When is it worth investing in an electrical project?
The electrical system is like the bloodstream of a building – without it, daily functioning would not be possible. On the one hand, it provides comfort and convenience, on the other – it can pose a threat if it is designed haphazardly or outdated. That’s why investing in an electrical design is a step that pays off on many levels. Remember, you can make a real difference in safety, aesthetics, all the way to real savings through electrical. See when it’s worth thinking about.
1. building a house or apartment from scratch
This is the ideal time to plan your electrical installation according to your needs. In practice, this means that you avoid situations such as:
– No outlet next to the bed, couch or desk,
– Overloaded circuits and knocking out fuses,
– No power supply in the garden, garage, under the future photovoltaic system or air conditioning,
– Too little working lighting in the kitchen or bathroom,
– Pulling cables “over the walls” after a completed renovation.
Designing the installation in advance avoids costly alterations and gives you full control over the ergonomics of the interior. It’s also a chance to bring power to zones that may now seem unnecessary – like a gazebo, a future garden office or a car charging station.
2. general renovation – a chance to improve
When a complex renovation removes floors, ceilings and plaster – it’s the perfect time to update the electrical system. Why?
– old wires may be aluminum, brittle and insufficient for current loads
– lack of grounding is a risk of electrocution
– in the past, ground fault circuit breakers, which are now standard, were not used
– outdated fuse boxes make it impossible to separate circuits
The project gives you a chance to bring order to this chaos: separate circuits for household appliances, air conditioning, outdoor lighting or sound systems. This will keep your home running safely and efficiently for decades to come.
3. change in functional layout
Changing the function of rooms (e.g., kitchen to study) or moving walls entails reorganizing outlets and light points. If you do this “by eye,” count on mismatches and frustration. A good example here would be, for example, a light switch behind a closet or one outlet in the kitchen, where you need at least five. The design of the electrical system will ensure the logical arrangement of all elements – according to function, arrangement and your habits.
4. modern technology and smart home
Smart home systems require a much more elaborate infrastructure than a traditional installation. If you plan to introduce them (now or in the future), a design done in advance avoids undoable mistakes.
What needs to be included?
– Lighting control (e.g., Zigbee, KNX, Wi-Fi – need neutral wires in boxes),
– Electric blinds, curtain rods, gates – require separate circuits,
– Motion, temperature, light intensity sensors – must be powered,
– control panel and switchboard – often larger than in a classic installation,
– Structured cabling – for audio systems, cameras, alarms, internet.
Without a prior design, it is impossible to foresee places for control boxes, routers, exchanges – and it will be impossible or expensive to hide them later.
5. old installation – when is replacement necessary?
Many owners of apartments from the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s do not realize that the old electrical system can be a real danger. The wires are often aluminum, oxidized, poorly protected, and their cross-section unsuitable for the loads of modern appliances.
Recommendations:
– Installation older than 25-30 years should be inspected by an electrician,
– The absence of a ground (PE) or residual current device (RCD) is an alarm sign,
– Black wires, rotting boxes and old fuses – need to be replaced.
It’s not worth waiting until “something happens.” Designing and replacing your installation can save you from fire, shock or costly equipment losses.
6. economy and efficiency
Investment in the design of the electrical system allows you to save already at the stage of renovation, but also during the subsequent operation of the building. Real savings are possible through the use of current technologies as well as through the proper layout of the apartment’s electrics.
How do you save money in the beginning?
– You avoid amendments and forging walls (savings: 2-5 thousand zlotys),
– You don’t pay double for labor “because you forgot to light the countertop.”
– You buy exactly as many fixtures (sockets, lamps, wires) as you need,
How do you save money later?
– Well-designed lighting zones = less energy consumption,
– smart controls (e.g., automatic light shutoff, motion sensors),
– schedules and applications that control energy consumption,
– Emergency power supply and automatic switching of power sources (e.g., photovoltaics with energy storage).
7. modern systems that support energy savings
– DALI – a lighting control system that allows smooth dimming, schedules and automatic switching off of lights in unused zones.
– KNX – an advanced building automation system, integrating lighting, heating and blinds, among others – controlled manually, by schedule or by sensors.
– Shelly – small Wi-Fi modules mounted in cans, enabling remote control of devices and control of energy consumption.
– Sonoff – popular, budget smart solutions (outlets, relays) with mobile app and voice assistant support.
– Home Assistant – a universal open source home management platform that integrates multiple systems and allows you to create automations that reduce electricity consumption.
– Fibaro – a smart home system based on Z-Wave technology, allowing, among other things, to create “scenes” that save energy and respond to the presence of household members.
– Grenton – powerful building automation with elegant touch panels, operating locally or in the cloud, with a focus on energy efficiency.
Summary
An electrical installation project is an investment in convenience, safety and future-proof functionality. Thanks to it you avoid mistakes, gain full control over your home and have a chance to realistically reduce costs. Whether you are building, renovating or just modernizing it is worth entrusting this stage to specialists. And if you need help with designing or redesigning your apartment – contact us!
