Electrical System Upgrades
Electrical systems are complicated home systems that must be left to a professional electrician. Yet, there are several factors surrounding electrical system upgrades that may indicate how expensive the project will get and may require homeowners to make important decisions for their home before the work begins. Here are some of the most important factors you should consider for your home's electrical remodeling upgrade:
- Location: Outdoor, kitchen, and bathroom circuits should be protected by a special ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) circuit breaker to guard against electrocution. Because it is highly sensitive to any short, this type of breaker may need resetting more frequently than standard breakers and should be tested periodically by the homeowner by turning the circuit breaker off, then on.
- Amperage: If you're remodeling an older home, odds are your local building department will require you to upgrade your electrical service to 100 amps. Why? It's to ensure that there's enough power in the home for all the modern electrical needs without causing a fire. Older homes didn't need to support so many appliances.
- Ease of access: Metal stud framing is the easiest type and least expensive of home construction for electricians to work with because holes are already pre-drilled. Conventional wood framing is the next easiest because of available space between walls and because the wood can be easily drilled through to allow for new wiring. Next, logs homes are more difficult due to a lack of hollow walls, and once a conduit is in place there is little room for error or change. Finally, concrete is the most difficult. Conduits must be pre-set before concrete is poured, and like log homes, there is little room for error or change.
