Have you ever experienced your light flickering more often than usual?
An electrical panel is a metal box containing either the fuse or circuit breaker. The box holds the main power line of your home. The electrical panel distributes electricity to every corner of your house.
However, you can’t guarantee your safety if your electrical panel is not up to date. To know if you need an electrical panel upgrade, continue reading to find out the signs. The signs would convince you to get a new panel.
1. It’s Old
You might want an older property because it’s cheaper and more practical. However, you need to ensure that everything is working well. To be more precise, check the electric wirings and panel for your safety’s sake.
The average lifespan of an electrical panel ranges from 20 to 30 years. Even so, this doesn’t mean that you won’t be needing an electrical panel upgrade. Before, electrical panels having 60 to 100-ampere capability.
Today, the 60 to 100 ampere is not ideal when everything is updating. The standard for an electrical panel today must have a 200-ampere capability. Your appliances are not working at their full capacity if your home electrical panel is not updated.
Your lights flicker, and the panel wouldn’t shut off when overloaded as well. To know the ampere capacity of your electrical panel, check the door of the electrical panel. There you would see the amperage rating listed.
2. Flickering Lights
When you experience your lights flickering while plugging in appliances, it may be time to inspect your electrical panel. The panel cannot supply every appliance with the power they need.
Flickering lights can be a sign of voltage fluctuation. It’s when the connections are loose or there is overloading in the network.
You might need an electrical panel replacement if this happens often. Call a professional to help you resolve this issue.
3. Burnt Smell and Sparks
The burnt smell in the air is not something to ignore. A circuit overload may be the cause of the burnt smell.
When the current passing through exceeds the capacity, a circuit overload takes place. When there is no overload protection, wires may get hot and melt the insulation.
You can expect sparks to occur. However, sparks that are big and often happen can mean something serious. It may be another case of an overloaded circuit.
A faulty circuit is a possible cause for a spark to happen. To determine if you have a faulty connection, you’d notice discoloration around the wire. A burning smell and loose wires are common signs of poor connections as well.
An electrical panel replacement can be a solution to this problem. Ask for electrical panel services right away if this often happens.
4. Power Strips and Extension Cords
The excessive use of power strips and extension cords is a common sign that you need a new electrical panel.
A power strip is a piece of sockets attached to a flexible cable that plugs into a receptacle. You use a power strip when there are not enough outlets available. Power strips can be dangerous because it draws an excessive amount of power from a single outlet.
There are indicators in a power strip telling how much it can handle. It includes the current flow (AC/DC), ampere (A), voltage (V), hertz (Hz), and watts (W) it can carry.
Extension cords have the same function as the power strip. The difference is it’s for temporary use and should unplugged when not used.
To avoid the use of many power strips and extension cords, upgrade your electrical panel. By doing so, you can install more outlets in your house. Installing more outlets will reduce the possible hazards that may happen.
5. Frequent Tripping of Breakers
A circuit breaker is a switch made to protect an electrical circuit when there is an overload. It discontinues the flow of the electric current when detected a fault. The function of a breaker is to trip the flow to ensure your safety.
There is something wrong with your electrical panel when the tripping is frequent. When the electrical panel gets overloaded, the breaker will switch off to avoid hazards. It is an indicator that you need an electrical panel upgrade.
6. Using a Fuse Based System
A fuse-based system is when you use a fuse instead of a circuit breaker for your home. A fuse and a circuit breaker have the same job. Both of these stop the flow of the current when there is an excessive amount of power produced.
However, a fuse doesn’t switch off. It would either blow up, melt, or burn out when it discontinues the current flow. Thus, you would have to buy a new fuse.
A fuse is ideal for homes that don’t use an excessive amount of electricity.
Homes that don’t have large and modern appliances that need a great amount of power. You should opt for a circuit breaker if you want to upgrade your appliances.
7. Upgrading Appliances
The more your appliances are up to date, the more it demands great power consumption. Although you may have a circuit breaker for an electrical panel, it doesn’t mean it can provide enough power.
Appliances available today need higher electrical consumption compared to those old ones. Buy an electrical panel that is suitable for your home, considering the things you have.
If you wouldn’t get your panel changed, this may damage your stuff in the long run. An appliance requires a certain amount of power, and if not met, it may affect the quality of its performance.
Make sure that your panel can produce enough power for your things. If so, this would result in a more convenient and quality life.
Get Your Electrical Panel Upgrade Today
Knowing what an electrical panel is and the effects that it may cause on your life is vital. Take note of the signs we have mentioned. Then, reconsider getting an electrical panel upgrade.
Upgrading your electrical panel ensures safety and convenience in your life. If you want to know more about electrical panels, you can visit our website for more!