If your Tallahassee-area home has knob-and-tube wiring, you might want to think about rewiring it. If you don’t know what knob-and-tube wiring is, no surprise as that form of home wiring technology started becoming obsolete about 100 years ago. While knob-and-tube wiring may still be present in some older Tallahassee homes, most older home buyers have upgraded such wiring over the decades because it provides limited amperage and is considered a safety hazard by electrical codes.

Even absent knob-and-tube wiring, you might want to consider some electrical upgrades for your Tallahassee-area home. Many older homes in the area are underpowered and struggle to keep up with electrical demand. Advances in electrical technologies can also improve the comfort and safety of your house, while enhancing your home’s electrical efficiency and resale value.

The electrical experts at Meeks Electrical Services have been providing electrical upgrades to Tallahassee homes for almost 50 years. They know which upgrades give homeowners the best electrical returns for their dollars and have the buzz on all the latest “smart home” electrical features. We’ll start with the basics and then move on to smart-home upgrades.

Electrical Panel Upgrade

Your home’s electrical panel serves as the heart of its electrical system by safely delivering current through the wires, which can be considered the system’s arteries. Average homeowner electricity needs have expanded significantly over the past three decades, so many homes struggle to meet power demands consistently. If you experience frequent circuit-breaker trips, flickering lights, and power surges, it’s probably time to consider an upgrade, as these suggest that demand is exceeding supply.

If your home has an old fuse-based electrical panel, you should also consider replacing it. While not as obsolete as knob and tube wiring, fuse-based panels are less safe and efficient than today’s circuit-breaker-based panels. An average home needs a minimum 100-amp panel to meet electricity demands, though many need 150-amp, and some larger homes even 200-amp or greater.

Wiring Upgrades

We’ve already covered knob-and-tube wiring, but even newer wiring may be outdated, especially if it’s more than 40 years old. Like fuse-based electrical panels, old wiring can show its age and degradation by light flickering, tripped fuses or circuit breakers, and power surges. Other signs of compromised wiring include:

• Blackened outlets,
• Experiencing small electrical shocks,
• Sometimes noticing an electrical burning smell near appliances or electronic devices.

If your home has aluminum wiring—widely used in the 1960s and 1970s—it’s definitely time for upgrading, as it provides inefficient consumption (higher energy bills) and is less safe than copper wiring.

Your Two-Prong Outlets Are Also Obsolete

Found in many older homes, two-pronged outlets lack a grounding wire. These help prevent electrical shocks, power surges, and reduces the chance of an electrical fire. Thus, if they are in your home, you should consider upgrading them to three-pronged grounded outlets. While replacing those, ensure that all outlets in the kitchen, laundry room, bathrooms, and outdoor areas have ground fault interrupters, which provide an extra layer of protection from water-related electrical shocks and fire. Last, consider adding some USB data port charging stations for your computers, smartphones, and other devices.

Light Switches Are Becoming Smart

We’re going to nudge into smart-home electrical upgrades with your light switches. There might be nothing wrong with your traditional on-off toggle light switch, but why not upgrade your lighting game? Dimmer-style light switches have been around for decades to allow homeowners to create distinct lighting ambiances for a given area. Today, smart dimmer-style light switches can be wirelessly connected to your phone for remote and/or programmable control.

Smart Electrical Features for the Audiophiles

If you love music and entertaining, why not upgrade your sound system when making other electrical upgrades? You can install a distributed audio system that delivers music through hidden speakers throughout the house, smartly controlled from your cellphone or another device.

You Might As Well Make Everything Else Smart

Smart devices are everywhere these days, and smart home electronics are no exception. Most smart-home options that connect to your electrical system can be easily controlled with a cellphone app. This inherently enhances their usefulness to homeowners. So, when making electrical upgrades, consider these smart options:

• Home alarm system
• Door locks
• Doorbell cameras
• Surveillance cameras
• Thermostats
• Motion detection security lighting
• Smoke alarms

And, if you’re going to go “smart” with your electronics, we’ll offer one more upgrade suggestion. It’s not smart, per se, but it represents a smart upgrade decision. That is, replace all those single outlet surge protection strips with the installation of a whole-house surge protection solution.

Contact Meeks for Your Landscape Lighting Installation

If you believe it’s time to upgrade your home’s electrical systems, the experienced technicians at Meeks Electrical Services have got you covered with their full line of residential electrical services. For all your Tallahassee-area residential and business electrical needs, contact Meeks today at (850) 575-3201.