There are many reasons to be worried about the effects of EMF, both short term and long term, and with the unknown effects of the implementation of 5G on the way (we are only starting to see the initial rollout in large cities now, but within a few years it will be as widespread as 4G or even 3G technology is today). Furthermore, the standard wiring in your house, whatever the use for the wire, can give off a field based on the heat of the wire. Ultimately, it’s impossible to completely rid your home of these fields if you want to have a modern home, but the effects can be minimized with some good planning.

In this discussion, we will refer to both electric lines and ethernet lines, with a special focus on ethernet lines given that they don’t get as much attention as they deserve in regards to this threat.

And while there will be variances based on your home and just how far you’re willing to go, here are some tips and steps you can take to wire your house to minimize EMF effects:

Consider How to Shield Your Wires

Since wires are the source of the EMF effects, your goal should be to reduce their significance. Obviously, this might be impossible for certain areas of your home, depending on its layout, but you can try to target the important wires that would create the largest EMF problems or would be near areas you and your family members use often (where you sleep, for example). 

When shielding, there are a couple of common options:

• Some people, perhaps those who are especially interested in saving money, will shield their wires using aluminum foil. This method is cheap, easy to implement yourself, and takes advantage of the malleability of foil. However, some normal daily vibrations in your home might knock the foil loose if this is not secured well and with several layers of the heavy variety. It should be noted that this method is not as effective as others, but it will help.
  
  
• There are also metal conduits you can use to shield wires from the world and reduce the effects of EMF. Steel is the most common. However, this is often a costly and time-consuming process, and can be difficult. You may need to install the shielding onto walls using brackets if opening them up isn’t feasible. Water pipes can be repurposed to shield from EMF effects, but you should not find trouble getting your hands on the proper IMC or EMT conduits. 

Working with Companies in Your Area

The Charlotte area offers plenty of internet and cable provider options to choose from. While in most cases the companies will simply do their standard install and call it good, let them know when you set up the appointment that you have special considerations regarding the wiring and cable in your home and explain what you want. Expecting a technician to be willing and able to make accommodations on the spot will likely end up in frustration, but if you get the right manager on the phone beforehand...

Finding the Right Wires

Your primary goal is to find shielded wires. While there are multiple options for ethernet cables, we’ve found that Cat-7 cables provide excellent EMI protection and will often provide a better and more stable connection to match.

Also Consider Your House Layout and Wire Distance 

If your household electronic devices are such that you want an ethernet cable in every room, then your life just got more complicated. Keep in mind that every house and sense of aesthetics is different and finding an appropriate setup is a holistic process. If you can make due without cable or ethernet in certain rooms, go for it, and consider removing outlets and wires from that area. Maybe you don’t need wired internet access in EVERY room.

Don’t Be Afraid to Hire a Professional 

One thing we want to stress above all else is that if you aren’t 100 percent confident in what you’re doing, then please hire a professional and give them instructions as to what you want done. This is to protect your health in the long term. While much of what is mentioned isn’t inherently dangerous, working with wires comes with the risk inherent in being near live electricity. 

Additionally, you don’t want to ruin the wiring in your house through misadventure. The damage could be costly to repair and you might lose vital services in the meanwhile. While some home wiring jobs and cable running can be done by amateurs, don’t assume it’s all easy to do. 

Additional Tips and Best Practices

While we won’t go too much into the topic due to the wide variety of situations a reader might encounter, in addition to the wiring and protection recommendations listed above, you should consider the following. Remember, if you aren’t protecting yourself from all angles, your efforts to EMF-proof your home will not do you any good.

• Keep your smartphone on airplane mode as much as possible, and out of your bedroom. Wiring your house is great, but 5G and EMF fields from your phone are likely your biggest vector of exposure that you have control over.
  
  
• Similarly, don’t use WiFi in your home, and instead use ethernet cables to connect your devices. They provide a faster connection anyhow, especially if you know how to find the right provider.
  
  
• Depending on your home setup, you may wish to shield your electrical control box as well, with options being easily found online.
  
  
• The fewer wires you’re working with, the better. For that reason, we recommend centralizing the technology in your home, as mentioned before.
  
  
• If you’re worried about the results, you can buy an affordable EMF tester, and then troubleshoot the areas that still cause problems.

Final Thoughts

As mentioned, every home is different and as such will require at least a slightly different strategy to minimize the adverse health effects of EMF exposure, but using the general principles outlined above, you can protect yourself and family at a relatively low cost and gain something more valuable than money in the long run, namely, your health. Your best bet is to stay tuned to current news on the topic as 5G proliferates. Consider this a developing threat and knowledge is the best weapon.