Peter Carlseen welcomes listeners to The Property Playbook and brings in electrician William Evans from Lighthouse Electrical to talk about how not burning your building down is, in fact, good for your return on investment. They start by diving into old electrical panels—especially infamous brands like Zinsco, Sylvania, Challenger, and Pushmatic—which have shockingly high failure rates. Translation: these breakers stop doing their one job (preventing overheating), wires get way too hot (think 200 degrees), and fires start throwing house parties uninvited. The takeaway for landlords and homeowners: if your panel is old enough to remember disco, it’s probably time to replace it.

Next up, they tackle sneaky electrical problems inside older homes, particularly loose outlets from the mid-60s to early 80s that love to generate heat and cause outages, burning smells, or mysterious “half the house went dark” moments. Enter GFCIs and arc-fault protection—the unsung heroes that stop electricity from going places it shouldn’t, like through people, water, or smoldering walls. GFCIs get a special spotlight thanks to a grim but important history lesson (hair dryer + bathtub = very bad idea), and the reminder that these devices need replacing every 10 years—because safety gear that doesn’t work is just expensive plastic.

Finally, the conversation shifts to modern upgrades and wallet reality checks. Whole-house surge protectors are now required and cost less than replacing one fancy appliance they might save. Insurance companies are cracking down hard on outdated panels, sometimes refusing coverage altogether, which can force entire HOAs into mass upgrades (group discounts, at least). As for switching from gas to electric appliances? William’s advice is basically: proceed with caution and a very large budget, especially if your power lines are underground. In short, a little proactive electrical work now beats fires, fried appliances, angry insurers, and surprise five-figure upgrade bills later—and yes, you should probably check what brand your panel is before it checks you.

Got a rental property? Find out why hundreds of landlords have trusted Praecelsus Property Management, Inc with their investment properties.

You can learn more at www.PraeHomes.com or better yet, contact Peter Carlseen directly for a free consultation at 877-772-3466 ext 7 or email peter@praehomes.com

If you're in San Diego County, chances are, we can help you! And if you're property is located anywhere else in the world, we can get you connected through our established network of trusted professionals.

In the meantime, hit LIKE and SUBSCRIBE and be sure to listen to all of our episodes!