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Signs It’s Time to Update Your Electric Panel

Posted by Breaker Outlet on Dec 15th 2018

Certain items make it clear when it’s time for them to be replaced. While it’s easily one of the most important pieces of your home, your electric panel is one of the few things that can be slightly more challenging to acknowledge when a replacement is needed. Here at Breaker Outlet, we carry a huge selection of electrical products that make updating your wiring all the easier. 

Are you unsure whether or not your breaker is in need of an update? Keep reading. In today’s blog, we’re going to cover a few of the significant signs that it’s time to update your electric panel. Be it in your home or your place of business, these signs are clear giveaways that you need to start looking into replacement options for your electrical wiring.

Faulty Wiring

Having outdated or faulty wiring is one of the major causes of residential fires across the US. More often than not, faulty wiring is associated with the year that the house was built in, which is why it’s often called outdated wiring as well. Not only does old wiring usually mean that there’s some deterioration that’s happened to the materials, but it’s very likely that the wiring doesn’t meet the standards of current electrical codes. 

As we mentioned before, the mere age of your home can be a dead giveaway of the standings of your wiring, but there are also other ways for you to recognize that you may have faulty wiring. For example, any lights that are flickering or dimming while on or a shock when you plug in appliances or devices could be a sign of faulty wiring. 

Don’t take these signs lightly, have a professional come out and provide you with a consultation on the current standings of your wiring.

Fuses vs. Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers and fuses perform very similar functions. The end goal is that they prevent any short-circuiting caused by electrical currents. The downside to fuses, though they perform very similarly, is that they’re intended to be used for one-time use. Once that time has passed, they need to be replaced. 

If you’re replacing fuses on a regular basis, then you can bet that it’s time to start looking into circuits. Not only will this be a project that enhances safety in your home, but it’s one that will optimize the use of electricity in your space.

Upgrade of Appliances

Having to upgrade your appliances is almost as frustrating has having to upgrade your electrical wiring. Unfortunately, having to upgrade your appliances is also a vital sign that it may be time to upgrade your wiring as well. You see, these two items often go hand in hand because of how closely tied to your utilities they are. When the major appliances of your home are being upgraded, they’re likely going to require some serious electrical power to run. Having a panel that accounts for that electricity is a must. 

Aside from that, any new additions that you bring into your home that run off electricity are also going to need to be considered. Your home’s breaker is only going to be able to account for a certain amount of power. When you continue to add more and more appliances to your home, you need to ensure that the power needed is also accounted for. 

If you’re going to be adding new appliances like a hot tub, air conditioning system, or the like, you should schedule a consultation with a local electrician to see if your older wiring is going to be able to hold up to the task.

Shop Breaker Outlet

When it comes to finding the pieces that you need to update the electric panels in your home, there’s nowhere to go but Breaker Outlet. We carry a large selection of breakers, panels and the various other electrical supplies for you to incorporate into your house when it comes time to upgrade. 

If you have any questions or inquiries regarding the products that we carry, reach out to our team! We have years of experience in the industry and would be more than happy to help you find the pieces that you’re looking for. You can also check out previous blogs that we’ve posted for topics related to what you’re working on.