Electricity has been with us for decades. The industry continues to make new discoveries and update on former methods and as a homeowner, it might seem tasking to keep up. The good news is with every innovation comes safer, more efficient, and convenient electrical systems. You get to enjoy all the benefits still.
Cloth wiring
It might seem strange to some, but if you have an old home, it’s possible you have cloth wiring. Cloth wiring is exactly what it sounds like. They are wires sheathed or insulated in cloth. They are easy to spot because of the clothed exterior. This type of wiring can be found in homes wired anytime from the first half of the 20th century.
Yes, at the time they seemed like a good idea and served their purpose. But as the industry progressed it quickly became clear that cloth wiring posed several risks to homes.
How did cloth end up on wires?
Electrical wiring of these modern times is often covered with PVC insulators. This protects from shock, short circuits, and arcing. These insulated cables are then run as a group into multiple-conductor cables or individually but still within a protective conduit. Plastic which is an ideal insulator for copper was yet to be invented at the time electricity was. Hence, all of these described above was unavailable. Cloth became a grand option.
In cloth-covered wiring, the conductors are first insulated with an early plastic better known as vulcanized rubber. After this, they were wrapped in braided cloth. They worked until the drawbacks set in.
Is cloth wiring a fire hazard?
Short answer – Yes. Long answer – It’s more than that.
Cloth wiring presents all sorts of dangers, especially in these modern times. For starters, the outer cloth sheath is prone to deterioration and so is the inner vulcanized rubber. Cloth wiring is also not only out of date but an easy target to be chewed on by rodents and rats. All of these leave the wires within exposed. This exposure can lead to arcing, short circuits, shocks, and ultimately fires. Electrical fires caused up to 440 deaths and 1,250 injuries every year for the period of 2012 – 2016. Even now, it leads to over $1.3 billion worth of property loss each year.
Having cloth-covered wiring might indicate your electrical system is not properly grounded. Older homes were improperly grounded at that time, and this poses even further risk to your home now.
What to do about cloth covered wiring?
If you notice you still have cloth covered wiring, it is likely time to consider an upgrade/rewiring project. It is a demanding project both financially and practically but in every way worth it for your safety and the safety of your property. An upgrade will provide you with replacements of any other aging material, a better electrical panel, GFCI outlet protection, grounding, modern three-prong outlets, and more.
If you are unsure about having cloth wiring in your vintage home, you can contact us here at the Electric Connection for an inspection.
The electrical system of a building is important to its function and efficiency. But with so much use to bear and the factors involved with getting a solid electrical system, electrical issues and questions often occur. Not every electrical issue or question comes at a financial cost. You can get free electrical advice that directly answers your immediate minor need.
The right question should be, why not hire a professional Los Angeles electrician? L.A is a beautiful city with lots of action, celebrities, and so on to take up your time and energy. Why include DIY electrical projects to the mix?
It’s just annoying to live in a home that does not have enough power. The voltage will drop frequently, and this can be damaging to your electronics. Situations like this indicate that you need to upgrade your electrical panel. Other reasons why you might need to upgrade your panel include:
Electrical problems are sometimes difficult to avoid in a home and they can be caused by a lot of factors. For example, some electrical components may develop a certain fault, some parts may get old, or be installed incorrectly in the first place. Home accidents can also cause electrical problems. It goes on and on.
In the past, many homes could get away with using at most a 60 – 100 Amp service. But as technology evolves every day and homeowners are exposed to more and more appliances, 100 Amps can no longer cut it for most homes. 
When one or more outlets in the home suddenly stop working it’s easy to assume the worst. Before you panic, it’s good to know that there are some things you can try to solve the problem. However, when these don’t work, be sure to call in the pros. 
Flickering lights are almost impossible to ignore. They can be very annoying and dangerous if not solved. Flickering lights can be fun and raise no cause for alarm if the lights in question are decorative lights. 
When a part of your home or fixture suddenly goes dark, it is usually because of an individual circuit breaker tripping. The best way to find out if this is the case is to check your main electrical panel. The main electrical panel is located in the basement or utility room. A tripped breaker is always represented by a breaker switch facing a different direction from all others. For example, others may seem ON and just this one switch seems OFF or in-between.