Updating Your Electric Service

Over the last two years, the demand for homes in the Denver Area has been growing by leaps and bounds, creating a very competitive seller’s market and driving home prices up. In an effort to save money more and more home buyers in the Denver area are purchasing older, less expensive homes and renovating them to suit their needs. While more often than not kitchens, bedrooms and living areas often get the most attention, the most critical renovation the majority of these older homes require is also the one most overlooked by homeowners. It’s the home’s electrical service.

 

Why Does an Older Home’s Electric Service Need Updating?

The average home in the Denver area is more than 40 years old according to U.S. Census data. Since most homeowners never update or upgrade their home’s electric service the majority of homes have outdated electric service designed to meet the electrical demands and safety standards of the 1970’s. Not only do today’s families demand more from their home’s electrical system than they did 40 years ago, an astounding number of safety improvements have been added to the National Electric Code over that time. Improvements that have made residential electric service safer, and more reliable than ever before, saving countless lives. For example, many homes built between 1965 and 1975 included aluminum, not copper wiring due to the high cost copper at the time. The use of aluminum wiring in homes was stopped when it was discovered that aluminum wiring posed a serious fire hazard.

 

Another factor to consider the expected lifespan of your home’s electric service. While the average lifespan of quality copper wiring in a home can be as high as 100 years, the average lifespan of most electrical outlets, switches, circuit breakers, fuses and other accessories is typically around 10 years.  Without replacement, these fixtures can malfunction and possibly cause accidental electrocution or an electrical fire.

 

How to Determine What Updates Your Home’s Electric Service Needs.

If you recently purchased an older home, you may have had a home inspection done before closing on the home. Although these inspections are designed to protect the home buyers by identifying problems with the home so you can address them with the seller before you buy, home inspectors can often miss things. This is especially true when it comes to a home’s electric service. As a result the best way to identify any electrical issues and address them is to hire an experienced and licensed electrician to perform a room by room electrical safety inspection of your entire home.  This allows the electrician to thoroughly inspect the electric service in each room and provide you a detailed report on the condition and safety of your home’s electric service along with their recommendations on the best way to resolve any issues they may find.  

 

While updating and renovating your home’s electric service may not be as exciting or dramatic as remodeling a kitchen, bedroom or living room, it is by far the best investment you can make when it comes to the safety of your family.