How Do You Know When It’s Time for Electrical Panel Replacement?

If you’re a new homeowner, you’ll learn pretty quickly that there are a lot of ongoing costs associated with homeownership that can add up over time. It’s important to keep all the most important infrastructural elements of your home in good condition, including your plumbing, HVAC and electrical. This includes your electrical panel, also known as your circuit breaker box. This key piece of your home electrical system should last you for decades, but will eventually wear out, and when you purchase your home you might not know exactly how long that panel has been in operation.

So how do you know when it’s time to invest in electrical panel replacement in North Scottsdale, AZ? Here are just a few signs that can indicate the time is right to make an upgrade.

It’s old

Is your electrical panel more than 20 years old? If so, it may be coming up on time for you to replace it. Today’s homes have more electrical needs than they did in past decades, thanks to the wide variety of gadgets and appliances that require constant use and charging. Upgrading an old electrical panel ensures your home will be able to handle a modern electrical load.

Your lights are flickering

Have you been noticing issues with flickering lights around your home? This is a common sign indicating that the current electrical panel cannot live up to the needs of the home. The lights are likely not getting enough power to keep them in consistent operation throughout the course of the day. Going along with this, you might find that some of the appliances in your home aren’t working to full capacity, or that they may go in and out during usage.

You still have a fuse box

Fuse boxes used to be standard in older homes, but they have long since gone out of style because of how hot the boxes can become during use. If your home still has a fuse box rather than a circuit breaker box, then it’s important to make the upgrade. Breakers are safer than fuses because if they can’t handle the total amount of energy flowing through them, they’ll simply flip off, rather than blowing and needing to be replaced like fuses. All you need to do with a breaker is flip it back on if it trips.

You notice signs of burning

If you notice burn marks on your electrical panel or burning smells around the panel, then it’s important to make the upgrade as soon as possible, because this indicates you have an old panel that simply cannot handle the amount of power that’s going through it. This could put you at risk of a house fire, or at the very least some inconvenient electrical problems. Call an electrician immediately if you notice signs of burning—this is not an issue you should delay in addressing!

You’re adding to your home

If you’ve recently put a new addition on your home, then you’re going to have increased electrical needs. This may necessitate an upgraded electrical panel as well.

For more information about electrical panel replacement in North Scottsdale, AZ, we encourage you to contact the team at Eavenson Electric Co. today.

Categorised in: Circuit Panel Upgrades

This post was written by Writer