The electrical panel in your home is probably out of sight and, therefore, out of mind the bulk of the time. Even though the panel is the most important part of the electrical system in a home, many of us fail to perform routine inspections of it to guarantee that everything is in proper working condition.
It is quite essential to be aware of the indicators that indicate a replacement of the electrical panel is required. If you power your home with a solar panel that isn’t powerful enough, you could put the members of your household as well as your home in great danger. When thinking about replacing your electrical panel, here are some things to keep an eye out for:
Older Panels
When they have reached the end of their useful lives, panels will need to be replaced, just like your phone, air conditioner, and automobile before them. The typical panel has a lifespan of anywhere from 20 to 30 years. However, this is contingent on a number of different conditions. If your residence is susceptible to frequent power surges or if your panel has been subjected to wear and tear, it is possible that you will want a replacement sooner rather than later.
Panels that are more than a few decades old frequently struggle to meet the requirements of newer, more powerful home appliances. Large electrical pulls, such as those caused by a newly installed flat-screen TV or dishwasher, can place a significant amount of strain on an electrical panel that is getting on in years. Think about getting a replacement so that you can run the appliance effectively and without risk.
As a general rule, electrical panels that are more than 25 years old provide a greater risk to public safety. Therefore it is always a good rule of thumb to start thinking about replacing them around that time. If, on the other hand, you are not quite ready to give up your older panel just yet, it is never a bad idea to schedule an electrical inspection with one of our team members to make sure that everything is operating as it should.
Age of the Item
In general, electrical panels need to be replaced somewhere between 25 and 40 years after being installed. Because of this, if you live in an older house, there is a greater possibility that you may eventually need to replace the breaker panel in your electrical panel.
If your property does not truly have an electrical panel but rather has a fuse box, this is a good indication that your home’s electrical panel is too old and needs to be updated. Older homes and apartments built before the war tend to have fuse boxes that do not comply with modern safety regulations. These fuse boxes are especially widespread in older homes. When a fuse blows, the entire thing needs to be replaced, which is not the case with circuit breaker panels. This makes fuses far less convenient. To restart a circuit that has been turned off at an electrical panel, you need just to flick the breaker that corresponds to the circuit.
Burning Odor
Your sense of smell is another indicator that it may be time to upgrade. If you smell smoke or burning emanating from the panel, then you should replace it as soon as possible before it causes further damage. However, the first thing that needs to be done in this scenario is to move quickly and switch off as well as unplug all of the electrical equipment that is in the home. Because this is not something that should be taken lightly, make sure that you take care of it as soon as humanly feasible. After turning off and disconnecting all of your electronic gadgets, cut off the primary source of power and then give an electrician a call so that they can come to check over your setup.
When assessing whether or not it is time to upgrade your electrical panel, be sure to keep an eye out for all of the indicators that have been listed above. In the event that you observe any of these things, it is time to have an electrician come and replace it. Keeping this awareness will, in the long run, save you from potential dangers, boost the value of your property, and offer you the peace of mind that you deserve.
Feeling Warm to the Hands
In addition to its role as a temperature regulator for the entire system, the electrical panel in your home serves as an important electrical connection point. In order to put out an electrical blaze and prevent further damage, an overheated panel needs to trip a circuit breaker.
A replacement is required if the panel does not feel hot or warm to the touch and is not performing its function properly. When it comes to the safety of your electrical system, it is always best to err on the side of caution rather than regret and replace your faulty panel before something catastrophic happens.
Odd Noises
Electrical panels were not intended to function as sound generators; therefore, if you are hearing peculiar noises emanating from your panel, you should not disregard them! When a circuit breaker trips, an electrical panel should only provide a click as the only audible indication of this action. If you are hearing noises like buzzing or hissing coming from the panel, you need to call our team of experienced electricians as soon as possible in order to prevent further damage to both your panel and its wiring.
Burning Smell
Concern should be raised if there is a smell of burning emanating from any electrical point, but this is especially true when the scent is coming from your panel. For instance, the smell of burning is frequently an indication that the plastic jacket of an electrical wire is melting or that your walls contain charred wood. If you want to protect your home from the devastation that may be caused by fire, don’t be afraid to get in touch with an electrician as soon as you possibly can to have certain panels replaced.
Constantly Tripping the Breaker
When your home is consuming significant amounts of power from several distinct circuits, you should consider installing circuit breakers so that the flow of electricity can be stopped. Your house will be shielded from the potentially damaging consequences of an excessive amount of power moving through the system as a result of this.
If the circuit breakers in your panel seem to trip frequently, this could be a sign that the panel is not large enough to meet the power requirements of your home. Changing out your panel is all it takes to fix this inefficiency! No longer will you have to make the time-consuming journey to the panel in order to manually turn the circuit breaker back on?
Although calling a professional is the best choice, being familiar with the parts of your electrical system is also a great idea; whether it’s the plastic insulators, wiring, or even the panel itself, it’s always a good idea to be familiar with your system.
When it comes to fixing electrical systems, getting PPE to keep yourself and your employees safe is easy with Intrepid Industries. Because the employees at Intrepid Industries have over 150 years of combined experience, you can be confident that the products they provide are not only safe for you and the environment in which you operate but that they were designed for your safety and the productivity of your workplace in mind when they were created. This provides you with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that the things they provide are safe for both you and the environment in which you operate. For more information, go to www.intrepidindustries.com.
