Genesee County, Michigan has its share of older homes. Whether you live in Flushing, Flint, Grand Blanc, or any of the other cities in the county, you may be living in a home that’s due for some electrical upgrades. Here are four upgrades that homeowners in Genesee County should consider calling in an electrician to complete.
Adding Smoke and CO Detectors
Many older homes were built before smoke detectors were required by the building codes. For the safety of your home and everything and everyone in it, we recommend that you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed. Our Flushing electricians can hardwire in combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in any rooms that need them.
Replacing the Wiring in Older Genesee County Homes
This is by far the most expensive item on the list, but one that you should consider if you have an older home (50+ years old) with wiring that has never been updated. Unlike other elements in older homes that were built to last, a home’s wiring will need to be replaced at some point. Sometimes, this is for safety reasons, and other times its just because the older wiring cannot handle the demands of the 21st century lifestyle. Wiring insulation can deteriorate over time and aluminum wiring (common in homes built in the 1960s and ‘70s) has a tendency to come loose at its connection points over time.
The cost of rewiring a home can vary dramatically, depending on how easy (or difficult) it is to run the wires. If there is a lot of cutting into walls that later will need to be patched and repainted, this will up your cost dramatically.
While this is a costly electrical upgrade to your home, the good news is, it’s a one-time upgrade that should last you as long as you own your home and will give you the peace of mind that you’re living in a home that’s safe and up to today’s standards.
Add Additional Outlets
If you’re rewiring your entire home, it’s also a good time to consider adding additional outlets. Take note of any places in your home where you find yourself running extension cords, and have your electrician put an outlet right where you need it. You should also think beyond just the typical placement of outlets and consider having them placed in areas like under your kitchen cabinets so you can add under-cabinet lighting, or have a USB outlet placed next to your bed or desk so you can charge your phone without a USB adaptor.
Installing Automatic Lights
Everyone is familiar with outdoor lighting with motion sensors. They light your path when you come home late at night, and they’re also a known deterrent for burglars. But what about putting motion-activated lighting in other areas of your house? Think of places in your home where the light switch is in an inconvenient location, or rooms in which your hands are often full, like the laundry room.
Another option is automatic lights that go on and off with the opening and closing of a door. This is a great option for a kitchen pantry or walk-in closet—the light turns on when you open the door and turns off automatically when you close it again.
Call a Genesee County Electrician for an Estimate
If you’re ready to make one of these (or any other) electrical upgrade to your home, call a Genesee County electrician that’s experienced working on older homes.
