6 Signs Your House Needs Rewiring

While a leaky roof, cracked plaster or faulty lock will always be noticed by homeowners, your property’s wiring is out of sight and all too often out of mind.

That’s a problem for old homes or those where the wiring hasn’t been inspected for a long time. When wear and tear eventually leads to problems with your wiring, the results can be devastating. According to Electrical Safety First, electricity causes over 20,000 fires each year.

The best way to avoid that devastation and keep your wiring safe is by rewiring your home in line with BS 7671 standards. Thankfully, despite the wires themselves being hidden, there are some noticeable signs your house needs rewiring, as this post will explore.

1. Shocks

Ever felt a shock when you’re plugging something into the wall? Or a little buzz when you’re flicking a light switch? In some cases, it may be down to a faulty appliance or outlet. But more typically, it’s a sign that your house needs rewiring.

2. Noises

Another check for your sockets and switches are the noises they make. Put simply, there shouldn’t be any. But over time, general wear and tear can see sockets move out of place, leaving wiring slightly exposed. If you hear any kind of buzzing noise from plug sockets or light switches, be sure to get checked by a professional electrician.

3. Discolouration

The final check when it comes to sockets and switches is their colour. Believe it or not, small fires can break out as a result of loose connections, which scorch the surface of your switches and sockets. If you spot any discolouration, you should contact a professional electrician immediately.

4. Lights

It’s not just your light switches that can indicate problems with your wires. The lights flickering themselves is also a tell-tale sign your home needs rewiring. In many cases, this will be down to the bulb itself. However, if you’ve recently changed it and the problem persists, it’s possibly an issue with your wires.

5. Trips

Aside from lights going out, you can also look for power going out from your sockets or outlets. This is usually caused by circuit breakers, which cut off the flow of electricity when there is an electrical fault – including a power surge, excessive current or fault components.

6. Age

When you’re looking for signs your house needs rewiring, they don’t come simpler than age. While the points above will help you identify an installation that’s well past its best, the safest option is to consider how long it’s been since the last rewire.

Houses built in the 50s, 60s and 70s may still have their original wiring, which will definitely need replacing with modern uPVC coated wiring. These older installations also lack circuit breakers, meaning you don’t get the warning of an outage when problems occur.

The same is true for houses which haven’t been rewired for 20+ years, as they will have undergone over two decades of wear and tear.

What to do if you spot these signs

If you’ve noticed signs your house needs rewiring, it’s best to contact a professional electrician as soon as you can.

Prime Electrical provides reliable house rewiring services throughout Jersey. Our team can carry out a safe, timely inspection of your installation to let you know for sure whether your house needs rewiring.

Give us a call on 01534 722390, fill out our online contact form or drop us an email today.