Getting Your Home Electrical Wiring To Code

You sometimes hear a great deal these days about "getting electrical wiring to code

," particularly in relation to renovating older homes. However, although many people understand that upgrading a home's electrical wiring so that it is standard with the national requirements and local building codes is a good thing, they do not always understand what the phrase actually means. In fact, because electrical installations certainly vary between homes, the required duties to get the wiring up to code could vary among different houses. Here are a few of the more common wiring situations that you need to consider when considering upgrading your electrical wiring to get it up to code.

Your Basement Electrical Upgrades

Many older homes do not have basements which are wired in accordance with the current electrical codes. Probably the most commonly discovered code violations in basements is standard electrical outlets. Even when a basement is unfinished, the outlets ought to be protected with GFCIs. Basements have a tendency to be damp, so GFCI outlets is an important safety consideration.

Kitchen Electrical Upgrades

Another room in older homes that quite frequently has code violations will be the kitchen. The microwave oven should be on its own circuit for the purpose of safety in the event it generates a surge, a spark or if it should happen to overheat. Additionally, any electrical outlets which are accessible in the countertop area and the sink should be upgraded to a GFCI outlet if they are regular outlets.

Bathroom Electrical Upgrades

In regards to electrical code upgrades, bathrooms and kitchens are in a similar category. In the interest of safety around water, all outlets ought to be upgraded to GFCI outlets. Yet another good idea would be to make the entire bathroom circuit protected with a GFCI breaker. When lighting is installed in the restroom, #12 gauge wire needs to be used to meet electrical codes.

Attic Electrical Updates

Even the attic may have problems that can keep it from meeting the pertinent electric and building codes. One example is when the attic has any home equipment like cooling or heating systems, a light needs to be installed. This is also the case if the room is utilized for storage. In order to be safe, the light should be installed near to the storage or equipment area.

Other Things To Consider For Safety

As discussed, lots of electrical code requirements are focused on safety issues. As a matter of fact, the main reason why electric codes exist is to protect the public's safety. While you are upgrading your electrical service, it's also smart to update your fire protection. Every single bedroom must have a smoke detector for safety reasons. There should also be an individual smoke detector on each floor of the home. While you are concentrating on the wiring in your house, you could go the extra mile and connect the various individual smoke detectors for additional safety.

by: Autumn Lockwood

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