Wiring requires connection with electrical experts
WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, DON’T TAKE CHANCES. GET IT INSPECTED REGULARLY, AND IF YOU START TO SEE THOSE TELL-TALE WARNING SIGNS, YOUR FIRST CALL SHOULD BE TO YOUR ELECTRICIAN. — MIKE HOLMES
Idon’t do my own electrical work. If you watch my shows, you’ll recognize my electrician, Frank, who I bring in anytime we need to touch the wiring in a home. Some of the absolute worst renovations I’ve come across usually involve some questionable electrical setups. Bad wiring can lead to overloaded circuits, buried junctions, and unsafe connections — all of which put you at risk for a house fire, endangering the safety of you and your home.
We just opened up the walls in a home that had a real rat’s nest made out of their wiring. And when I saw that, I knew it was time to call in my electrician. It meant our project took a little longer, and it cost the homeowner a bit more, but believe me, for them, knowing that their home was safely wired, was worth it.
WARNING SIGNS OF A BAD ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
How do you know it’s time to get your electrical system inspected? Opinions vary, but I have mine checked every four years. If you’re buying a home that’s more than 15 years old, you should get it inspected — especially if the basement was finished by the homeowner and you’re unable to pull permits for it. Without a record of what work has been previously done, you won’t know what’s happening behind the walls without an inspection.
What are some of the warning signs you can spot to know it’s time to bring in the pros?
Are there lights in your home that are constantly flickering? If a fresh bulb doesn’t stop the problem, it could indicate a bigger problem with the wiring or the circuits. Do you get a burning smell when you use certain outlets? What about breakers that always flip and fuses that constantly blow? These are all signs that you want to bring a licensed electrician in as soon as possible.
There are a few issues that you might think are minor but are symptoms of an electrical setup that’s in need of attention. Have you ever seen your outlets spark, or do they ever feel hot to the touch? This goes for switches, too; these may seem like smaller problems, but they will get worse over time. Even something as seemingly unrelated like a discoloured wall outlet could be your electrical system trying to warn you. And you should listen: 20 per cent of all fires in Canada are electrical fires.
PREVENTING ELECTRICAL FIRES
How do electrical fires start? Well, electrical currents generate waste heat. Over a period of time, that will cause the conductor to expand and contract, loosening that connection. When the connection is loose (or if you’ve got overloaded outlets, or faulty appliances), the electricity arcs, which puts you at greater risk of an electrical fire. See why I’m telling you to get your electrical system inspected?
This is the reason it’s code in so many places to include Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCI) in all bedrooms (at minimum). An AFCI is a circuit-breaker that detects those dangerous electricity arcs, and disconnects the power immediately.
Even if code in your area doesn’t require AFCIs throughout the home, why not take extra steps to protect your home? To me, it just makes sense.
SURGE PROTECTION
Power surges can happen at any time. They increase the amount of electricity hitting your outlet and overloading it. This can cause your appliances to spark, and in some cases fail and break down completely. Lightning strikes are one of the more common causes of power surges, but they can even be a result of one of your larger appliances switching on and off.
Installing surge protectors not only helps curb the risk of electrical fires due to surges, they can even protect your appliances. I once lost a ton of electronics because a surge hit, and I hadn’t installed surge protection.
You can have a surge protector installed right at the breaker panel to provide whole home protection. In case a surge does occur the protector stops the surge from travelling through to the rest of your home.
Just because it’s out of sight, doesn’t mean you can keep it out of mind. When it comes to your electrical system, don’t take chances. Get it inspected regularly, and if you start to see those tell-tale warning signs, your first call should be to your electrician.