Your electrical system is easily one of the most important components of your entire home, and among all of the various components that come together to make up your electrical system, your electrical panel is, without a doubt, the most crucial element. Identifying when your electrical panel is in need of an upgrade is important as it not only plays a role in the overall function of your home, but also the safety, as faulty and outdated electrical panels are a very common cause of electrical fires in homes all over the country. To help you identify some of the signs that your home’s current electrical panel is due for replacement, our team of skilled Clearwater electricians have taken the time to put together this short list highlighting just a few of the common signs you can be on the lookout for that indicate it’s time for a panel replacement.
Your Breakers Are Frequently Tripping
The circuit breakers of your electrical panel are designed to trip when they become overloaded in order to stop the flow of electricity in order to prevent overheating and other forms of damage to your box, your wiring, and your home. This tripping is usually caused because the energy being used in your home is exceeding that capacity of what your electrical panel is able to safely distribute around your home, and the breaker trips to protect itself. While this is designed to function in this way, if you notice that your breakers seem like they are constantly tripping, it could be an indicator that it’s time to replace your electrical panel with something newer that’s better able to keep up with your energy demands.
Breakers Won’t Remain Reset
Typically when your circuit breaker trips, all you have to do is flip the breaker back on and the flow of power will be restored. If you notice that any of your breakers won’t stay open once you have reset them, however, it could be a sign that there is a bigger issue you need to deal with. Breakers that won’t reset, or won’t stay reset after you have done so are usually an indicator of a problem with your electrical panel as a whole. If that’s the case, the best thing you can do is invest in an electrical panel replacement that will enhance the capacity of your electrical system.
Your System Uses Fuses Instead Of Breakers
If your home is a bit older, there is a chance that your electrical system uses a fuse system instead of the more modern circuit breaker system. While fuses aren’t inherently dangerous, they are a much more outdated, and therefore risk, safety system. Most systems that still use fuses were designed when the electrical needs of most homes were much less than they are today, which makes them more unreliable and more of a hazard than they were in the past. If your home’s electrical panel still uses fuses, the best thing to do is to call in a professional electrician and have them provide you with an electrical panel replacement.
