About Me

Exploring Furnace Repairs

Hi there, I am Kenny. When I moved into my first home, the furnace would kick on and off all day long without bringing up the temperature to a suitable level. At first, I assumed that the furnace was just trying to cope with the erratic weather. Eventually, however, the outdoor temperatures became consistently chilly, but my furnace still appeared to be on the fritz. I will use this site to talk about all of the different repairs required to make an HVAC system functional again. My site will also cover the tools and parts required for the repair process. Thank you.

 

Exploring Furnace Repairs

Electrical Upgrades To Make When Renovating An Electrical System In An Old House

4 February 2020
 Categories: , Blog

Share

If you are living in an old house, there will come a time when you need to renovate the electrical system. Below are some of the upgrades to consider during the renovation.

Number of Outlets

Many households need more electrical outlets with time. Maybe you installed the outlets when you were only three people in the house, but now your household's size has doubled. In such a case, you risk overloading the existing outlets (for example, by using electrical extension cords), not to forget the inconvenience of competing for outlets. Even if your household's size has not grown, it's possible that you have acquired more electrical appliances and devices over the years. Upgrading your electrical outlets will help serve your increased needs for outlets.

Electrical Protection

Many old homes don't have as much electrical protection as their newer counterparts. For example, many old homes don't have GFCIs (ground-fault circuit interrupters) or AFCIs (arc-fault circuit interrupters). Consider installing such protective devices during the renovation. It's also possible that the house will need some code updates during the renovation.

Capacity Upgrade

There was a time when many homes had 60-amp electrical panels. The increased use of electrical appliances means that modern homes require as much as 100 amps or even 200 amps. You should suspect that your home's electrical supply is underwhelming if your lights flicker when you turn on some appliances, if your outlets heat up, or if you can't use all the appliances or outlets at once. In such a case, you should upgrade the electrical service to your home to support the increased demand.

Smart Systems

More and more home services are getting automated and connected to the internet. There are light fixtures that you can connect to the internet for remote control. There are heating systems that can also be automated and remotely controlled. There are even window blinds and skylights that can be remotely controlled. You can install any of these smart operations at any time. However, any electrician will tell you that upgrading a 'dumb' house to a smart house is easier if it is done during the general renovation.

Hopefully, your renovated house will have a better and safe electrical system than before. Note that the above are just a few examples of the things you might have to upgrade while upgrading your electrical system. Sit down with your electrician and discuss further upgrades you may need.