Signs Your House Needs Rewiring

The electrical demands in homes are higher than ever before because of the many devices that must be plugged in around the clock. Charging stations, computers, larger entertainment systems, and more require a larger electrical load. We’ve already written about the importance of updating the electrical panel in your house for larger capacity. Today we’re looking into the wiring in your house. You may have outdated or bad wiring that requires electrical services in Olympia, WA to fix.

Many older homes in the area need extensive rewiring, and below are a few signs to watch for that will warn you that your home is one of them.

You have aluminum wiring

This isn’t actually a sign, but it may be something you already know about your house. Aluminum wiring was the dominant metal used for residential electrical systems during the 1960s and ‘70s. Today copper has replaced it. The trouble with aluminum wiring is that it starts to loosen at connection points with time and develop into safety hazards. If you know you have aluminum wiring—or you want to find out if you do—call for a licensed electrician.

Warms spots on walls/hot outlets and switches

These are both indicators of wiring that has worn down and started to lose insulation. You should never find outlets or switches hot to the touch, and warm sections of a wall also shouldn’t be happening. These situations are major electrical fire hazards, so we recommend you shut off the electrical power at the panel and call for repairs.

Acrid smells

The sharp electrical burning smell in your house—it’s probably coming from electrical burning! You may notice it from certain outlets, or it could be hovering in the house when the lights are on. Either way, call for licensed electricians to track the source and fix the wiring.

Lights the dim and flicker

When lights in your home (particularly ceiling lights) flicker regularly, it’s more than just spooky—it’s an indication that old wiring is creating small power surges. If you notice the dimming when a powerful appliance like the AC compressor or refrigerator kick on, then the wiring isn’t handling the electrical load and is created surges.

Electrical buzzing sound

Are you hearing an odd buzzing sound coming from parts of the house, around outlets, lights, and appliances? A home’s electric system should not make any sound, so this buzzing is telling you there’s bad wiring somewhere.

Smoke from outlets, light fixtures, and appliances

If you see any smoke coming from these places, you’ve got an electrical emergency. Immediately stop using that outlet, light, or appliance, because something in the wiring is burning. Call for an electrician to examine what happened and discover what rewiring needs to be done.

Scorch marks on outlets and switches

Scorch marks look like spots of discoloration on the plastic covers of outlets and switches. The wiring behind the plastic is overheating, and there may have already been an electrical fire.

You can trust our licensed electricians at Resicon to handle your wiring needs quickly and correctly.

Resicon LLC serves the Greater Tacoma Area. How can we improve your living environment?