Why You Need A Whole House Wiring Inspection Even If Nothing Seems Wrong
We sometimes find that Paris homeowners don’t know that a whole house wiring inspection is important for safety. Most people wait until there are obvious signs that something is wrong before they call an electrician, thinking that an inspection is only important when buying or selling a home.
But the sad truth is that a lot of house fires could have been avoided if the wiring had been regularly inspected. Bad wiring is the number one cause of house fires in the U.S.
Our electricians at Hargis Electric LLC want to help educate homeowners in Paris about the importance of wiring inspections. If it’s been more than five years since you’ve had one done, please call us or another qualified electrical inspector. Here are some things to know about wiring inspections.
Wiring Insulation Wears Out Over Time
The insulation wrapped around wiring gets old over time, so it can get to the point where the material is fraying. This is the worse case scenario, where it’s likely that all the wiring would need to be replaced simply due to its age.
Wiring insulation can wear in certain spots wherever it’s exposed. This can happen when it gets rubbed or cut by objects. The electrician inspects the wiring and recommends the best course of action if the damage is found.
Who Knows What Someone Else Did To The Wiring Or Electrical!
Unless you’ve lived in your home for the last twenty years, you never know who may have done what to the wiring or electrical system of the house. Qualified electricians with the experience to know are constantly finding mistakes made by others who try to repair the wiring or add onto the system.
Sometimes we serve investment property owners and find that the tenants tried to do electrical work themselves. And sometimes a homeowner will try to get someone not qualified to help out for free or cheap. It never pays to ignore what someone else may have done in the past, so be sure you have a whole house wiring inspection done for peace of mind and safety.
Wiring May Be Unable To Keep Up With Power Demand
Part of the process of the wiring inspection is testing the electrical system to determine if the current setup can support the power demand of the household.
Old knob-and-tube wiring or cloth insulated wiring cannot keep up with the power demand of a modern household. While most of the time, it’s just an inconvenience, it certainly needs to be inspected to avoid sparks, fire, and electrocution.
You May Need An Electrical Panel Upgrade
Even homes built ten years ago with standard wiring for a standard home may not support the demand of your particular household. If you have heavier appliances, use all the outlets (and extension cords, etc), the electrical system could be having problems keeping up. The electrical panel will also be inspected by your electrician to determine if it is outdated.
What you should remember is that there are many other issues that could be wrong with the wiring. These are just a few of the main points that an electrician would touch on when inspecting the wiring throughout the house.