The Signs You Need to Upgrade Your Electrical Panel

As the years go by, it’s inevitable that certain items in your home will break. Some of them can easily be fixed or replaced while others are hard to diagnose or repair. Your electrical panel is no exception and is actually one of the parts of the home that’s a bit difficult to diagnose without professional help. There are instances where you need to upgrade your electrical panel, and knowing when to do so is a bit tricky. Thankfully, there are certain signs that allow you to determine this.

In this post, Handyman Connection® of Boise discusses the telltale signs that it’s time to upgrade your home’s electrical panel.

Your Home Still Has a Fuse Box

If your home still relies on fuses, then it’s highly likely that you’ll have to upgrade your electrical panel. This is because fuses were common in houses built before 1960 and have a tendency to burn out and need to be replaced.

Your Home Is More Than 20 Years Old

If your home is more than 20 years old, then you might need to upgrade your panel. Older homes have panels that only have 60 to 100 amps at maximum, which may not be enough to cope with our current lifestyles. Modern homes have 200 amp panels, which fit the modern electrical demands so it may be best to upgrade your electrical panel to 200 amps instead of leaving it at 60 to 100 amps.

Warmth

Does your panel feel warm to the touch? That might mean the panel is overloading, improperly installed or defective. If the latter two are the case, then a simple repair might be required, but, if it overloads frequently, then you might have to upgrade your panel.

Smell

One of the signs it’s time for an upgrade is if your panel is giving off a burning smell. If so, then there might be a bad circuit breaker or improperly connected wires. Either way, they’re warning signs that it’s time for an upgrade. Otherwise, you put yourself at the risk of an electrical fire.

Appliances at Full Capacity

One of the ways you can know if you need an upgrade is to check if your appliances are running at full capacity. If they aren’t, then it might be due to a faulty electrical panel, and the circuits might be overloaded. If that isn’t the case, then your panel is outdated, and your current electric amps can’t cope with your home’s electrical demands, making an upgrade necessary.

Upgrading Appliances or Adding to Your Home

Consider an upgrade to your electrical panel if you plan on adding new appliances. Similarly, a home addition will demand more electricity so an upgrade might be necessary.

Turn to Handyman Connection of Boise for your home improvement needs. We are your number one provider of electrical and remodeling services. Give us a call at (208) 268-0088, or fill out our contact form to request an estimate.