Whole House Rewiring Cincinnati, OH

 

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Whole House Rewiring

Why Rewire?

Making the decision to rewire? So your home has been diagnosed with antiquated wiring or a deteriorating Aluminum wire system there are some options available to you such as copalum for your AL system or even “pig tailing” purple wire nuts yourself that you buy at Home Depot to your AL system. Are these fixes effective? The FTC and CPSC has determined the installation of Copalum onto existing AL systems is an effective remedy against the breakdown of wiring at the junction points of AL and Copper wire reducing the risk of fire there to almost zero. That's wonderful. However the cost of copalum is extremely high and you still have the AL wiring in your home though it is safer. The reality is you have a wiring system in your home that is almost 50 years old as it exists in it's current form. Consider this…. The National Electrical Code is published by the NFPA every three years. There are significant advances in technology and safety breakthroughs that have occurred en mass over the years. These include ground fault protection, arc fault protection, 120V fire and CO detection systems, as well as tamper resistant outlets, in-use covers for exterior outlets and hundreds of others. If your AL wire was installed in 1970 that means there has been 15 Code cycle changes since your home was built. In essence you are “updating” your home to a condition that was current 45 years ago. What makes more sense when you view the options in that light?

Whole house wiring is comparable in price to Copalum installations and they will truly enhance the value of your home both in resale dollars and in livability. You will enjoy the conveniences of a modern electrical system and have the peace of mind that the value of your house has increased because of the investment you made in fresh wiring vs putting connectors in your device boxes. Before you decide on Copalum call for a free quote. You may be surprised at how affordable an updated system may be. You may also be surprised about how cleanly a lot of these new systems can be installed. We have effected whole house installs with NO damage to walls or ceilings over the years. Not every job is like that but it may not be as destructive as you think.

Purple wire nuts? U/L Listed for AL/CU connections. We do not install that product and do not recommend a homeowner EVER touching an AL wiring system ever for any reason with those wire nuts or with any other device or fixture.

So you have decided to rewire……what can you expect?

Rewiring Your Home

So you have made the decision to rewire your home! Welcome to the 21st Century and all it has to offer in technology, safety and convenience! What can you expect in the process?

Whether you are updating an Aluminum wiring system, a Knob and Tube System or any other system the process is very similar. The first stage is obtaining permits and planning the job. Typically the first facet of work is installing a new service. Older systems normally do not have the panel capacity to allow for the introduction of the amount of separate circuits required in modern Code cycles. So a new panel is almost always installed. Depending on the venue and the preference of the installer, your panel may move from it’s current location to a new area that could expedite the installation process or help to keep the cost of wiring materials down by shortening the runs to the individual locations. Your electric may go off in cycles during the course of the installation as rooms and areas are rewired one by one.

Your team will then begin the arduous task of installing the wire from the panel into he individual locations. This normally involves making a “path” for home runs ( wires running back to the panel from outlets, switches, etc) by cutting holes in joists in the basement or opening up walls in the garage or first floor to allow for attic access. After that the removal of existing device boxes will begin in each room as required. Wiring is re-installed. You may notice an increase in outlets in each room or location as Code has changed over the years to compel us to add an outlet every 12′ horizontally in wall spaces and other parameters as dictated. You may notice extra switches and lighting outlets installed as well for the same reasons. We try to make sure that your whole house is functioning, room by room, when we depart for the day. Depending on how your circuits are wired that may not always be possible but we strive to make the process as least obtrusive and inconvenient as possible.

New lighting is often added in the form of can lighting, ceiling fans, wall sconces, track lights or any type of system that appeals to the homeowner. We normally provide can lights and baffles but anything other than that we leave up to the homeowner as only you know what you will enjoy for the years to come! Also all rewires include the hard wired CO/Fire detection systems. These are an awesome safety device as they run on 120V and sound in unison should there ever be a problem. These are compulsory in some jurisdictions.

Surround Sound, Home Theater and Audio Systems are often included and installed during the course of a rewire, if desired. We can mount TV’s and provide you with the equipment and expertise to turn your home into a space that would rival the best theaters in town!

If your home is older it may be less likely that a job can be done without damaging the walls or ceiling materials. Homes with AL wiring in them were built in the 60’s and 70’s so the walls are drywall and the exterior walls are typically 2X4’s. This makes it very easy to cut drywall cleanly, remove device boxes with little to no damage, and the over all “wall fish” task is much easier. In older knob and tube era homes the walls are plaster lathe (Plaster over wood sticks nailed to the joists), Exterior walls can be poured concrete on the first and even second floors, lighting fixtures may have gas pipes still attached to them, and some may even still be charged with natural gas, making the task that much more difficult. Whether your home is from 1880 or 1980 we will do our best to keep the damage to a minimum and as unobtrusive as possible. Sometimes the homeowner will elect to install floor outlets to keep the damage to walls and potential repairs to a minimum as well. Floor outlets are markedly more expensive than regular outlets but the savings in damage repair may more than make up for the cost. You can expect your job site to be clean and organized at the end of each working day as well.

As your job nears completion we will make arrangements with the local jurisdiction to come out and perform their inspections as required. When the job is done the Inspector will come and check all outlets for Arc Fault performance. Check ground fault operation of the outlets. Make sure all devices are grounded. Check the panel for proper installation as well as the main grounding system. It is important that your job is inspected by the County to insure that the work is Compliant with your local regulations. In Ohio if you choose not to pull Permits the legal onus is on the homeowner NOT the Contractor. So make sure you discuss that facet with the Contractor prior to any work starting.

After the Inspection your job is complete and your home is ready for you to enjoy. You can relax knowing you have the security of a Ten Year Warranty to protect you if any problems ever arise!