Updating your home’s electrical systems might feel like something you never have to do. Why would you want to change a system that appears to be working just fine? But the problem with electrical systems is that they can appear to be working well even when they are not completely in good order. The system may be functioning one moment and stop on the next. But even worse, it can alert you to the existence of problems through an unpleasant event like an accident.
Like water, electricity is one of those things that we have a love-hate relationship with. We need it for so many everyday things that we could not live without. Yet, electricity is only any good if it does what it is supposed to do and goes only where we want it. Anything apart from this and electricity can be the cause of house fires, electric shock, or death. Because electricity is extremely useful but potentially dangerous and is one of the essential utilities you are required to provide as a landlord, managing your home’s electrical systems is vital.
But the problem is how will you know when the systems have a problem, given that most of it are behind the walls? This is why waiting for problems to appear before you take a look at the condition of your home’s electrical systems is a bad idea. Before most electrical faults become apparent, they have been smoldering behind the scenes and there is no telling how they will eventually reveal themselves. This is why a proactive approach to the home’s electrical systems is the best option.
Dangers of out-of-date electrical systems
What are the dangers posed by an out-of-date electrical system?
- Old electrical systems are a fire hazard. Of the thousands of house fires that happen in the US every year, the vast majority are caused by electrical faults. And most of those faults could have been prevented if the home’s electrical systems were updated.
- The risk of electrocution increases with the age of electrical systems, especially when this is coupled with inadequate maintenance. Wiring, like everything in the home, suffers from wear and tear and the insulation around wires may get torn.
- Old and faulty electrical systems shorten the lifespan of electrical appliances. They don’t deliver power as they are supposed to, thereby putting the appliance through unnecessary stress and causing them to perform below expectations.
- Obsolete electrical systems diminish the overall energy efficiency of the home and inflate your energy bill. This is partly because a lot of the electricity is lost as heat. The home ends up using more electricity than is needed.
Why you should upgrade the home’s electrical system
In addition to avoiding the negative outcomes listed, there are positive reasons to do a complete overhaul of your home’s electrical systems.
1. Bring your home up-to-code
Building codes are constantly being updated. They have to change as new and better building materials are developed and new procedures are introduced into the building industry. These changes may not happen every year, but over a ten-year period, significant changes will happen to the building code.
Homeowners, as well as landlords, who don’t keep pace with developments risk code violations. But more importantly, the home will be able to offload the shortcomings of older systems and techniques for the benefits of new ones. How up-to-code a building is also plays a role when selling or renting a property.
2. To meet the demands of new appliances
Most homes built before the year 2000 were not designed with the electrical needs of today’s society in mind. The electricity demands of homes have increased drastically due to the sharp rise in the number of electrical and electronic devices in the home.
The average US household consumes an astounding 10,399-kilowatt hours (kWh) yearly or 867 kWh per month. Putting older electrical systems under this type of strain may result in systems overload and increased incidence of circuit breaker trips and a greater risk of electrical fires. Upgrading the home’s electrical systems makes it safer and improves its capacity.
3. A chance to add more outlets
In a way, the electrical systems of the home have a major impact on the way the electronic devices and furniture in the home are arranged. Since many homes have their furniture arranged to take advantage of the existing power outlets, a home with few power outlets imposes serious limitations on those who live in it.
They cannot put their TV anywhere they want it, because there are no nearby outlets in that part of the room. But when you upgrade the electrical systems in your home, you can also use that time to add new outlets. This gives you more options for arranging furniture.
4. To give you more options when remodeling
The capability of your home’s existing electrical systems is an important consideration when remodeling. If you add extra square footage by building another room or adding a patio, that extra space will be a further load added to the electrical systems.
If the system is not up to date, it may not adequately power the house. This will limit your enjoyment of the space or prevent you from doing any such remodeling altogether.
There you have it, reasons why you need to upgrade your home’s electrical system.