Where's Henry?
House Rewires: Why they just need to be done sometimes.....
Large parts of Geelong have older style houses. As an electrician, I see how electrical wiring has changed over time and how the changes over time integrate with each distinct period. Often, these changes are driven by improvements in technology, safety and simply - load.
I won't dwell on the technology and safety aspects as these are covered by the electrical wiring rules and regulations which your local licensed electrician will be aware of. It is really the load aspects that you should consider when considering how appropriate the use of old wiring is in today's environment.
Only you, the home owner or tenant knows what your lifestyle is. But only your electrician knows how to manage the load on the electrical systems your lifestyle will demand.
Today's lifestyles are more material than ever and are now dependent on a reliable power source. As we add more equipment and automation into our lives, the demands on our home wiring increase accordingly. As load increases, the propensity for blown fuses or overloaded circuit breakers increases. These are the safety aspects of the controlled (licensed) wiring rules coming into play when the wiring is properly managed. But what if it hasn't been? What if an incorrect fuse size has been placed into the circuit?
On older wiring - this is particularly concerning as the older wiring simply did not have the extra layers of safety built into the construction of the actual cable, nor did the installation methods of the time have the levels of understanding of safety that we have today. They certainly could never have appreciated the increase in demand or load with todays lifestyle. Be aware, I am not saying that modern cable or the current installation methods are flawless or impervious to fault or failure - they are not, but they do tend to have standards applied to them based on cumulative knowledge learnt over the years. It is certainly one area where constant improvement applies and the subsequent benefits are continually gained.
The bottom line is this - if you are modernising your home with new appliances, through renovation or any addition or change in general, you need to contact your local electrician to review the suitability of your homes wiring.