Electrical Services: Professionals Only

Often times the appeal of an older home is found in its unique characteristics, including crown moldings, brick fireplaces, wood floors and marvelous old world craftsmanship. A feature in many of these older structures that may require immediate attention is the electrical system, which should be addressed by an experienced electrician with extensive training in the field of electrical services. This individual will be familiar with the codes and regulations for the state they are licensed to work in.

Many older homes will not have an electrical system capable of producing, or delivering, the amount of power necessary to operate present day appliances. Should a homeowner attempt to turn on a window air conditioner, while vacuuming or operating a microwave oven a circuit is likely to blow, or cause the breaker to be overloaded and knock the power out. Some of these homes may still be in possession of electrical wiring from the 1940's, which was not designed to carry a load beyond a few items, and is certainly not capable of powering the equipment found in most homes today.

A licensed electrician will come out to the home and evaluate the condition of the current electrical system, then suggest what electrical services are recommended for an upgrade in order to meet code as well as the needs of the homeowner. The house may need to be completely rewired if the homeowner is planning to install A/C throughout the home, update their appliances to more energy efficient ones, add recessed lighting in a few rooms, as well as a home entertainment system and maybe an outdoor spa with lighting, and so on. An upgrade of the electrical services may not be enough to support the demands these additions will place on the current system, which would be the reasoning behind a complete overhaul of the electrical system.

An electrician is capable of completing an energy saver inspection and recommending steps that can be taken to improve the electrical usage within the home. New outlets with surge protection will help extend the life of small appliances. An upgrade of the circuit breaker box may be another suggestion in order to more evenly distribute the load and allow for a direct installation of surge protection for the entire house. While this improvement to the electrical services for the home may be on the costly side, a safe environment for the occupants of the home is one factor that should bring peace of mind, as well as the savings that will be enjoyed due to the stoppage of the electrical drain created by an older system.