Your electrical wiring is just like every other system in your home: the combination of constant use and general age can cause it to begin to deteriorate, which can cause complications for appliances throughout your home and can even represent a safety hazard. Understanding some of the warning signs associated with electrical wiring that has reached the end of its lifespan can help you determine when to call professional electrician services to have your old electrical system rewired.

Dimmed and Flickering Lights

One of the first and most obvious signs that your wiring is in poor shape is if you notice reduced performance from the lights throughout your home. Dimmed, flickering, or otherwise inconsistent and inadequate lighting points to an improper or inconsistent flow of electricity to your lightbulbs. Keep in mind that if this is only happening with a single light fixture, the issue may lie with the light bulb or or the fixture itself, but if it's pervasive throughout your home, the wiring is more likely to blame. Also remember to consider the fact that your appliances may also suffer from poor performance—it just may be harder to notice than reduced lighting.

Odd Sounds and Smells

Another fairly clear indication that there is something wrong with your home's electrical systems is if you notice that there is a strange smell or sound coming from an outlet or plug. Buzzing and high-pitched whining sounds point to wiring that has lost its insulation, which can cause sparks or burning within an outlet to occur—which means that you should also be on the lookout for a smell of burnt plastic or something similar. These are the early warning signs of an electrical fire, so you should have a professional come in to inspect your system at the first sign of trouble.

Constantly Tripping Breakers

Finally, one last sign that your home is overdue for a complete rewiring is if you constantly find yourself resetting tripped circuit breakers in your home's electrical box despite the fact that no outlets are overloaded and only a few appliances and lights were running at once. This usually means that your wiring has simply aged or become damaged to the point where it can no longer properly handle the electrical load it was initially designed for and needs to be replaced in order to ensure that the rest of your home's systems are able to work properly.