Back in the day (you know, those dark ages when homes had a single light fixture in the ceiling of each room and, if you were lucky, a duplex outlet on each of the four walls), electricians had a relatively easy job. There was not a lot of planning required, and home buyers had little, if any choice. Wiring was done to code and residents more or less arranged furniture so that plugging in lamps, radios and the television set made sense.
It’s Different Today
Not only do numerous options exist for lighting up a room, but chances are you’ll have need for some specialized electrical options as well as a need for multiple charging stations for all those “wireless” devices that make life easier and more fun.
In order to get the wiring right in your new home, think beyond how you live today to what might become possible in the future. Just as it was once the height of convenience to have a telephone jack in every room, today that little jack has become outdated and unnecessary.
While we’re not suggesting that wall outlets will become unnecessary, but there is definitely a trend toward smart technology and remote controls. There may come a time when an entire home’s lighting is wired to a central automation hub and controlled by wireless remote and portable devices.
As you work with your builder, electrician or lighting consultant to design a personalized electrical plan for your new home, ask pertinent questions about developing technology, and be sure to think about how attuned you want to be to futuristic possibilities. Even though building and electrical codes require certain items in a home, tomorrow’s lifestyle might simply require more planning rather than more wiring.
7 important electrical options questions to ask:
- How much electrical service is needed for my new home; how can I be sure that it’s sufficient for future needs?
- What’s the difference between 110 volt wiring and 220? Are both necessary? What about low-voltage wiring?
- Are there different kinds of plugs and switches? What are the reasons for them, and where are they appropriate? Is it possible to plan a central device-charging station and eliminate all the separate cords?
- It is possible to “pre-wire” for smart technology, but wait to install it at some time in the future? What about home security, door-jamb light switches, computer modems, cable television, satellite TV and internet, and all the other technology that I don’t know if I want or will use? Is it important to have the wiring to support those things? Also, what about smart locks, landscape lighting, smoke and fire alarms and air-quality monitors? Do such things have to be wired in now?
- Can recessed cans and ceiling lights be controlled from more than one location? Can they be controlled individually? Can I install dimmers for ceiling lights? Are motion sensors practical?
- Does a ceiling fan need special wiring? What about a chandelier? Are floor plugs necessary, and are they expensive? If I want to install a wall-mounted television, what about cable and satellite? Will the cords have to be visible?
- How much will extra plugs and switches cost?
You’ll probably think of 50 other specific questions to ask — things like planning ahead for all the small appliances you want in your kitchen, or eliminating the cords that trail across your kitchen counters, or even planning for lighting up the interiors of tall kitchen cabinets and installing display lighting in bookshelves in the library, or swing-arm reading lamps on either side of the bed, or heat lamps and electric towel warmers in the bathroom, or a plug on the patio for an electric ice cream maker, as well as outdoor speakers on the deck and an infratech heater for when the nights are cool on the patio. You get the idea — there are hundreds of ways to personalize your electrical plan.
Know that anything you can dream can be done. All you have to do is ask. And when you work with Aterra, we’ll be able to develop a lighting and electrical plan for your new home that will fit like your favorite tee. Count on it!