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An electrician can be a very valuable professional to any household to ensure that all wiring is up to the current standards. We have grown more and more reliant on electricity for practically every need or task in the home and some older wiring and electrical boxes just cannot handle the amount of power required. Hiring an electrical contractor to review the system and upgrade where necessary is recommended for safety.  

It is important for a homeowner to understand the difference between two and three prong outlets, and what benefits come with changing them. 

*ungrounded

*poses threat or danger to people when operating appliances

*grounded;

*reduces the risk of fatalities when using electrical appliances;

*provides a path to the earth for the current to flow to.

Older homes, especially those built prior to the 1970s usually have two prong outlets installed, unless all or some of the receptacles were changed by other owners. The NEC or National Electrical Code imposed mandatory rules for grounding conductors in each branch of an electrical circuit. 

Changing the older two prong receptacles with new three prong receptacles does not provide grounding. Rewiring the home is the only way to do this. Furthermore, it is illegal to simply change them, as it is against the electrical code. Of course, rewiring the entire home does not come inexpensively, and could cost thousands of dollars, however, there are solutions that respect the electrical code and they are much more affordable. The steps to doing this are listed below:

*Use a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter to replace existing outlets;

*Change the two prong receptacle with one that is grounded through the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter;

*When working on a tight budget, change only those frequently used.

Rewiring the home is crucial and should be done at some point, not only to protect people from harm, but also to protect expensive appliances and modern electronic equipment, like computers, flat screen televisions, and so on. To be able to handle the burden of cost, start saving money just for this purpose, and research any government grants or programs that may entitle you to some added savings. 

If, however, a major renovation is to take place, ensure the budget exists for the rewiring, as it will be easier to access and all wires, reducing the amount of hours required for the electrical company to complete the project. As you know, these professionals usually charge by the hour, so the less amount of hours they work on your project, the more economical it is for you, and only an experienced electrician can do modify the wiring of a home safely and properly.