The gray or white electrical panel in your home might not seem like much, but it’s one of the most important aspects of your Southwest Florida home. Your electrical panel is responsible for distributing electricity throughout your home. A lot of the modern appliances that you use, might seem to need more energy than they did before. If you’ve recently discovered that your breaker trips often when you plug in your devices or appliances, then it might be time to replace your electrical panel. Here are the common signs for needing a new electrical panel:
You live in an older home: If you’re consistently dealing with your lights flickering and a breaker that keeps tripping, then you will want to consider replacing your electrical panel sooner than later. Homes that are 20 years old or older, can sometimes have a single 60-amp electrical panel. However, with today’s technology and smart devices, a 60-amp electrical panel won’t get the job done. If you have an older panel, you’ll want to update it to a 100-amp or 200-amp version to use your daily appliances and devices.
You’re constantly using extension cords: It’s not unusual to use extension cords every once-in-a-while; however, if you’re constantly using extension cords for every appliance that you plug in, then you might have an outdated electrical panel. It’s more common to find outdated breaker panels in homes that were built sometime before the 1970s. If you have a fuse-based electrical system, then you probably want to update your breaker to a circuit breaker. Circuit breakers don’t trip when they’re overloaded, melt, blow out like fuse-based panels.
Your breakers are frequently tripping: When you’re constantly revisiting your breaker panel because it has tripped again then there’s something wrong with your electrical panel. An electrical panel can last up to 60 years if it was installed right, but if you live in humid weather than that can shorten the life expectancy of your electrical panel. To replace an electrical panel typically costs $800-$1,200 to have qualified electrician upgrade an existing panel that’s 100 amps, or it can cost $1,500-$2,500 for a new panel. If you want to upgrade a 200 amps panel, you can expect to pay $1,300-$3,000 to upgrade it.
If you’re upgrading your home, or appliances: If you recently decided that you need to expand or remodel your Southwest Florida home, then you should consider upgrading your electrical panel. After all, you want to make sure that you have an adequate amount of power for your home to function properly. If your remodeling includes a smart refrigerator, a smart TV, and a new hot tube, you’ll want to update your existing electrical panel.
Circuit breakers will not remain reset: Having to constantly reset your circuit breaker, because it will not stay more than a few minutes, it most likely indicates that you have a faulty panel and it needs to be repaired by a professional electrician.
Burning smells for your panel: Burning smells coming from your electrical panel means that there a major danger from a circuit breaker, and something that’s going bad that can cause fires inside of your panel. If you notice an acrid smell coming from your panel, other signs of burning, such as breakers that are too hot to touch or charring around the panel, then you need to call a licensed electrician.
The Electrical Panel Feels Warm: A warm electrical panel with a light burning smell tends to be a sign of a problem. Usually, when you have a warm electrical panel that’s an indication that the wiring behind the panel is frayed or exposed. Remember that damaged and exposed wires can cause fires in your Southwest Florida home. It’s best to replace your breaker when these issues come to your attention. To help you replace your breaker, we suggest that you hire a licensed technician to remove the electrical panel and inspect the wiring for problems before replacing it.
It’s easy to overlook a dying electrical panel, especially if your panel hasn’t shown obvious signs that it needs to be replaced. The general rule is to replace your electrical panel if your home is more than 20 years old. If you’re interested in purchasing a new electrical panel or need to schedule annual maintenance and prefer monthly payments, Ygrene financing is your solution. Ygrene financing offers 100% accessible funding on energy efficient home improvement projects with no money down and no payments until 2021. Best Home Services is proud to be the only Ygrene elite contractor in Southwest Florida. If your electrical panel needs to be serviced, please schedule a maintenance appointment with the professionals at Best Home Services, by calling (239) 946-4426 Best Home Services is proud to be the leading air conditioning, electrical, and plumbing company of Southwest Florida since 1980.
