is essentially one isolated group of outlets and switches. When rewiring is done to that circuit, all of the old wiring is removed and the new wiring is replaced. Each circuit can be rewired one at a time until the whole house is rewired.
Can You Make Changes To Circuits?
Have a problem where your circuit breaker trips frequently every time you use the microwave or turn on a hair dryer? That is because a circuit is probably overloaded with too much electricity flowing through it. When you rewire your home, it's possible to split up an existing circuit into multiple circuits. You can section off those high-use rooms and outlets so that you don't have tripped circuit breakers again.
However, you must have an open spot on your electrical panel for another circuit in order to split up an existing circuit. This could require adding a bigger electrical panel to your home so that you have more circuits to work with. If you have empty spaces in the electrical panel not in use, then you could use those.
Does Every Circuit Need To Be Rewired?
The purpose of rewiring a home is to make sure that your home meets the current electrical code and will work for your family's needs. While it is ideal to rewire your entire home, know that you can do it slowly over time as well.
Each circuit is independent of the other, and while it is ideal to have all circuits running with modern wiring, it's possible to have a mix of old and new wiring in your home. Maybe you have one outlet that is tough to get to and requires ripping out a wall. You can leave those outlets wired as they are and simply focus on the rest of the home that can easily be rewired.
Reach out to a residential electrical contractor in your area for more information about rewiring a home.
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