subject: Rewiring an Old House? Here Are Some Helpful Tips [print this page] Rewiring an Old House? Here Are Some Helpful Tips
A lot of home owners take pride in their old houses, proudly rattling of the year or historical period in which it was constructed. "My place has been here since the civil war" or "This house was built in 1900" which is all very impressive, but as every electrical contractor in Atlanta knows, it is unfortunate in a single regard; the electrical system. Old houses mean old wiring. Old wiring tends to be faulty and can lead to fires when one least expects it. Thus, rewiring is in order. But how should one go about it?
The first step is to ask for advice about your specific situation. Any electrical contractor in Atlanta would be glad to guide you. If you're doing this yourself, you will need to ensure that you have proper safety gear. Rubber soled shoes, proper eye protection, and a habit for carefully double-checking your work are all a must. Some people, despite advice to hire a professional, attempt their wiring on their own but it's vital to have an electrician check everything for you.
If you're determined to do part of the job on your own, next is the critical job of having the power to the home in question turned off. This is a good time to decide what size cables to get, a decision made by determining the amperage of your appliances. After that comes the tricky part. Truthfully, an Atlanta Electrician is best suited for the task of removing old wires and installing new ones in an Atlanta area home.
Rewiring a house on your own requires multiple steps, including locating your breaker box, determining and recording how many and which lights, outlets and switches lead to each of the breakers, and more. Sometimes this can be done by following the sound of someone knocking above the outlet or switch in question. You can pull out the switch or outlet and ensure you leave enough wire in the breaker box to work with and then cut and remove all the old wires from the breaker box carefully.
Next, wires need to be changed. You would change the wires and remove the box by having an assistant pull it out. Make sure there are enough old wires pulled out so that you can attach the new wiring. The wire has to be loose. The insulation must be peeled back half a foot or so and the black and white wires removed. Loop the ground wires and use electrical tape to keep them from moving around. You may now install the power outlets. Repeat these steps for all the outlets and switches in the house.
Re-insulate all the wires except the black, white and ground in order to fix the switches. Use green-colored screws to fix all the ground wires, and when everything is set up, the lights can also be installed. Finally, complete the breaker box itself. It's important that you leave yourself plenty of wire to work with when you attach the wire to the breaker for every room.
Make sure you carefully focus on the task at hand, for even one mistake can lead to a pile of charred rubble where your home once stood. Of course the greatest precaution you can take is to hire a qualified electrician to use his expertise and training to do the job for you. Finally, enjoy your new wiring for years to come.
Sound complicated? Most people find that this process is too complicated for a novice to complete safely and that's why it's recommended that a trained and qualified professional handle your home's electrical needs for repairs and replacements.
