Replacing electrical panels
If you need to replace or upgrade your electrical panels, then give us a call. At Barrier Electric, we help businesses get new electrical panels and bring old ones up to code.
What are Electrical Panels?
Electrical panels otherwise known as circuit breakers are the heart of modern homes and businesses. From lighting to climate control, appliances, machines, computers, wifi, and even charging our phones and mobile devices, they work hard at keeping electricity flowing safely and efficiently throughout our buildings. Electrical panels are the central nexus for everything electrical and just like everything else they can wear out and break down over time. Especially now with the exponential increase in the use of modern technology older panels can struggle to keep up with the rising demands for power. Generally, the average lifespan of an electrical panel can run anywhere between 20-30 years. However, there can be exceptions due to weather, improper installation, poor maintenance, or other problems.
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When Should I Replace my Electrical Panel?
A few ways to determine if you need to have your panel updated or possibly upgraded is to check if your panel has fuses instead of circuit breakers. Is your panel possibly 20-30 years old? Does your panel meet current electrical codes? Are you frequently tripping your breakers? Need to add additional circuits but the panel is full? Are you planning on adding to or remodeling your home or business? Is there possibly rust or corrosion on or around the panel or circuit breakers? Are there burn marks or is there a burnt smell around your panel?
Fuse Boxes
In the past, many homes and businesses were built with fuse box systems. This type of electrical box had fuses that would burn out when they became too hot. They would then have to be replaced once they burned out. With modern circuit breakers, breakers will switch off if the demand is more than the breaker can handle and only requires the breaker to be switched back on to return the flow electricity back to normal.
Aged and Outdated Electrical Panel
The electrical requirements for homes and businesses today are much higher than in decades past. Homes and businesses now have multiple TV’s, computers, networking devices, appliances, security systems, extra heating and cooling, and the list grows each year. If your panel is struggling to keep up this can increase the chances of electrical failure and malfunctions throughout the system. Also as needs have changed so have electrical codes and safety regulations. So if you are looking to sell or update your buildings you will likely have to pass inspections making sure you are up to code.
Constantly Tripping Circuit Breakers
If you are constantly having to reset your breaker box over a short period of time it’s likely that your panel is no longer able to meet your current electrical needs. If left unchecked over time this can lead to damage to internal wiring and outlets within your buildings as well as damage to anything that may be plugged into those circuits.
Additions and expansions
When adding additional rooms, buildings, outlets, or wiring it’s always good to contact a professional for panel repairs and updates. This is also a good time to assess your electrical panel capacity and needs. You will need to assess if you need a new panel, sub-panel, or perhaps both.
Corrosion and or Burn marks
Rust and corrosion in general are signs of aging and or failing circuit breaker boxes. However, having a panel that is hot to the touch or having a persistent burning smell along with burn marks are signs of potentially far more serious issues. These can lead to catastrophic damage to your buildings, assets, and even lead to potential injuries to people. These types of issues should be addressed immediately by calling a trusted licensed professional electrician.
If any of these potential situations pertain to you or you are not sure of your current electrical panels state it’s always good to contact an electrician. We offer tools and troubleshooting skills to handle the problem and at no point should you or an unlicensed electrician attempt to diagnose or repair any issue that extends beyond re-setting a tripped breaker in your electrical service panel. The voltage of electricity flowing through your home can be dangerous and should only be handled by a licensed professional electrician.
Whether your home or business electrical system might be failing or struggling to keep up with modern demands or you simply want to future proof your buildings we are here to help you find the right solutions. Please, contact us today with any questions or to discuss an update or upgrade to your electrical panel.