Packing for a Move
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Packing for a Move

Welcome to my website. I’m hoping to provide you with some useful packing tips. My name is Ellen Monday. My family and I moved from a very large home to a large home. My point being, although we still live in a large house, we did downsize. It was almost like packing for two moves because we had belongings going to the new house and some going to storage. We had to make decisions about what we wanted to keep, store and get rid of. I have some tips on how we made those decisions, and the best ways we found to pack. Items that were going into storage were packed differently than those we were moving to the new house. Boxes had to be carefully and clearly marked so we didn’t end up storing our everyday dishes or something tragic like that! Hope you enjoy my blog.

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Packing for a Move

4 Reasons For Having An Older Home Rewired

Aaron Carroll

If you live in an older home or are considering purchasing one for residential use, you should consider having it rewired. The way that we use electricity has changed so much in recent decades that most older homes simply aren't up to the challenge of providing for a modern family's electrical needs. Rewiring from companies like Central Electric Inc will reduce chances of electrical fires. protect appliances and devices from damage causes by unstable electrical currents, and provide enough outlets for everyone in your household to use safely. Following are four reasons why older homes often have electrical wiring issues.

Overload

Homes that were built prior to the 1980s usually don't have enough electrical outlets to accommodate the needs of the average modern household. Many people try to bypass this by using extension cords and power strips, and although these can be convenient tools to use under limited circumstances, they can lead to electrical overload.If you are going to use a power strip, purchasing one that has a built-in circuit breaker will provide you with an extra layer of protection. Extension cords should be used with caution and only on a temporary basis.

Frayed Wires

Frayed wires are another electrical problem that is common in many older homes. These provide both shock and fire hazards and can potentially ruin your appliances if they cause a short circuit. Signs that household wiring may be frayed include:

  • Flickering lights.
  • Hot spots in the walls -- it's important to check for these periodically by running the palm of your hand along interior walls.
  • Frequent fuse failures -- this could also indicate that you're overloading the circuits.

Frayed wires have a number of causes, but the most common is simply that they've been in use for a long period of time and need to be replaced. Another common cause is that rodents have gnawed on the wires. Rats and some types of mice routinely gnaw on anything that is convenient, and household wiring is easily accessible to rodents who have made their nests in household walls.

Inadequate Grounding

If the electrical outlets in your home only have two prongs, that indicates a lack of grounding. In a three-pronged outlet, the round prong at the bottom connects to an underground metal rod that serves to dissipate any excess voltage, and this guards against electric shock. Also, certain electronic devices such as computers and high-definition television sets may not work properly unless they are plugged into an outlet that is properly grounded. A qualified electrical contractor can either install new outlets or place ground fault circuit interrupters on your two-prong outlets. The latter is recommended only in smaller homes where electrical usage is minimal.

Poor Contacts

Poor electrical contacts, or bad connections, are another potential wiring hazard frequently found in old homes. When the contacts inside an outlet comes loose, it causes the current to become unstable. This can ruin appliances as well as create electric shocks. Signs that poor contact connections have developed inside of an outlet include:

  • A slight odor of burned plastic.
  • Char marks on the immediate surrounding wall.
  • Appliance or device plugins that feel hot or warm to the touch while plugged in and in use.
  • Bubbling or discoloration on the cover of the outlet.

Contact connections rarely come loose all at once, and they can take as long as several years to be reach the point where they affect the stability of the electrical currents to a noticeable degree. A qualified electrician, however, can quickly inspect the area and determine whether the existing connections have begun to come loose or are in danger of doing so.

Having the wiring in your older home inspected and replaced if necessary will provide you with the best of both worlds -- the classic charm of an older house combined with the convenience and safety features offered by modern technology.


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