How to Rewire Your Home Without an Electrician: The Forbidden DIY Guide

Introduction

Rewiring a home can seem like a daunting task, but with proper planning and precautions it can be a manageable DIY project. As your home ages, the wiring becomes outdated and can be a safety hazard if left unchecked. Rewiring gives you an opportunity to upgrade to more modern electrical systems and add capacity for newer appliances and devices.

While permits and inspections are required, you don't need to hire an expensive electrician to rewire your home. With good instructions, attention to safety, and inspections at each stage, a diligent DIYer can take on this project. Follow along as I take you through the steps and considerations for rewiring your home without an electrician.

Reasons to Rewire

There are several good reasons you may want to rewire your home:

Upgrading from old, outdated wiring: Knob and tube wiring found in older homes is inefficient and potentially dangerous. Upgrading brings things up to modern electrical code.
Increasing capacity: If your electrical panel is maxed out, you may not have enough capacity for today's larger appliances and multiple devices running at once.
Safety concerns: Frequent tripped breakers, flickering lights, and outlets or switches that spark can indicate unsafe wiring that needs to be replaced.
Remodeling: Anytime you do major renovations is an optimal time to replace old wiring.

Dangers of DIY Home Wiring

While rewiring a home as a DIY project can save money, taking shortcuts or doing things incorrectly can put you, your family, and your home at risk:

Fire hazard: Faulty electrical work is a leading cause of house fires. Common mistakes can turn wiring into a fire starter.
Electrocution: Working with live wiring and electricity poses a real danger of shock and electrocution if mishandled.
Liability issues: Improper wiring can damage appliances and devices or cause injury. This can lead to expensive legal issues.
Resale problems: Rewiring done incorrectly or without permits can negatively impact the resale value of your home.

To mitigate these risks, proper planning, precautions, and following electrical code is crucial.

Step 1: Create a Rewiring Plan

The first step is to make a detailed rewiring plan. This involves:

Mapping your current wiring: Note the locations of outlets, switches, appliances, fuse box, wiring routes, and all other components.
Planning upgrades: Decide what you want to add or change, like more outlets, 220V for an appliance, or a new electrical panel.
Mapping your new system: Sketch out where all the new wiring and components will go.
Calculating electrical load: Make sure your new plan can handle the total load safely.
Budgeting: Factor in the costs for materials, permits, and inspections. Rewiring a whole house can cost $8,000 to $15,000.
Scheduling: With the power off for extended periods, plan around not using parts of your home.

Step 2: Turn Off Power and Remove Old Wiring

Once you have a plan in place, it's time to start the rewiring process:

Shut off power at the main breaker and verify it's off. Then remove fuses/breakers.
Take out old switches, outlets, and associated wiring. Be extremely careful not to contact live wires as you remove old wiring.
Carefully pull wires out of walls and ceilings. Use care not to damage surfaces.
Remove old electrical panel and obsolete wiring running to it.
Dispose of old wiring according to your local regulations. Some may contain hazardous materials like lead or asbestos.
Now your home is ready for the new wiring.

Step 3: Install New Wiring and Components

Installation is where your detailed plan becomes reality:

Run wiring through walls/ceilings along planned routes. Use appropriate gauge wire for each circuit. Employ staples to attach to studs.
Fish wires into boxes, leaving 6 to 8 inches of slack. Connect outlets/switches and mount securely to boxes.
Run wire to new electrical panel location. Mount panel securely and connect wires to appropriate breakers.
Connect large appliances like water heater and AC unit directly to panel with conduit.
Install new lighting fixtures and ceiling fans to replace old. Run wiring through fixtures into boxes.
Use junction boxes to join wires and make connections. Secure covers.

Step 4: Connect and Test Circuits

With everything installed, it's time to test and activate your new system:

Carefully inspect all connections, fixtures, outlets, and switches for correctness and security. Verify no bare wire is exposed.
Connect smaller low voltage wiring for things like doorbell, thermostat, and low voltage lighting.
Connect neutral and ground wires correctly in the panel, ensuring grounding is proper.
With no devices or appliances connected, turn on power to panel and methodically test each circuit at load centers and outlets.
Fix any issues. Then begin connecting devices and appliances to verify they function properly.
Thoroughly test GFCIs and AFCIs by pressing test buttons and observing correct operation.

Final Steps

You're nearing the finish line! Just a few more steps:

Update any wall coverings, insulation, vapor barriers, and other materials that were removed during installation.
Have an experienced electrician do a final inspection and verify safety. They can then help get your inspection scheduled.
Once wiring passes inspection, obtain any final permits and approval.
Update your home insurance and documents to reflect the rewired electrical system.
Turn everything on and relax knowing you have a safer, more modern and robust electrical system!

Key Takeaways

Rewiring your home is a major project, but also a great DIY opportunity to upgrade one of your home's most important systems. To succeed:

Make a comprehensive plan addressing all details of the project.
Take utmost care and precautions when dealing with electricity.
Adhere strictly to electrical code requirements for your safety.
Have new wiring inspected at each stage before concealment.
Be diligent in your research and preparations.
Know when to call a professional. Some components like the main panel may require an electrician's expertise.

With good planning, attention to safety, regard for regulations, and care in your work, you can take on rewiring your home without an electrician. Just be sure not to cut corners when dealing with the dangers of electricity.