Los Angeles Electrical Rewiring: Safe, Up-to-Code Solutions for Your Home

A safe, efficient, and code-compliant electrical system is an important part of your home. This is especially true in Los Angeles, where many older buildings with outdated wiring still stand but aren’t always prepared for modern electrical needs.

Whether you need whole-house rewiring to replace knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring, partial rewiring to repair faulty circuits, or new wiring for your home additions or kitchen appliance upgrades, Express Electrical provides quality electrical rewiring in Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

Knowing the signs of outdated or damaged wiring can help determine when it’s time to consider rewiring your Los Angeles home. 

Outdated wiring

Homes built prior to 1950 often have cloth-insulated and knob-and-tube wiring, which can cause shocks and electrical fires. Some old electrical insulation contains asbestos, a known carcinogen. While the California Electrical Code (CEC) allows knob-and-tube wiring under some conditions, it’s generally unsafe and ill-adapted to modern electricity needs.

Likewise, homes renovated or built during the 1960s and 1970s often have aluminum wiring. Compared to today’s copper wiring, aluminum wiring is prone to degradation, inefficiency, and fire hazards.

Frequent circuit breaker trips

While an occasional trip is normal, overloaded circuits and faulty wiring can result in frequent breaker trips. Leaving these underlying issues unaddressed can lead to escalated problems, such as short circuits, damaged appliances, and safety hazards. Circuit breakers that wear out from fault or gradual damage require replacement to ensure the safety of your electrical system.

Burning smell or discolored outlets

Loose, frayed, corroded, or otherwise damaged wiring can cause sparks and potentially lead to electrical fires. Scorched, discolored, or warm outlets suggest these kinds of wiring problems. Burning plastic smells as well as buzzing or humming sounds often accompany these visual clues and are a serious warning sign of faulty wiring.

Dimming or flickering lights

If replacing or tightening light bulbs doesn’t resolve flickering lights, faulty wiring may be the culprit. If lights flicker throughout your home or when you switch on appliances, you may have overloaded circuits or faulty wiring.

Insufficient or ungrounded outlets

A heavy reliance on extension cords and power strips isn’t necessarily a code violation, but it can pose some danger and inconvenience. The National Electrical Code (NEC) provides guidelines for the number and placement of outlets — if your home doesn’t meet these standards, adding more outlets to your home can improve its safety. Likewise, two-prong outlets don’t offer the same grounding safety as three-prong outlets.

No GFCIs

The CEC adheres to the NEC’s ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) standards, which requires these devices in specific water-exposed areas of your home. Without sufficient GFCI receptacles or breakers, your home is at risk for ground faults.

Renovations and upgrades

If you’re renovating your home, adding systems, or upgrading appliances or devices, it’s important to ensure your current electrical system can meet these demands.

Optimize the safety of your Los Angeles home with electrical rewiring services from Express Electrical. From whole-home rewiring to GFCI outlet installations, our team can handle any electrical system needs.

Serving Los Angeles and Southern California since 1982, we’re available around the clock for electrical repair and installations. Contact us today or book online for electrical services.