Does Your Home Need A New Electrical Panel? Look For These Signs
Posted on: 8 March 2022
Do you have an old electrical panel in your home, and you're wondering if the panel needs to be replaced? If so, it will help to look for the following signs.
You Hear Sizzling Coming From The Panel
One sound that you definitely do not want to hear coming from your electrical panel is sizzling. While it is often a problem with loose wiring, it can be due to circuit breakers that are physically damaged and not making a solid connection. You may be able to hear this sound when all of the circuits in your home are running and a lot of power is going through the electrical panel.
You Have Circuits That Stop Working Without Tripping The Breaker
Have you noticed that a specific circuit in your home has stopped working, and you're not sure why? You may head down to the electrical panel and notice if none of the circuit breakers have been tripped, but you have a circuit that is not tripping. This could be due to a bigger problem with the electrical panel failing, since replacing the individual circuit breakers will not fix it.
You Have A Very Old Electrical Panel
Know that an electrical panel is not going to last forever. On average, these panels last for about 30 years before they need to be replaced due to old age. You may be able to determine the age based on the manufacturing date on the panel itself, or by looking up the model number and figuring out when it was last made. If you have an old panel, consider replacing the panel before it fails completely when you least expect it.
You Have Run Out Of Breakers
Have you made upgrades over the years to your home with adding additional circuits, and now you've run out of circuit breakers? This can cause the need to double some circuit breakers up, which is not a good idea. Consider upgrading your electrical panel to one that has space for more circuit breakers. It can allow you to spread out the electrical load so that you do not have too many electronic devices on a single circuit.
You Want 200 AMP Service
Do you plan on adding an electric vehicle to your home and installing a charging station? You'll definitely need to not only replace your electrical panel but make the upgrade to 200 AMP. If not, you are going to eventually run into a problem with drawing too much electricity from your electrical panel.
Still unsure if your electrical panel needs replacement? Reach out to a local electrician for information about residential electrical installation options for your home.
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