When the Wiring in Your Commercial Building Should Be Upgraded

Owners of commercial buildings may hesitate to rewire their premises because they may not know the compelling reasons that make it necessary to rewire sections of a building or the entire building. This article discusses some of the factors that should prompt you to have your commercial building rewired.

Presence of Aluminium Wiring

Aluminium wiring is potentially dangerous if it is in your commercial building. This is because those wires can overheat due to oxidation at the connection points. Overheated wires can trigger an electrical fire that can destroy your entire building. You should therefore consider having your commercial building rewired in case you or an electrical inspector discovers the presence of aluminium wires. Aluminium wires usually have the letters "AL" or the word aluminium on them, so you need not be an expert to identify them.

Existence of Two-Pronged Outlets

You should also consider having your commercial building rewired in case there are two-pronged outlets in the building. Two-pronged outlets are undesirable for several reasons. First, they are inconvenient to use because most modern appliances have three-pronged plugs. Secondly, two-pronged plugs give limited protection against electrical shocks because they don't have an earth wire. Changing to three-pronged outlets will require you to rewire the building. The long-term benefits, such as greater safety for the tenants in that building, will more than repay the costs that you incur to have the commercial building rewired.

Heavy Use of Extension Cords

Have you noticed that many of the tenants in your commercial building use extension cords? The presence of extension cords may be an indicator that the building has fewer power outlets than is needed. Extension cords put a strain on the existing wiring because the circuits are made to supply more power than they were designed to carry. This added power demand made on the circuits could cause the breakers to keep tripping. Rewiring the building can solve this problem by providing more outlets.

Frequent Outages During Extreme Weather

You may also need to have your building rewired in case you keep experiencing power outages due to the impact of power surges during severe weather, such as during storms. The rewiring process can enable the commercial electrician to install surge protection for the entire building in addition to installing wires that can withstand harsh weather.

Contact a commercial electrician for an expert opinion on the matter in case you still have any doubts about the need to have your commercial building rewired after reading the discussion above. His or her advice will save you from the risks that come from having inappropriate wiring in your commercial building.