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  • April 14, 2022
  • BlueSeaXp

Signs It’s Time for an Electrical Panel Upgrade

You rely on your electrical panel to control your house’s entire electrical system routing all the electricity from the city’s grid to the multiple outlets and lights within your home. It also has the important job of shutting down circuits in the event of a voltage overload.

For the most part, your electrical panel (also known as a circuit breaker panel) can go without replacement for anywhere from 25-40 years. However, depending on how much electricity your house consumes and whether or not you’ve had electrical issues in the past, you might be due for an upgrade before that time has passed.

Blue Sea Plumbing is the best choice for Surrey heating services and also handles electrical panel upgrades.

Here are just a few signs that it might be time to upgrade your electrical panel.

  1. If you Still have a Fuse Box, It Might be Time

An electrical panel has replaced the fuse box in most homes, and these days, modern houses are built without a fuse box. Even older homes have likely been upgraded to include an electrical panel. If you live in an older home and haven’t experienced any difficulty or disruptions to your electricity, you might still have a fuse box. The main difference here is that instead of tripping a circuit breaker when there is an excessive surge of electricity which is what an electrical panel does, a fuse in a fuse box burns out and completely stops the flow of electricity. This is not only an inconvenience, but it can also be dangerous especially because many electronics nowadays are so much more advanced than they were when fuse boxes were around. If your home still has a fuse box, consider an upgrade and replacing it with an electrical panel.

  1. Your Christmas Lights May be Causing Short Circuits

The increased electrical bill from adding holiday decorations in and outside your home is stressful enough without having to deal with constant short circuits from the added voltage issues. If plugging them into a different outlet doesn’t solve the problem, then chances are that your electrical panel simply can’t handle the added voltage and you should consider an upgrade.

Also Read: The Pros and Cons of Furnace Central Heating System

  1. Your Electrical Panel is Old

Most electrical panels can last between 25 and 40 years, however, around the 30-year mark, you may start seeing some signs of wear and tear. Technology is constantly improving and even a few decades can make a huge difference in your electrical panel’s capacity. Newer models can handle up to 200 amps while slightly older ones were only built to stand around 60-100. Given our ever-growing reliance on electronics, it makes ample sense to upgrade.

  1. Multiple Breakers are Tripping

Constantly having to reset tripped circuit breakers is annoying. If it’s only happening to one specific circuit, then a wiring issue or even the electronic itself may be the culprit. However, if different, circuits are tripping at random times, then it’s a pretty good indication that your panel is not able to keep up with your electrical demands.

For Surrey heating services and electrical upgrades, contact Blue Sea Plumbing.