The modern living of today now has people using a lot of technology. That in turn has each individual using a lot of electrical energy. Now, we have tons of gadgets and appliances unlike before. This means the electrical system of older homes may no longer be able to support or cope up with just how much electricity a family now uses.
Knob and tube wiring was used way back in the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century. Knob and tube is common in Winnipeg. With the drastic change that came with modern living, knob and tube wiring is no longer ideal.
Changing the wiring and upgrading the electrical panel needs to be done. The electrical panel of old can only supply much power without overloading and shorting out. With today's standards, a home should have 200-amp service.
In comparison, most knob and tube wiring panels could provide 60-amp service. Here are things you need to know about knob and tube wiring and electrical panels.
Knob and tube wiring used to be the standard from 1880 to the 1930s. This means old houses may have 80-year old wiring or older. This can cause a lot of problems and needs to be addressed. Knob and tube is common in Winnipeg and can be a challenge to identify if your house has this type of wiring.
You can have a professional electrician check your house and see if your home has a knob and tube wiring. If your house does have this type of wiring, it might not be able to support the load of electricity that your lifestyle demands. Know that knob and tube wiring was the standard nearly a century ago.
Living before didn’t include a lot of items that required as much electricity as today’s homes require. The electric system of your building needs to be checked for you and for your family's safety. A lot of problems can arise from very old wiring. Call your local electric service company so you can have your house thoroughly checked for knob and tube wiring.
Old houses come with old electrical panels. If you're living in an old house, chances are, you could also have an old electrical panel. There are many reasons to upgrade your electrical panel. As mentioned earlier, an old system may not be able to support your modern home, more appliances, more electronics, more lights, you get the picture.
With so much technology we now use today, the amount of electricity supplied in our homes may not be supported by your electrical panel. Your modern home requires a better electric circuit. One of the many other reasons to upgrade your electrical panel may also be the lack of outlets.
Old homes probably have fewer outlets. Upgrading your electrical panel will allow you to have more outlets with an increased amount of electricity supplied in your home. Think about all the multiple outlet power strips you may be using.
This is a key indicator you don’t have enough outlets. Are you blowing a lot of fuses? Or tripping the panel fuses? Probably an outdated knob and tubing electrical panel.
You now know about knob and tube wiring and electrical panels. The box still has the same things, the breaker and everything else. What's changed when you replace your electrical panel is the amount of electricity that is provided to you.
Now that you know why it is important to upgrade electrical panel, have electrical service contractors do the services of upgrading the wiring and electrical panel of your home. Don't try and do the work yourself. It is not recommended. Know that an electrician installs electrical panels with the permits, knowledge and skills required to do the job. They are the experts.
Costs will be higher if you don't upgrade electrical panels and wiring of your residential or commercial building. We hope you learned a lot from this article. Have your home checked and upgraded by our experienced and highly-skilled electricians.
