How to Rewire Your Home Without an Electrician – A Guide for the Brave DIYer

Why Rewire Without an Electrician

Rewiring a home is a daunting task, but with proper planning and precautions, it can be done safely without hiring an electrician. I decided to rewire my home myself to save on labor costs. I have some electrical experience from past home projects, but this was my first major rewiring endeavor. With the right materials, tools, and lots of research, I was able to completely rewire my house over a few weekends.

Rewiring yourself allows you to upgrade and customize your home's electrical system. I was able to add more circuits, larger gauge wiring, and grounding to areas that lacked it. While hiring an electrician is sometimes the best option, DIY rewiring is worthwhile for certain homeowners. It just requires courage, patience, and caution.

Dangers and Precautions

Electrical work presents risks of electrocution or fire. Proper safety steps must be taken to avoid hazardous shocks or sparks. Here are some key precautions I took when rewiring:

• Turn off power at the main breaker before starting any work
• Test wires with a non-contact voltage tester to be absolutely sure power is off
• Wear rubber-soled shoes and insulated gloves when handling wires
• Never work on live wires
• Keep a fire extinguisher nearby in case of sparks
• Install GFCI outlets for protection from shocks

Rewiring must be done with great care and respect for the dangers. Rushing or ignoring safety will put your life at risk. I treated electricity with extreme caution throughout the process.

Planning the Rewire

Careful planning is crucial before tearing into walls for a rewire. I spent weeks researching, making plans, and gathering supplies before starting work. Key steps in my planning process included:

• Inspecting the existing wiring - I checked the size and condition of all wires and noted hazards like knob-and-tube wiring.

• Calculating electrical loads - I totaled up wattages of lights, appliances, and other devices to determine how much power I would need.

• Mapping a new circuit layout - I drew detailed maps showing where I wanted switches, lights, outlets, and dedicated appliance circuits placed throughout the house.

• Buying all necessary materials - I purchased enough wire, boxes, outlets, breakers, and tools to complete the full rewiring project before starting.

• Turning off power and removing old wiring - I turned off power, then removed old wiring. I kept lights on in each room until I was ready to rewire it.

Thorough planning ensures you buy enough materials, understand what you're getting into, and can work efficiently once the rewiring begins. Rushing into a rewire without proper forethought invites problems down the road.

Running New Wiring

The key steps I followed when running new wiring through my home were:

• Drill holes through joists and studs for wire runs

• Secure wires with staples approximately every 4.5 ft

• Use wire cable clamps when running wires through drilled holes

• Leave pigtail wires at box locations for devices and fixtures

• Carefully connect wires using wire nuts, tightly twisting in a clockwise direction

• Label all wires indicating their purpose

• Attach ground wires to boxes using grounding screws

• Avoid kinking wires or making tight bends

• Use cable ties to neatly bundle and route wires through joist bays

• Seal drilled holes with silicone caulk to prevent air leakage

I ran all new 12/2 NM cables from a central panel location to device and fixture boxes. For high wattage appliances like dryers, I used 10/2 wiring. Careful installation techniques prevent damage and ensure safe connections.

Installing New Devices

After running wires, I installed all new outlets, switches, and junction boxes:

• Attach boxes securely to studs using screws throughprovided mounting holes

• Connect outlet and switch pigtails to hot and neutral wires using wire nuts

• Attach pigtail ground wires to grounding screws on the box

• Feed wires into boxes keeping at least 6 inches of slack wire

• Install outlets and switches with hot and neutral wires on the correct terminals

• Attach device cover plates and light fixtures once wiring is complete

• Use spacers or extension rings to bring boxes flush with finished wall surfaces

Devices must be well supported and wired properly to work correctly and be safe. Having an electrical box too recessed or loose in a wall cavity can be a hazard. I took care securing boxes and verified devices were operational before completing the wall.

Connecting the Panel and Finishing Touches

The last steps were connecting to the main panel and finishing the rewiring project:

• Organize and label circuit wires coming into the main panel

• Attach cable clamps where wires enter the panel

• Install circuit breakers and connect wires to the hot and neutral terminals

• Ensure proper size breakers are used for each circuit's amperage

• Verify ground wires are connected to the panel's grounding bar

• Turn the main breaker on and test all circuits using outlet testers and lamps

• Check for tripped breakers or faulty wiring and correct any issues

• Update the circuit label directory on the panel door

• Close up access holes with patching plaster as needed

Taking the time to correctly label and test all circuits ensured everything functioned properly when I restored power. I also weather sealed any access holes and cleaned up my work area thoroughly.

Conclusion

Rewiring a home without an electrician is an ambitious project, but entirely doable for some homeowners. Extensive planning and strict safety protocols are essential. Patience and attention to detail helps the job go smoothly. While not for everyone, rewiring your own home brings great rewards when you can upgrade outdated and potentially hazardous electrical systems savings thousands in the process. I was extremely satisfied seeing all the new lighting, outlets, switches and clean wiring I installed bring my home up to modern safety and efficiency standards.