Do you Really Need to Do Kitchen Rewiring?

In times of like this global health crisis, we’re experiencing now, staying in your home is the best option. As going out poses a threat,  you have no choice but to cook for yourself or your family.

But what if suddenly, the electric stove in your kitchen stops working, the refrigerator is damaged, or the oven is broken? Then, it gives a real headache! 

Problems in electric wiring such as electric overloading, outdated wiring system, and faulty circuit wirings may be the one responsible for this inconvenience. For you to solve these problems, you should consider rewiring. 

What is Electrical Rewiring

Rewiring is the process of updating your old wire system. It involves changing the material of the wires when necessary, connecting damaged wiring circuits, and installation of new electrical circuits to ensure safety in using your appliances. 

Residential houses need to consider this whenever they feel of having electrical wiring problems. 

When to know if there are wiring problems in your house? 

When there are wiring problems in your house, you can see signs about it which you should never ignore. 

The signs are as follows:

• Dimming or flickering lights are evident.
• Sparks are visible on the outlet whenever you plug in and out your appliances or devices.
• There are loose power outlets.
• The circuit breaker trips or the fuse blows.
• There are buzzing sounds or burning smells.
• Light bulbs show burnt appearance from the light socket.

When to consider rewiring?

Most of the above mentioned signs need to consider rewiring as they manifest electrical problems. After you see the signs, below are the reasons why you should consider rewiring:

• Outdated wiring system

If your house stands for almost 40 years and doesn’t yet undergo rewiring during those times, then your wirings may be outdated. 

You can check if your wiring is still knob-and-tube wiring, the oldest wiring system. It is a white ceramic knob and tube which is usually found in your basement or attic. This needs to undergo an upgrade to meet the standard needs of your appliances and devices. 

• Aluminium wiring

Old houses usually have aluminium wirings instead of copper wiring. Aluminium wiring is more prone to fire accidents because aluminium can easily corrode when in contact with other metals, so over time it heats up and can probably cause a fire.

However, aluminium wiring is not that bad at all. Electricians can check this kind of wiring and recommend what it needs. Proper installation and maintenance are the keys to avoid dangerous situations. 

• Electric overload

This happens whenever you exceed your electric load capacity. Electrical circuits run with only limited electric capacity depending on the amp of your circuit breaker which is usually 15-amp or 20-amp. 

Once your appliance electricity demand is greater than the electric capacity, overloading happens. This may cause damage to your appliances, circuit wirings, circuit breakers, and fuse box, which in the worst case may cause a fire. 

Electricians recommend using a designated electrical circuit for each of your appliances that spend a lot of power like refrigerator, dishwasher, and oven to avoid overloading. As we can see, most of these are kitchen appliances. 

Kitchen Rewiring

You mostly consume your power supply in the kitchen because kitchen appliances demand a high amount of electric supply. An electric stove consumes an average of 3000W of power, while the refrigerator consumes 1000W of power. 

With this high demand in power, and only a single circuit runs through them, an electric overload will likely happen.

Your kitchen needs rewiring so it can accommodate all of your appliances. On a standard, your kitchen needs at least seven electrical circuits—one for the lights, two for small appliances, and five for specific appliances.   

Circuit Requirements

The standard rule is, as long as an appliance has a motor, it should have its dedicated circuit. To do this rewiring and installing electrical circuits, you should familiarise yourself with the circuit requirements for each of your kitchen appliances and lighting. 

Essential lighting, microwave, electric oven, refrigerators, dishwasher, and any other small appliances can each run in their dedicated 15-amp circuit. In contrast, the electric range can run in a 50-amp dedicated circuit. 

The amp value for a dedicated circuit usually depends on how much power your appliances need. A high power demand requires a high amp circuit as well. 

Installation of a Dedicated Circuit

Installation of a dedicated circuit for your appliance requires professional work. Electricians install new circuit breakers and wirings to create dedicated circuits that depend on your appliance’s circuit requirements. Proper planning and installation of electric circuits are essential to avoid hazards.

Your electrician would likely advise you on how he can rewire your house. From how many dedicated circuits will he add, where he will position the power outlets, and how to improve your wiring connections. 

Communication between you and the electrician is vital to get the results you desire. 

Conclusion

Rewiring is important to avoid accidents brought by outdated wiring systems, overloaded electric circuits, and faulty circuits wiring. With the assistance of a licensed electrician, you should determine whether your electric circuits are enough to meet the demands of your appliances, especially in your kitchen. 

If it does not meet the required power of your kitchen appliances, then you should consider rewiring your kitchen and make a dedicated circuit for each of them that demands it.

If you ever notice signs of electrical wiring problems in your house, never hesitate to call our level 2 electricians. Sydney Inner West Electricians is at your service; we offer electrical assistance and repairs. You also should not worry about outdated wiring, faulty circuits, and overloading anymore as we can do rewiring for you to avoid damaged appliances and fire accidents. 

All services are at a reasonable and affordable price! Book an appointment here or call us at (02) 8378 2829.