The problem with electrical wiring is that it is not something that will last for decades without issues.

Electrical wires eventually degrade and break down, and since they are hidden behind the walls of your home, you might not notice that there is a problem until it is too late. Since you usually can’t visibly see the electrical wiring in your home, you need to learn how to recognize the signs that it is starting to fail. Keep in mind that the modern home has to support dozens of electronic devices including smart devices, phones, tablets & laptops which just a short few decades ago were not even a consideration.

There are many indicators that your home may benefit from rewiring, the following are a few examples:

• Old wiring
• Lights are flickering
• Burnt smells near outlets
• Circuit breaker frequently trips
• Presence of aluminum wiring

A rewiring project may take a few days to a week, depending on the project. It may or may not require breaking through walls. That depends on how your home was built. If we need to break through walls, we’ll remove as small a portion as possible, clean up, and make repairs after your new wiring is installed. Power will be turned off as well, so plan accordingly, as parts of your house won’t have electricity while we work.

What Is the Cost to Rewire a House?

The cost to rewiring any home depends on many factors. Square footage is one; the larger your home, the more it will cost to do a complete rewiring. If some of your existing wiring can be preserved, it might cut down some costs. The condition of your electrical system, number of outlets needed, and use of conduits for wires can impact the total price.

A big advantage to rewiring a house is that it can increase the value of your home. This is a consideration because you can get a higher selling price from a buyer.  Trying to sell your home with old wiring can prevent a lender from approving a mortgage loan, convince a potential buyer to move on, and lead to denial of insurance coverage. Rewiring can also reduce your homeowner’s insurance premium.

Knob & Tube Electrical Systems – Repair & Replacement

Knob and tube electrical systems, or sometimes referred as K&T, are an artifact of early electrical history. Their use dates back to the late 1800s.  If your Michigan home is still relying on one of these systems, it is time to step into the modern age with a knob & tube upgrade. As older wiring systems, knob and tube circuits are physically unable to conduct the power necessary to run an average modern home’s fixtures & appliances.  K&T electrical systems are a liability & here are some of the reasons why:

• Often denied homeowners insurance coverage
• No safety grounding conductor
• Low circuit capacity
• High risk of over-fusing
• Cloth and rubber insulation becomes brittle with age
• Easily damaged by rodents and renovations
• Illegal in most US counties due to safety hazards

We can update your electrical wiring by increasing circuit capacity, safely grounding your home’s electricity with three prong outlets and arc fault protection & if necessary, we can even provide whole home surge protection.   Contact FineLine Electric LLC. today for more information.