Reasons To Consider an Electrical Panel Upgrade
April 23, 2022 Almost everything in your home runs on electricity, which is an essential part of our lives today. To make sure everything is running smoothly as it should, you need to be aware of what’s responsible for running the electricity in your house. The electrical panel is the main component in electrical distribution in your home. Keeping up with its maintenance and making sure there are no problems with your electrical panel is important. If your system is close to the range of 25-30 years old, you may want to call for an electrical panel upgrade. When choosing a suitable company to work with, you want to make sure the electrician makes accurate connections and knows how to install your new panel. If you want a trustable electrician working on your electrical panel upgrade, choose Mr. Electric.
Risks of an Outdated Electrical Panel
There are several risks that can cause injury if you have an outdated panel. If there are melting parts inside your electrical panel, this can lead to a fire. If the circuit breaker fails to trip when the panel is overloaded, this can lead to a fire as well. The risks of having electrical shock are also high if you try to work on an old electrical panel. There are some companies that have proved to be dangerous which you should always avoid. Federal Pacific Electrical Panel and Zinsco panels have had lawsuits filed against them because of incidents of fires caused by the treacherous panels installed.
Why You Should Upgrade Your Electrical Panel
- Constant Panel Trips – Electrical panel trips occur when there’s too much power loaded into one area of the house at once. If the panel trips happen frequently, this may be a sign to check on your electrical panel. Moreover, you may not even have breakers and instead have fuse panels installed. In the past, fuse panels were very useful for houses, however, now they can be a fire hazard.
- Burnt Smell – If you smell burning wood or plastic, it may mean the plastic jacket of the wires or something else inside the panel is melting or burning. As soon as you realize the burnt smell, act quickly and call an electrician. Being proactive can help save you from further damage. If the fire has already broken out, call the police and get yourself to safety.
- Adding Appliances – When you’re upgrading your appliances or simply want to add new ones to your collection, make sure your electrical panel can support the addition. Specialists from Mr. Electric can help by examining your breaker to see if it’s suitable to support a new appliance. You will need a electrical panel upgrade if your current one is incompetent. Similarly, if you plan on remodeling your home, upgrading your electrical panel is a good idea. Replacing old wiring will get you a system that’s safer and more efficient.
- Bills – Having an older system can also cause a rise in insurance and electrical bills. Updating to a modern system will reduce the amount of money paid to insurance. As your electrical system gets older, it becomes less efficient. If your electrical bills start to steadily rise over time, this might be because of the age of your panel. Remember to have regular maintenance checks on your electrical panel to make sure nothing looks out of place.