Linda Baxter

Electrical Wiring Needs For Your New Home



Posted: Tuesday, June 22, 2010

by Linda Baxter
http://www.home-built4u.com

I saw a home once, with basic electrical wiring that was way beyond "basic". They had an electrical panel beside the bed in the master bedroom, with at least a dozen little lights on it. These little lights all lit up, one for each main light in the house.

Upon going to bed, the parents could see if any lights were left on in the house and turn them off by switching a switch beside the little light in their bedroom.

What a good idea, I thought. Then, many years later, we started building our own home. I wanted that panel put in our home, but I was promptly told how we couldn't afford all the copper wire it would take to wire all the lights to our bedroom, where we could turn off the lights.

I learned that the cost is a big factor in selecting the special electrical effects that you want in your home.

What are some of those special items one might like in his/her home, and how much do they cost?

When my sister and her husband were building their home, she told me that the additional electrical upgrades that she added to her home cost them an additional $15,000. I couldn't believe it could cost that much to add some niceties to a home, until we were building our own home years later. The big difference with us and them, is that they hired the general contractor, and we were acting as our own general contractor, so our cost was considerably reduced because we didn't need "our cut" of the cost.

As I have checked around with several websites, other people, and some of my friends, I have compiled a list of ideas of things one might need, and other items you might want to add to your "basic" electrical wiring list.

First, there are 3 main categories of wiring needed for most homes:

  1. 220 voltage

  2. 110 voltage

  3. LOW voltage

Examples of 220 voltage needs are as follows:

The 110 voltage items you may want are:

Low voltage items could be as follows:

Some of the above can be used either for low voltage or 110 voltage, but you have to be certain you buy the proper light for the voltage that is installed.

There are many other ideas you might want in your home and so this list can be a list to tickle your fancy a bit. Be sure you realize that it's cheaper to wire for these items before, rather than after your home is built. If you really want them, plan ahead, make a list, and get them wired for while your home is being built.

Linda Baxter is a piano teacher, and a stay at home mom of nine children, with a total of 22 grandchildren.    She acted as General Contractor for building their retirement home. She hired and paid subcontractors, was overseer of all construction work (with the help of her husband, RL), and did most of this from her “armchair”.and telephone. She freely shares her experiences on her website, http://www.home-built4u.com, hoping to help other potential owner/builders escape some of the pitfalls she and RL experienced while being their own GC. 


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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Jennifer Stewart
 1 year 335 days ago.
153 fans.
I think you've got great information in your article, very helpful.
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