Outdated and faulty wiring is the most common cause for house fires in New Zealand. When you consider that this is therefore avoidable it can be a sobering thought. Most wiring is safe and can withstand decades of use without problems, however as houses age the wiring ages too but is all too often left behind. A lick of paint, a bathroom renovation, new flooring and your old home can look like new, but the wiring is out of sight and therefore commonly out mind too.
Older houses were built for a different lifestyle. When these houses were built the electrical usage of a standard family was far less than that of today, and the wiring was simply never installed to withstand the demand of todays electrical usage. It is true that wiring will only safely last so long, but there is just as much risk that the wiring just can’t handle the demand.
Updating the wiring in your home can be an investment for the value of your property, must most importantly an investment into the safety of your family.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
Do you ever notice your lights flickering when you turn on a device or always changing blown lightbulbs? This may not be a coincedence.
These electrical mishaps could be a sign that your current wiring isn’t coping very well. Commonly blown fuses, blown lightbulbs, flickering lights and tripped breakers are all signs that your current wiring system needs attention. Do you hear buzzing sounds from sockets? This is a clear indicator of an overloaded circuit, and it may be time to call in a professional for an expert opinion.
If you find sparks when plugging appliances into sockets, or burning smells and hot plugs then it is important to get the problem seen to quickly.
WHAT IS A HOUSE REWIRE?
To fully rewire a house requires replacing all electrical wiring within the walls of the building, sockets/switches and light fittings. It is advised that wiring/sockets/light fittings dating to before 1970 should be replaced due to the outdates materials and incapacity to meet the demands of a modern day family making them particularly dangerous.
A great way to improve the safety of your older home is to replace all outdated wiring and fittings especially as a fire risk. However this also increases the energy efficiency of your home as well as reducing your insurance premiums.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Rewiring a home is not a quick and easy task, as most of the wiring is within the walls it takes time and planning to complete properly. The time it takes is completely dependent on the size and complexity of the building taking at least a few days. To plan for this time it is advised that you organise alternative housing and cooking areas so that you experience as little disruption to your life as possible.
If you are concerned about the electrical system in your household contact All Weather Electrical to discuss your options and getting a professional to visit your property.