What You Need To Know & How To Determine If You Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade In Your Home

Do you have an electrical panel that needs to be replaced? If so, it’s essential to know what type of panel you have and how to replace it. An electrical panel provides power for appliances and circuits. It is comprised of several individual components connected together to form a complete circuit. Each component has a unique purpose and performs its own task with your home’s wiring and components.

An electrical panel is a metal box that houses circuit breakers, fuses and other devices that control your home’s electricity. The circuit breakers in your electrical panel are designed to stop the current flow when they detect that something has gone wrong with the wiring system. For example, the breaker will trip if a light bulb blows out to prevent further damage. Fuses are similar to circuit breakers in monitoring current flow through a circuit. However, instead of tripping off as a breaker does, fuses will melt when too much current flows through them. This prevents the circuit from overheating and potentially starting a fire.

Reasons You Need An Electrical Panel Upgrade

If you’ve noticed that your home’s electrical panel is getting older, it might be time for an upgrade. An electrical panel contains circuit breakers and fuses, which protect your home from electrical fires and help keep the power flowing safely.

Age of Your Electrical Panel

You may know your electrical panel’s age, but you may not know what it means. The age of an electrical panel is determined by the year it was manufactured. For example, if your home was built in 1970, and you have an electrical panel manufactured in 1970, your electrical panel is 40 years old. The older the electrical panel, the more likely it will be time for an upgrade.

The age of your electrical panel is essential because it can impact how much electricity you can use at once. Older panels have only so much capacity and may only be able to handle a certain amount of power simultaneously. This means that if there is a significant outage or storm and everyone turns on their air conditioners at once, there could be problems with power surges and outages.

Added Appliances To Your Home

You may need electrical panel upgrades if you’ve added appliances to your home, such as an AC unit or a hot water heater. The size of the electrical panel in your home will determine how many circuits can be run.

If you have more appliances than circuits in your home, you may need to upgrade your electrical panel. If your house has more than seven circuits, consider getting a new one.

Some common reasons for upgrading an electrical panel include the following: 

• You’ve added on to your home or remodeled and added new fixtures. 
• You have added appliances such as an air conditioner or hot water heater. 
• You want to add extra lighting or other features throughout the house that require more power than currently available through the existing circuit breakers.

The easiest way to tell if you need an electrical panel upgrade is by looking at your breaker box; if it doesn’t have enough slots for all of your appliances and fixtures, then that’s probably why some of them aren’t working correctly. If this is the case for you, it’s time for an electrical panel upgrade!

Faulty Wiring

Faulty wiring is one of the most common reasons for electrical panel upgrades. Electrical panels are usually installed when the home is built. Over time, the wiring can become damaged due to wear and tear.

If your home has been around for a while, you likely have some older wiring that may need to be replaced. Some of these issues include:

• Faulty or worn-out outlets and switches
• Wires that have frayed over time
• Damaged or broken circuit breakers
• Faulty fuses

Adding Circuit Breakers

Adding circuit breakers is the easiest way to upgrade your electrical panel. You need to determine the number of circuits you want and purchase the appropriate number of circuit breakers. Then, you can install them into your existing panel box. It’s important to remember that this process will not increase your panel’s capacity — it simply allows you to add new circuits.

If you have a subpanel installed outside of your home, replace it with a new one larger than the old one. This will help ensure you have enough room for future upgrades or additions.

Use of Power Strips

Many homeowners use too many power strips to control their home’s electronics. This can be a sign that your electrical panel needs an upgrade.

A too-small panel for the current load will result in lower voltage and power loss over long distances. A panel that cannot handle the demand of your home’s electrical system will cause your appliances to overheat, potentially causing fire or damage your electronics.

If you use more than one power strip to plug in your electronics, it’s time to upgrade your electrical panel. This is because a standard outlet can only handle up to 15 amps of current, but most modern electronics require more than that to operate correctly. Sometimes, if you have several devices plugged into one outlet and one of those devices trips the circuit breaker, all your devices will go out. If you want to keep everything running smoothly, upgrading the circuit breaker or installing a dedicated circuit for each device is best.

Inspection to Determine the Condition of Your Electrical Panel and Prepare for Future Use

Electrical panels will wear down over time, but sometimes it takes years before their failure becomes apparent. Homeowners must conduct regular inspections to catch any problems early on. A professional electrician can inspect your electrical panel for cracks or other damage and tell you if it needs replacement.

It pays to look ahead when considering an upgrade to your electrical panel. Will you be moving in the next few years? If so, ensure enough space for all your devices and appliances when installing a new panel. You’ll also want to keep tabs on any new regulations regarding energy efficiency and other environmental concerns that may affect how many circuits you need going forward.

Upgrading the Electrical Panel Yourself Is Illegal In Most States

If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re about to start a home improvement project that will include upgrading your electrical panel. While it’s tempting to do this yourself, it’s illegal in most states. This is because the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requires all electrical panels to be installed by a licensed electrician. If you don’t follow these regulations, you could put yourself and your loved ones at risk for severe injury or death.

Improve Your Electricity With an Electric Panel Upgrade

As a homeowner, your electric panel upgrade can be one of the easiest ways to keep up with energy-efficiency requirements in your home and make your electricity bill go down. Contact an electrician now to determine what your needs are.