Making Sure That Your House Electrical Wiring Is To Code

You sometimes hear a lot nowadays about "getting electrical wiring to code," particularly in regards to renovating older homes. Despite the fact that people realize that it's important for a home's electrical wiring to become standard with local building codes and national requirements, they do not always understand the meaning of the term. As a matter of fact, bringing wiring up to code can vary from house to house because of the varying electrical installations, which is why it is a good idea to hire aRoseville electrician,El Dorado Hills electrician, orElk Grove electricianto help with the process. Here are a few of the most common wiring situations you'll want to consider when considering upgrading your electrical wiring to bring it up to code.

Electrical Upgrades for your Basement

Many older homes do not have basements that are wired in accordance with the current electrical codes. Among the most typical code violations is standard electrical outlets. Even when a basement is unfinished, the outlets should be protected with GFCIs. GFCI outlets are an essential safety consideration, because basements are usually a little damp.

Kitchen Electrical Updates

Your kitchen is yet another room in the older home which frequently is afflicted with electrical code violations. The microwave oven ought to be on its own circuit when it comes to safety in case it generates a surge, a spark or if it should happen to overheat. In addition, any electrical outlets which are accessible in the countertop area and the sink ought to be upgraded into a GFCI outlet if they are regular outlets.

Bathroom Electrical Upgrades

Bathrooms are usually in the same category as kitchens when it comes to electrical code upgrades. All of the electrical outlets ought to be GFCI outlets due to safety around water. Or, decide to protect the whole circuit that supplies the restroom with a GFCI breaker. When lighting is installed in the restroom, #12 gauge wire needs to be utilized to meet electrical codes.

Attic Electrical Updates

Even the attic may have problems that can keep it from meeting the pertinent electric and building codes. For example, if the attic happens to be used for any home equipment, such as a heating or cooling system, there should be a light installed. When the room is used for storage, then it needs lighting also. To be safe, the light needs to be installed close to the storage or equipment area.

Other Safety Considerations

As discussed, lots of electrical code requirements are centered on issues of safety. In fact, this really is one of the primary explanations why electric codes appear in the first place - to protect the safety of the public. When you are upgrading your electrical service, it's also a good idea to upgrade your fire protection. To be safe, every bedroom must have its very own smoke detector. Each floor of the home must also have its own individual smoke detector. While you're focusing on the wiring in your home, you can go the extra mile and connect the different individual smoke detectors for additional safety.