The electrical service panel of your home consists of a set of circuit breakers and fuses that allow you to monitor all the electrical components of your house. The electrical panel divides all electrical power into circuits, each of which is protected by a circuit breaker.
Circuit breakers can be quite tricky and prone to a variety of factors. Here are five signs that an upgrade might be required for your home electrical service panel from an electrician near me.
1. Faulty wire problems
Faulty equipment is one of the main causes of home fires in the United States. The risk of a fire caused by faulty wiring increases dramatically depending on how old the building is. Older wiring may not conform with the law, and wire insulation and other components appear to deteriorate with time. This all puts increased risk to your safety and housefires. Have a professional electrical worker like Bay Area Electrical check the wiring in your electrical panel and throughout your house.
Warning signs of faulty wiring include flickering or dimming lighting, Slight discomfort or tingling feeling after approaching equipment, a strong burning smell, or Sparking and discolored power outlet.
2. Installing new devices
We’re not thinking here about a new blender or toaster. If you’re trying to install a new hot tub, air conditioner, refrigerator, or other gadgets that use a lot of energy, your electrical panel may not have enough power to keep the equipment running.
Standard electrical panels provide 100, 150, 200 and 400 amp power. Anything less than that is unconstitutional. If your amps don’t suit your electrical needs, the circuit breakers can fly every time you try to turn on the air conditioner or hot tub, so it’s a good idea to upgrade to a higher amperage. This also extends to any major remodeling projects (e.g. adding a new space or story).
3. Replacing the fuses with the circuit breakers
Both the fuses and the circuit breakers basically serve the same function: they avoid short circuit or overload by blocking (or breaking) the electrical currents that are channeled to any connected device. Fuses, however, are used on a one-time basis. When they detect that the current is running at too high a level, the fuse will melt, interrupting the flow of electricity. Circuit breakers actually need to be replaced.
While there’s nothing particularly wrong with fuses, they’re out of date; built for an era where households didn’t have so many items wired into electrical outlets. These days, fuses can actually pose a fire hazard, and many insurance companies are actually reluctant to cover households that still use fuses.
4. Lots of extension cords and power strips
When you find yourself plugging nearly everything into a single power outlet using power strips and extension cords, it’s a good idea to update your electrical panel. You may allow each circuit to run directly from the panel or install a new electrical outlet and circuit, reducing the fire hazard.
5. Planning ahead
Who knows the types of devices and equipment that we’re going to use ten or twenty years from now? If you’re wanting to remodel or upgrade your house, it’s a good idea to invest in some high-quality wiring, namely structured wiring, which consists of heavy-duty cables that enable the latest features in all your electrical devices. Structured wiring will also increase the value of your home.
If you are looking to update your electrical service panel, please make sure you contact a licensed professional electrician to do all the electrical work by looking for an Electrician Near Me.