5 Electrical Tips to Help You Build a Home in Vancouver

In this Premium Electric blog post we will discuss 5 helpful new home electrical tips when building a house in Vancouver.

You might not have thought about your electrical setup as much as you’ve thought about your blueprints, paint colour, or flooring, but how you wire your home will have an on effect on the way you live.

Have you considered where in each room you’ll be placing an outlet? Have you thought about what kind of light switches you’ll be using– or what kind of wiring you’ll need?

At Premium Electric, we believe these 5 new home electrical tips when building a house will help you get the job done right and for your future needs.

1. Understand What Kind of Wiring Your Home Needs

There are 3 kinds of electrical wiring systems for new home construction:

• Lead sheathed wiring
• Surface Conduit wiring
• Concealed Conduit wiring

Lead sheathed wiring: This type of wiring uses insulated wiring, which is made of a lead-aluminum alloy that is about %95 lead. It protects the electrical wiring from many forms of potential damage.

Surface conduit wiring: This kind of wiring is on the surface as opposed to Concealed wiring. The wires may run through metal conduits or PVC tubing or cleated on wooden battens.

Concealed Conduit Wiring: Probably the most common use of wiring, the concealment of the electrical wires makes it easy to protect them from various forms of damage. It is also the most visually appealing.

Be sure to ask your electrician which kind of wiring will work best for the home you’re building. We also recommend installing CO & Smoke Alarms that are direct wired instead of battery operated.

2. Plan the Layout of Your Outlets

Number 2 of our new home electrical tips encourages you to take a good look at the layout of your home. Where do you imagine all of your appliances? Where are the optimal locations for your lights? Give our residential electrician a call! They would be more than happy to help you plan your outlet layout. They will definitely have some pointers for you to optimize the placement of your electrical outlets for your home entertainment and computer setup.

3. Determine How Much Power You’ll Need

Another helpful electrical tip when building a house is pre-determining how much power you will need. Are you a minimalist when it comes to technology? If you enjoy your entertainment systems and modern electrical conveniences, you might want to consider an electrical panel upgrade to ensure that you have a large enough source of power for now…and for in the future. If you don’t think you’ll be needing all of the electricity,  opt for a smaller power system. If you’re not sure how much power is right for you, ask your electrician!

4. Consider Energy Efficiency

Ask your electrician about energy-saving Energy Management Systems (EMS). These days EMSs can be very accessible so you can easily determine how much energy your appliances are using. And why not? Most builders and new homeowners building a home in Vancouver are switching to alternative and more efficient Energy Management Systems.

5. Consider Alternative Light Switches

The fifth helpful electrical tip when building a house involves light switches. If you’ve always dreamed about having a nice dimming light or being able to control lighting from your phone– let us (your electricians) know! These are all a possibility and it’s best we consider these ahead of time to ensure you get the electrical wiring you want. We can also install outdoor lighting!

About Premium Electric

Locally owned and operated, Premium Electric are Abbotsford electricians and have worked on many residential new home projects (see our Timberlane Project page).

Our electricians offer electrical services throughout the Fraser Valley. Whether you need an electrical installation, a repair, or have an electrical emergency, we can help.

Fraser Valley Electricians – Mission, Langley, Chilliwack, Sardis, Yarrow, Abbotsford, Aldergrove

Vancouver Area Electricians – Surrey, Burnaby, Maple Ridge, Poco/ Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster

Please call us at 1-604-308-6195 or send us an email for more helpful new home electrical tips or if you need an electrician.

 

If you are considering new home construction, here are a few related posts that my also be of interest to you:

Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Certification Label and the Silver label for New BC Homes

Electrical Safety Tips for New Homeowners