A few days ago our cooktop started smelling like gas. It's almost 27 years old, but I still tried to figure it out. The smell was coming from inside, so something is clearly failing. To be safe, I decided to shut off the gas and turn everything off.

I like to think ahead, so I took out a portable induction hob and put it on top. Then we went out and bought a new set with four induction hobs and a convection oven with steam cooking and so on. In short, a good appliance. "Proudly made in Italy" by De' Longhi.

Since we had already been thinking for a while about making our electrical system safer (it has three phases, with parts dating from the early ’80s, early 2000s, and a more recent section), we took the opportunity to ask for two quotes. Old cables and more power consumption don't play very well together.

The first one arrived this afternoon. Polite, a bit distant. Brand-new Mercedes van, beautiful, he was spotless, even fragrant. He asked for a floor plan and marked all the outlets, switches, and so on. He immediately said everything would have to be replaced, new wiring run (hopefully without breaking walls), and all outlets and switches changed. He'll send a quote "which will certainly be high" and expects more than three weeks of work. I was stunned.

Two hours later another one arrived. A company of similar size, a bit older (but not by much), and with screwdrivers in hand. Clean, but clearly coming from an active job site. That reassured me. First thing, he wanted to open the current electrical panel, which will need replacing, but he saw that the conduits are adequately sized. Then he randomly opened two outlets and two switches. Again, adequate conduits. He deliberately checked the oldest ones and found the original certification mark, still valid today because the manufacturer has continued producing that line (since 1961!) and keeps certifications updated even for older installations.

Long story short, the replacements will be very few. There will be some external adjustments, and the quote is far lower than even my most optimistic expectations.

I’ve already given him the go-ahead. It'll be four or five critical days (not weeks), but at least I'll sleep even more soundly.