Knob and tube, or open wiring, was installed from the initial electrical installations in the early 1900s into the 1940s. It is named for the porcelain fittings that were used to support and run cables through wood structures. If it is left alone and no changes have been made to the original installation, and the insulation is still in good, flexible condition, it may still be a safe installation. However, there are several issues you should be aware of. If you have knob and tube wiring in your home, you should have it inspected by a licensed electrician.

If your home is 50 years old or older, you probably need to rewire your home. You might be noticing flickering or dimming lights that need to be changed regularly, breakers that trip frequently, and broken or cracked sockets. Also, if your outlets are not grounded, you don’t have enough sockets and the fuse electrical panel is old, rewiring your home, is the solution.

Faulty wiring is very dangerous and could result in house fires and other household accidents. An electrical rewire will eliminate safety and health risks caused by old wiring, avoid electrical surges and prevent short circuits, arc faults and overloads which will decrease your utility bill. The new rewire will be in compliance with the National Electric Code which will bring your house to what is currently needed and what is projected for the next 30 years.

Rewiring a house is a significant home renovation project that will affect every wall in your home – but it’s all to ensure your safety! New wiring will need to be run throughout your entire house, from the basement to the crawl space, to the floor joists, to the attic. Many holes (10’’x10’’) will be made in your walls and ceilings so we can get to the wires. Once the wires are replaced, we will seal everything with new drywall and texture to match existing walls. You will be responsible for repainting.

Yes! ProPower Electric’s experienced team works on complex electrical panel upgrade projects. Reach out to us to learn more about the risk of uninsured electrical panels.

An electrical sub panel upgrade is usually completed in a day. The length of time and exact process is on a case-by-case basis, as sometimes we must move the panel, upgrade wires, and make other changes to future proof your home. We communicate timelines and project details every step of the way.

An electrical panel upgrade involves replacing an old fuse box or panel with a higher capacity, modern system, often upgrading to 200 amps.

All outlets have a “hot” slot (the right one) and a “neutral” slot (the left one). When you plug in an appliance, electricity flows from the hot slot, through your appliance, and back to the neutral slot. Outlets are made to handle a certain amount of electricity. (Usually 120 volts). So, what happens if there is more electricity than what it can handle? That electricity must go somewhere. If you have a 3-prong grounded outlet, that third slot is the “ground” slot. The ground slot sends the extra electricity into the ground. If you DON’T have that third slot, the extra power/watts can go to you or your home, resulting in injury or electrical fires.

Areas with moisture including bathrooms and kitchens need GFCI. GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. A GFCI will protect you from electrical shocks by sensing the amount of electricity flowing through the circuit. If the flow becomes too great, the GFCI will shut off the circuit. That is why these types of outlets are required in areas with an increased risk of shock due to water or other electrical hazards.

The National Electrical Code requires that certain appliances have dedicated circuits. These include refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers or any other appliance that consumes more than 1200 watts of energy. A typical single-family home has a minimum of 18 circuits to spread electricity evenly throughout the house. A breaker trips when a circuit becomes overloaded.

First, you can check your breaker box. Are the circuits labeled by room or by device? If it’s only by room, you probably need to add dedicated circuits.

Next, pay attention to when your breakers trip. Maybe using the toaster and the coffee machine at the same time is fine, but the minute you use the microwave or plug in the blender, the breaker trips. This suggests that the kitchen appliances are all sharing a circuit, and your refrigerator needs its own dedicated circuit.