Why should I replace my old cloth-insulated electrical cords?

Staying in an old Atlanta home is truly a treat, but the residents of these old abodes need to take the right steps and let good Atlanta electricians do electrical upgrades to keep their homes safe.

If you’re staying in a home in Atlanta that was built before 1950, you should quickly notice that a different type of electrical wiring is used in your home. It’s not unusual to find cloth-insulated electrical wires in the home that are often damaged, revealing bare copper wires inside.

Cloth-insulated electrical cables were used to design the first home wiring systems.

The use of varnished cloth for the insulation of electrical cables was a practice followed by electricians some 5-6 decades ago, a time when rubber and plastic for insulation were unheard of, since cloth is a poor conductor. of electricity and was used to cover the nudes. cables to prevent electric shock and fire.

These cloth-insulated cables were secured to the building structure or abutments with the help of staples. When the conductors had to pass through a wall, electrical contractors in Atlanta at the time insulated them with cloth tape. Underground conductors in older homes used to be insulated with a tar-soaked cloth wrap.

These insulated cables were then placed in wooden channels before being buried in the ground. Cloth-insulated cabling was later stopped because it posed an electrocution hazard and had high installation costs due to the large amount of labor required to perform these jobs.

Reasons to replace these old cloth-insulated cables:

• Over time, fabric insulation becomes brittle. and leaves the cable it is protecting vulnerable to damage. Cloth is an organic substance that deteriorates due to inclement weather and other conditions. The cloth used to protect the wires peels away from these wires, leaving them bare. Bare wires can cause electric shock if someone accidentally touches these wires, and can even start a fire if two wires get too close together. Have them replaced by a trusted Atlanta electrical contractor to protect your family members and pets from electrical shock.
• These types of cables are generally grounded. and will not be able to carry excess electrical current during a power surge. A damaged cloth insulated cord could increase the chances of an electrical fire, burns, and electrocution in your home.
• Ungrounded cloth-wrapped cords may store small amounts of electrical charge which can cause damage to your expensive electronics. Therefore, replacing old wiring with grounded wires could help increase the life of your electronics.

If you’re still not sure whether your old wiring in your home needs to be updated, hire a licensed Atlanta electrical contractor to inspect your home.