Electrical Panels

Electrical Panel Upgrade & Installation

The main source of power in your home is the electrical panel box. It’s important to acknowledge its age and condition from time to time to ensure it can handle everything one of today’s modern homes throws at it.

Benchmark Electrical Services can help you upgrade your home electrical panel to fit all your family’s needs and maintain a safe residence.

Signs It’s Time for an Electrical Panel Upgrade

Although the electrical panel’s wires and connections lay behind the wall, there are a few signs you can see on the outside that indicate it’s time to upgrade.

Your home is more than 25 years old

Age plays a factor in everything we use. Electrical panels should be replaced every 25-40 years to stay up to standard with the National Electric Code and to keep up with new technology’s electrical use. If your home is this age or older, it means you may also still have a 60-amp fuse-box as opposed to a circuit breaker in your electrical panel.

Electrical panels have been updated to circuit breakers because they will not trip off due to an overload. Upgrading your electrical panel will be more efficient and safer.

The area around your electrical panel is warm

If the area around your panel box is warm, this indicates electrical resistance – and something is wrong. The breaker box itself can be warm, similar to a running appliance, but the area surrounding it shouldn’t be warm.

The box is buzzing

A quiet hum is normal when standing near the electrical box. If it’s buzzing or sizzling, there’s most likely a loose or damaged wire, and you should call a certified electrician immediately.

By opening your electrical panel and looking on the inside of the door, you will find the type of breaker box you have. The most common breaker panel is a 100 or 200 amp max. Depending on how many appliances you have in your home will determine which will work best for you. As technology continues to develop, 100 amp panels are becoming outdated. Planning for a 200 amp panel will ensure your house can handle any appliance in the future.

Electrical Sub-panel Installation

As homes are remodeled and added onto, electrical sub-panels can be installed to shorten wire distance from the main panel. Sub-panels often service other buildings on the property or new additions of a house. Sub-panels are located at a midpoint between the new service area and the main panel box. By installing a sub-panel, there will be less of a voltage drop since the wires are shorter, and you won’t run the risk of overloading your main panel.

If you’re thinking about adding a sub-panel to your home, contact one of our licensed electricians. There are standards the National Electrical Code requires be met when installing a sub-panel, and Benchmark’s professionals can be trusted to meet these standards!