Why It’s Crucial to Replace Old Wiring ASAP

Eliminating fire hazards in your home is a crucial step to ensuring your household’s safety. Unfortunately, even when you’re meticulous about keeping the stove off or putting flammable items far away from heat sources, your entire home can be a fire hazard if it is still outfitted with old wiring.

In fact, according to the National Fire Prevention Association, the most common cause of residential fires in Australia is poor or faulty electrical wiring. The older your home is, the more unsafe it is unless you call a certified electrician in Adelaide to overhaul your wiring. 

Identifying Old Wiring Systems

The oldest wiring system is knob-and-tube wiring, which uses insulating tubes and knobs to run the wiring throughout the house. This kind of wiring has two wires: a white neutral cable and a hot black one. They require insulators to prevent them from touching each other. Since it is a two-cable system, this type of wiring does not have a ground for safety.

If you live in a home built more than twenty years ago, you probably have old wiring that needs to be replaced right away. It’s best to have an electrician inspect your wiring once every few years to ensure that everything is working as intended and there aren’t any issues that can lead to potential fires.

Warning Signs of Old Wiring

There are a few signs that your wiring is putting your house in danger. Here are some of them:

• Flickering or dimming lights
• A burning smell emanating from an electrical appliance or device
• Damaged or missing wire insulation, exposing the wire’s metal part
• Wiring enclosed by any kind of building insulation
• Exposed wiring wrapped with modern electrical tape, indicating that the wires are not soldered
• Stained switch plates and outlets that are warm when you touch it
• A house built more than forty years ago
• Frequently blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers
• Not having correct circuit protection installed to protect your wiring from short circuits & earth leakage which can lead to fatal electric shocks or fires in the event of old cabling overheating.

The Dangers of Old Wiring

Old wiring poses numerous dangers to the home. For instance, old houses usually don’t have enough electrical outlets to accommodate modern needs. Overloading these outlets by using extension cords as permanent circuits can quickly result in a fire as old wiring systems are not designed to support numerous devices.

Not having the proper insulation leads to exposed wires, which can cause sparks, electrical shocks, or house fires. Old insulation deteriorates and becomes damaged over time, which means that having an old house usually means that your insulation is likely worn out as well. 

Old wiring means the absence of electrical receptacle grounding, which means that all your connected electrical appliances are susceptible to electrical damage when electrical surges occur. Grounding an electrical receptacle protects you from painful or fatal electrical shocks when the current flows through the wrong path.

If you bought your home from someone else, you’d want to check the wiring for poorly modified work. The standards for doing electrical work are higher than ever before, which means that any DIY job of previous owners or tenants may put you and your household at risk. Be sure to have a certified electrician inspect your wiring and ensure that everything is correctly executed.

Conclusion

Having old wiring in your residence puts you and your household at an increased risk for fire, so it’s essential to replace it as soon as possible. By installing modern wiring in its stead, you’ll have eliminated the largest fire hazard in your home, giving you peace of mind.

EJM Electrical is one of the top electrical companies in Adelaide, delivering exceptional electrical services at affordable prices. We uphold only the highest standards in our work throughout our residential, commercial, and industrial services. Get a free quote by contacting us today!