The 10 Most Expensive Property Faults - #1 Electrical Wiring
When inspecting a property you’ll often notice a new electrical switch board inside the dwelling as well as new powerpoints and light switches. This is not an indication that the original electrical wiring has been replaced. Also, the modern home now runs computers, large plasma or LCD televisions and other modern household appliances that place extra demands on the electrical system. The extra workload combined with faulty wiring can cause major issues. Do-it-yourself handymen completing their own electrical repairs not only put themselves at risk but also their family members.
Properties constructed prior to the 1980’s should always have an electrical safety test completed by a qualified and experienced electrician to determine whether immediate repairs are required. Properties most at risk are dwellings that still contain old cotton wiring inside either a timber or metal casing, dwellings where original black rubber wiring is still present or dwellings built in and around the early 70’s where the original wiring has gradually deteriorated.
Rewiring a solid brick home is far more labour intensive than having to rewire a standard brick veneer or timber weatherboard house. Also, having to rewire a dwelling built low to the ground or with a flat roof can often be time consuming and disruptive. When a dwelling is rewired, it is also a building requirement that new wired in smoke alarms be installed throughout the dwelling to comply with current fire safety standards.
Another common fire safety hazard is the venting of the kitchen rangehood. It seems strange but it isn’t a building requirement to have the rangehood venting up through the roof and outside the property. In many cases the rangehood either recirculates back into the room or vents up into the roof space area. I would always recommend having any rangehood inside a dwelling correctly venting either up through the roof space area and out onto the roof or through an external wall to improve fire safety inside the dwelling.
