If Appliances Are More Efficient Now, Why Do You Have To Upgrade Your Home's Wiring?
Posted on: 11 May 2022
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One of the great changes in technology over the past several years has been the improvement in appliance efficiency, with refrigerators and more using fewer watts and amps to run. So why does there always seem to be someone telling you to upgrade your home's wiring? That's because older wiring and older circuits often don't carry enough power to make sure everything can run when you need it to. Older wiring setups used less power and fewer circuits. Nowadays, that creates problems even if your appliances are very energy-efficient.
Age, for One Thing
Wiring gets old and eventually has to be replaced. That's normal, and even if your home has a circuit breaker box, the wiring is probably old enough to warrant redoing. But this is an extensive job, remember, and you don't want to attempt any of it yourself even if you feel pretty confident around outlets. Call an electrician. You'll also want an electrician to do this because some of the wiring itself could be fine, but an outlet may need replacing.
You Have More Appliances Now
Many appliances might use less power now, but you also have more appliances along with more electronic gadgets. Instant pots, air fryers, electric skillets, and more now grace the countertops of kitchens that might have had just a stand mixer and toaster decades before. Upgrading the wiring in your home lets you use these appliances freely, rather than having to count what's plugged in where.
Some Appliances Are Using More Power Than Before
Most appliances use less power now than earlier versions of the same product did. A few, however, are actually using more as manufacturers figure out how to make the appliances more and more powerful. Hair dryers, for one, come in a range of wattages with higher wattages, around 1,875 watts, being very common. Microwaves, too, vary widely, with smaller microwaves using lower wattages and larger microwaves using as many as 1,200 watts for faster cooking.
For example, if your old microwave has been working just fine for years but now is showing signs that it needs to be replaced, you could find that the new microwave you buy can't be above a certain wattage if you have old wiring in your home. Wouldn't it be nicer to be able to buy a new microwave based on how well it worked, rather than whether or not it would trip a circuit breaker?
Contact a company like Sugar Land Electric to learn more.