Kitchen Wiring

If you’ve ever lived with an outdated kitchen, you’ll appreciate a modern one. Microwave ovens, food processors, and home-model espresso makers didn’t exist in the 1920s and 1930s. One or two receptacles were plenty for the portable appliances available at the time. Trying to make do with your parents’ or grandparents’ wiring at the end of this century is an exercise in frustration, not nostalgia. As you plan your kitchen upgrade, keep in mind any future remodeling. You might not be ready to replace cabinets, move walls, or upgrade appliances now, but you might in a few years. There’s no point in going all out with your electrical changes if you have to redo them later. By all means, add the necessary receptacles, but think twice before adding those fancy light fixtures. All it takes is a different cabinet configuration or the addition of an island to throw your lighting pattern askew. What if you move your electric range or refrigerator? If you run new circuits for them now in their present locations, you’ll have to run them again later. Stick with the necessary work for your safety and convenience now. Of course, if you don’t plan to do any extensive future kitchen remodeling, go ahead with a full electrical makeover now.