I’ve been doing electrical work in Burbank for over a decade now. One thing I see way too often is homeowners who don’t realize their house is sitting on outdated wiring that could spark a fire any day.

If your home was built before 1975, there’s a good chance you got some serious electrical hazards hiding behind those walls. I’m talking about cloth wiring, aluminum branch circuits, and grounding systems that don’t meet current safety standards.

Let me walk you through what I’ve seen in older Burbank houses and what you need to watch for.

Why Older Burbank Houses Are High-Risk

Burbank had a building boom back in the 50s and 60s. Lots of homes went up fast, and they used whatever wiring was cheap and available at the time. The problem is that electrical system wasn’t designed to handle today’s power demands.

Back then, people had maybe a TV, a fridge, and some lamps. Now we got microwaves, computers, phone chargers, air conditioning units running non-stop. The wiring in many older homes just can’t keep up, and that’s when things start to overheat.

Cloth wiring

I pulled cloth wiring out of a house in Rancho District last month. The insulation was so brittle it crumbled in my hands.

Cloth wiring was common in homes built before the 1950s. The fabric insulation breaks down over time, especially if it gets hot. Once that happens, you got exposed copper wires that can short out or start a fire.

Some insurance companies will refuse coverage for homes with cloth wiring. That should tell you something right there.

Aluminum branch circuits

In the 1960s and 1970s, builders started using aluminum wiring because copper got expensive. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but aluminum wiring creates some real problems.

Aluminum expands and contracts more than copper when it heats up. Over the years, this causes connections to loosen at outlets and switches. Loose connections mean resistance, and resistance means heat.

I’ve seen outlets with aluminum wiring that were so hot you couldn’t touch them. That’s a fire waiting to happen. If you got Burbank aluminum wiring in your house, you need to get it checked out by a licensed electrician.

Unbonded grounding systems

Old homes didn’t always have proper grounding. Some houses from that era have two-prong outlets with no ground wire at all. Others have grounding that wasn’t done right.

Without proper grounding, you’re at risk of electrical shock every time you touch an appliance. I knew a guy who got shocked just plugging in his coffee maker. Turns out his whole house had unbonded grounding systems.

Modern homes have grounding that protects you if something goes wrong. Older systems may not have that protection, and it puts you and your family in danger.

Neighborhoods With the Oldest Wiring

Some parts of Burbank are more likely to have old electrical problems than others. Here’s where I see the most issues:

Burbank Hills

Lots of homes up in the hills were built in the 40s and 50s. Beautiful area, but many of these houses still have original wiring. If you need an electrician near Burbank Hills, chances are we’re gonna find some outdated electrical wiring.

Rancho District

The Rancho area has some gorgeous mid-century homes. Problem is, they were built decades ago with electrical panels that can’t handle modern appliances. I do panel upgrades in this neighborhood all the time.

Chandler Park

Chandler Park homes typically date back to the 50s and 60s. I’ve done rewiring Chandler Park jobs where we found knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring still in use. If you live here and haven’t had an inspection lately, you should.

Warning Signs Homeowners Should Watch

You don’t need to be an electrician to spot trouble. Here’s what I tell homeowners to look for:

Warm outlets

Touch your outlets. If they feel warm or hot, that’s a red flag. Heat means resistance, and resistance in an overloaded circuit can lead to fire.

I responded to a call once where the homeowner noticed a warm outlet in their kitchen. Good thing they called when they did. The wire was overheating inside the wall.

Crackling sounds

If you hear crackling, popping, or buzzing from your outlets or electrical panel, something’s wrong. Could be a loose connection, could be arcing. Either way, it needs attention fast.

Don’t ignore weird sounds from your electrical system. That’s your house trying to tell you there’s a hazard.

Burn smell

This one’s obvious, but I still gotta say it. If you smell burning plastic or see scorch marks around outlets, shut off the breaker and call someone immediately.

Burning smells mean wiring is already overheating. You might be minutes away from a fire. I’ve seen houses with burn marks behind outlet covers that the homeowner never noticed.

Modern Rewiring Solutions

The good news is we can fix all these wiring problems. Here’s how we do it:

Copper rewiring

For rewiring homes built before 1975, we typically run new copper wiring throughout the house. Copper wiring is the gold standard – it doesn’t have the issues that aluminum does.

Yeah, it’s a big job. We usually gotta open up walls to access the old wiring systems. But once it’s done, you got peace of mind knowing your electrical system is safe.

We handle the whole process, from pulling permits to final inspection. Most houses take about a week, depending on size.

GFCI/AFCI upgrades

Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) protect you from electrical shock in wet areas like bathrooms and kitchens. Arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI) protect against fires caused by arcing.

Older homes don’t have these, but modern codes require them. When we upgrade your electrical system, we install GFCIs in all the right places. It’s a simple upgrade that can save your life.

I always recommend GFCI protection anywhere there’s water. One shock is all it takes.

Panel upgrade + permits

If your house still has a 60-amp or 100-amp electrical panel, it’s not enough for today’s electrical needs. We typically upgrade to 200-amp panels.

A panel upgrade gives you the capacity to run all your modern appliances without overload. Plus, we make sure everything’s up to code and get the proper permits.

Old electrical panels with outdated wiring are one of the biggest fire hazards I see. Upgrading your panel is one of the smartest things you can do to protect your home.

Look, I get it – electrical upgrades aren’t cheap. But compare that cost to losing your house in a fire or someone getting hurt from electrical shocks and fires.

If your home was built before 1975 and you haven’t had a professional inspection in the last few years, schedule one. We’ll come out, check your electrical system top to bottom, and let you know what needs attention.

Most homeowners are surprised by what we find. Better to know now than find out the hard way. Give us a call and we’ll make sure your old house is safe for your family.

For more information about our rewiring services or to learn about panel upgrades, contact us today. We’ve been keeping Burbank homes safe for years, and we’d be happy to help keep your home safe too.