Rewires

Are you thinking of Rewiring our Ottawa home? A home Rewire of an outdated wiring system will be safer, less prone to annoyances such as flicking lights, and save you money on electricity bills. Rewiring is a big undertaking, and it requires planning and patience. Rewiring involves more than replacing the old wire. If your electrical panel is undersized, replacing it with a larger one will allow you to use more electronics. Before, many homes got built with 60 amp panels, which were enough for families to use less electricity. A 60 amp panel isn’t inherently unsafe if used correctly. However, in more typical-sized homes, modern users tend to overload these panels, which presents a fire hazard.

Almost all modern homes get built with 100 amp or 200 amp panels. Most recently, all are 200 A. If your residence was wired in the 1980s or later, odds are only a few upgrades will be required to restore worn or broken wiring and fixtures. You might also want to substitute old sockets, light fixtures, and switches. Older round switches and devices should be replaced for safety reasons. What you can install depends on the socket or fixture’s fitting requirements, so make sure you know before you buy replacements. Consider a modern device with a USB port and an alternative to toggle switches. If you have a USB port, consider a switch with a button.

Knob and Tube Rewiring

If your house was built in 1960 or earlier, look in the basement for knob and tube wiring. If you see wires running through porcelain cylinders or tubes, you have a knob and tube wiring system. These porcelain “knobs” keep the cables secure and prevent them from touching wood where they run. The wires get insulated with a cloth fabric. There is no ground wire in the old knob and tube, compared to modern wiring. This kind of wiring cannot support any electrical items with three-pronged plugs, and the risk of shocks and fire is much higher.

In modern wiring, the black wire, the white wire, and the ground wire are all enclosed in a single cable. Current wiring is insulated with plastic while knob and tube use rubber. The insulation may break overtime on knob-and-tube wiring. This is the reason it gets replaced. This is often the result of overheating or mechanical abuse if the temperature is too high. If your house has knob and tube wiring, you may be unable to get insurance. This type of wiring is not ordinarily dangerous. Difficulties arise when the wires’ insulation starts to decay with age or when home handymen have performed modifications to the wiring. Knob and tube wiring should never go through the insulation as this type of wiring requires open space to keep cool. Any insulation around the wiring can cause serious problems. This is what is called Open Wiring. Usually, the wire is open and airy. In Canada’s building code, there is nothing stating knob and tube wiring must be removed from existing homes. It is considered obsolete and can’t get used in any new construction.

We are available for all your home rewire questions.

Ottawa Electrical Services strives for honest reliability. Call us at 613 600-6448 or Email us at ottawaelectricalservices@gmail.com today for all your electrical needs in Ottawa.