Your electrical panel transfers electricity throughout your home, essentially making it the heart of your electrical system. While most homeowners know how to reset their circuit breaker, many do not know that the breaker switch is simply one part of the larger panel. Because your panel not only supplies power but keeps your home safe from excess currents, it’s essential to replace this equipment when it starts to fail.
The Top 3 Signs You Should Upgrade Your Electrical Panel
- Your Circuit Breaker Frequently Fails or Trips: It’s not uncommon for the average circuit breaker to trip occasionally. In fact, it’s your circuit breaker’s job to do this when your electrical system gets overloaded. However, if your circuit breaker is constantly tripping, or refuses to work altogether, you should probably call an electrician. In cases where your power shuts off and the circuit breaker refuses to turn it back on, you may only need to replace the breaker itself, not the entire panel. Yet you should still hire a professional electrician to tell you whether you need to replace a malfunctioning breaker or upgrade to a new panel.
- Your Lights Keep Flickering: In most cases, dimming or flickering lights occur as a result of a storm, or because of a problem with your utility company. However, if you have ruled out these possibilities and your lights continue to flicker on and off, the issue may be with your electrical panel. Watch out to see if this happens when you use other electrical appliances, and call an electrician to take a look at your panel right away if this is the case.
- Your Panel Is Old or Outdated: The average electrical panel lasts a long time—roughly 30-40 years for most homeowners. If your house is older than that and you are having electrical problems, it may be time to switch to a new panel. This is doubly true if your system is hooked up to a Federal Pacific Electric Company or Zinsco panel. These brands were common in homes across the country between the 1950s and the 1980s, however, in the late 70s’, homeowners reported shocks, electrical fires, and other damage as a result of Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels. If your panel was manufactured by either of these companies, it is critical you call an electrician to upgrade it immediately, as houses that use these panels often do not even pass building inspections. And remember, a panel that frequently lets out warmth or a burning smell is probably old, and may be a hazard to your property and everyone it.
Let Our Griffith Electrical Pros Install the Panel You Need
For electrical panel upgrades and other services, Meyer’s Companies, Inc. has got you covered. Our experienced Griffith electricians offer everything from panel replacements to building code inspections to rewiring for building projects. We’re also available 24/7 for emergency electrical repairs.
Dial (219) 240-0610 now to schedule service, or click here to send us a message online.
