Installing New Wiring in Your Home

When to Call a Residential Electrician to Your Home

26 June 2018 by June Alvarez

Obviously a homeowner should call electricians if their home is suddenly and inexplicably without power, but this is not the only time you may need the services of such professionals. To ensure your own safety and to reduce the risk of a blackout or electrical fire, note when you want to call a residential electrician to your home and why their services can be so valuable for you.

You find unexpected wiring

If you're doing any type of home renovation or remodelling work and you come across unexpected wiring behind drywall or under floorboards, you don't want to simply move this wiring out of the way and continue with your work. That wiring may be old and delicate, and moving it might compromise its connection to certain outlets or to the home's circuit panel. 

Older wires may also be somewhat frayed, which increases the risk of an electrical fire. To avoid this risk and ensure the wiring and its connections are not compromised in any way, call on an electrician to replace and re-route that wiring as needed.

You need more outlets

Lots of devices plugged into one outlet is cumbersome and downright dangerous; cords are tripping hazards, and too many devices in one outlet can cause an electrical overload and potentially an electrical fire. Never assume, however, that you simply need to live with all those cords running across your kitchen benchtops or behind your sofa, as an electrician can add outlets in virtually any space. In the garage, for example, an electrician can add an overhead outlet with an extension cord attached. In the kitchen, outlets can be added to walls behind cupboards so you can keep small appliances plugged in while they're also hidden away. This makes using those devices more convenient and safer as well.

You want to add insulation to the home

When you add insulation to the home, you need to be careful about wires that are running through the middle of wall studs or in other areas where wires might be covered by that insulation. If those wires are frayed and exposed, simply putting your insulating materials over them can be dangerous, as this can lead to smouldering and even an electrical fire. Have an electrician move those wires out of the way and also ensure they're properly covered before you add insulation, to avoid this risk of a fire or other such damage.

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