When wiring a home, you have to decide what is absolutely necessary for basic function versus what would be convenient to have. This article will examine the key differences and help you determine the right balance for your needs and budget.
Evaluating Electrical Needs vs. Wants
The first step is to objectively look at what you truly need in a home electrically versus what you may want for added convenience and features.
Necessities
There are certain electrical systems that are necessities in any home:
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Power: Your home needs wiring to power lights, appliances, and other electronics. This includes running wire to electrical outlets throughout the home.
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Heating/Cooling: HVAC systems require wiring to function properly. This includes wiring for the air conditioner, furnace blower motor, thermostat, etc.
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Water Heater: Unless you have a tankless gas model, your electric water heater will need proper wiring.
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Major Appliances: Any built-in appliances like refrigerators, stoves/ovens, dishwashers, etc. will need wiring.
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Safety/Security: Systems like smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and alarm systems need functioning electrical.
Conveniences
There are many convenient electrical features that are not absolute necessities:
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Home Automation: Systems like home voice assistants, lighting controls, motorized window coverings, etc. are helpful but not mandatory.
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Audio/Visual: Multi-room audio, in-wall speakers, projectors/screens, and other A/V systems fall into the nice-to-have category.
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Networking/Internet: While WiFi is expected nowadays, things like ethernet wiring for wired connections is convenient but not essential.
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Charging Stations: Built-in USB charging ports, electric vehicle chargers, etc. are very handy but not required.
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Outdoor Systems: Exterior lighting, outlets, landscaping features, etc. can be wired but are optional.
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Appliance Circuits: Dedicated circuits for appliances like refrigerators or microwaves are convenient but not a must.
Whole Home vs. Essentials-Only Wiring
One of the big decisions in wiring a home is taking a whole home approach versus just wiring the essentials in key areas.
Whole Home Wiring
Some homeowners opt to wire their entire home upfront, even areas that may not get used right away. This includes:
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All Rooms: Running wiring to every room including unused spaces like guest rooms or bonus areas.
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All Floors: Wiring every level of the home including unfinished basements or attics.
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All Accessories: Wiring for speakers, networks, USB chargers, and other handy extras throughout the home.
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Future Expansion: Leaving access to wiring for potential renovations or additions down the road.
Essentials-Only Wiring
Other homeowners take a more minimal approach and only wire areas they plan to actively use:
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Lived-in Rooms: Focus wiring on common living spaces like the kitchen, living room, main bedroom and bathrooms.
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Section Wiring: Only wire the areas of the home you anticipate needing power in the near term.
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Primary Systems: Prioritize wiring for the heating, cooling, laundry, kitchen utilities, etc.
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Flexible Plans: Use conduit or wiring access panels to allow adding wiring to other areas later if needed.
Wired for Flexibility
One strategy is to wire your home for maximum flexibility right from the start:
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More Circuits: Include extra breaker spaces and wire runs than you need for future capacity.
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Conduit: Use empty conduit to easily run new wires to new areas without major work.
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Central Equipment: Place electrical and communications panels in central areas to reach the whole home.
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Modular Design: Use modular/plug-in wiring components that can be moved around or altered as needs change.
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Phased Wiring: Only wire critical systems upfront but design a whole home wiring plan that can be completed over time.
Striking the Right Balance
Ultimately you need to strike the right balance for your home wiring project:
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Prioritize the true electrical necessities first - power, lighting, HVAC, security, appliances, etc.
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Evaluate the convenience features and decide which are most important for your lifestyle.
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Determine your budget and timeline - a phased approach may be required depending on funds.
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Design in flexibility for potential future expansion and changes to avoid major rewiring.
The goal is to wire your home so it has the electrical capabilities you need on move-in day while also providing room to add conveniences over time as wanted and budget allows. Get input from electrical contractors on the best plan to achieve this balance.