7 Reasons to Replace or Upgrade your Electrical Panel
What is an Electrical Panel?
An electrical panel is key component of an electrical system that acts as a central hub for controlling and distributing electric power within houses and buildings. It is typically installed in the basement, electrical closet or any other designated place generally called an electrical room. The purpose of this panel is to receive, manage and distribute the power to electrical devices and circuits in a structure. It is also known as fuse box, breaker box or electrical distribution board.
Depending on the building’s electrical requirements, electrical panels come in a variety of sizes and capacities. A panel’s ampacity is often lower in residential settings (e.g., 100 or 200 amperes), whereas commercial or industrial panels might have significantly higher ampacity ratings to handle higher power demands.
Main functions of Electrical panel
The main function of electrical panel involves:
- Circuit protection
- Distribution
- Safety
- Switching
Proper installation and maintenance is crucial for a healthy electrical system. If there are any issues with the electrical panel, then, it should be replaced or upgraded with the new one. Below, we will discuss some reasons that will make it necessary to upgrade or replace a panel.
Reasons to replace or upgrade Electrical panel
Outdated Technology
Electrical panels have come a long way in terms of technology. So the older panels lack the new updated features required to fulfill the need of modern devices bei
ng used. Many older panels lack the modern fault mechanism such as arc fault circuit interrupts that are needed to prevent against ground fault. Upgrading the panel ensures the latest safety feature are protecting your property and assets.
Overloaded Circuits
In this modern era our dependency on the electrical devices has increased to a significant level. As the technology
is growing the features required to run electrical devices has also increased. The older panels are not capable of handling the higher electrical demands of the buildings and cause overloading. Overload circuits cause the heating of system and even electric failure of the system. Therefore to avoid overloading one should update their electric panels.
Compliance with electrical codes
In the latest safety standards, the electric codes for electrical panels are updated periodically. If the panel is non-compliant with the current electrical codes, you should update it to avoid poor safety risks. Once the panel is updated to current electric code compliant, then, there would be less chances of electric hazards.
Fire risk
Outdated panels are a big cause of fire in electric systems. Loose connections and arcing in the electric panels can significantly initiate fire that can escalate into huge damage.
Unavailability and High Costs of Components
One should update the electric panel with time because replacements for the outdated version of the panel can be hard to find when needed. If the panels are old than there are more chances of the loose connections and bad component condition in it. The replacement of those bad components can be costly due to limited production of older versions of panels.
Increased capacity needs
In this era where dependency on the devices has increased a lot, there is the need for panels which have high power delivering and handling capacity. Therefore, one should upgrade electric service and panels before adding more devices to their houses.
Age and Wear
Electrical panels have a finite lifespan. The majority of specialists advise changing your panel if it is older than 20 years. Older panels’ components might deteriorate over time, increasing the chance of electrical problems and breakdowns.
Conclusion
The security of your electrical panel is crucial for the protection of your house, assets and loved ones. Check your electrical panel frequently, and if you discover any of these safety issues or if it’s been over 20 years since your last repair, call a licensed electrician to evaluate the state of your panel and help you decide whether it needs any improvements or replacements.