Imagine your home getting engulfed in a massive fire that was triggered from a tiny electric spark. It would be ten times worse if you and your loved ones were trapped inside it! One of the best ways to prevent that from happening is by upgrading your electrical system. Read on to know more about how to upgrade your electrical system and why you must do it.
Updating your Electrical System
Electric panels can be considered as the heart of your electrical system, with circuits acting as the arteries and veins that carry electricity to your appliances. The panel determines the amount of available power for the circuits to distribute to the outlets and appliances at home and the size and number of the circuit breakers determine how that power is distributed throughout the home.
In order to upgrade the electrical systems, you must:
- Upgrade the panel
- Replace the existing meter and circuit breaker box so that it can handle more power; or
- Replace the damaged and obsolete electrical panel or circuit breakers
Doing this won’t affect the wiring in your home but it will give your system the ability to have more power to distribute.
Upgrade your Electrical Panels
Upgrading the electrical panels increases safety. An electrical circuit consists of all the outlets linked on one wire that is operated by a single fuse or circuit breaker. Electrical circuit breakers protect your home by tripping and turning off when the wire running from your electrical panel to your appliances becomes overloaded and is in a danger of becoming hot and catching fire.
Most of the older houses were designed with just 30, 50 or 60 amps using a few circuits for the entire home! In such electrical systems, the circuit breakers won’t trip even when the circuit is overloaded. Generally, a breaker will not trip if there is a loose connection anywhere within the circuit. Upgrading the electrical panels would fix that. A common mistake homeowners make when they get fed up of constant circuit breaker tripping is to replace it with a larger circuit breaker than the wire is rated to carry.
In order to protect from an overload or from a danger of shock and electrocution, you can install safety devices like ground fault circuit interrupters.
When to Update the Electrical Panel
It is time to update the electrical panel if:
- The circuit breaker trips frequently
- Lights start dimming when you turn on other devices
- You need extension cords or additional adapters to create additional electric outlets for your home.
- Your circuit breaker panels are older than 25-40 years or in a poor condition and the breakers do not trip
Your electrical system will need an upgrade if you add high power-consumption appliances such as an air conditioner or a spa, in order to accommodate the additional demand. Pay close attention to electrical wire & cables.
Benefits of Upgrading the Electrical Panel
When you upgrade your electrical system, you will be protected from fire hazards that are usually caused by overloaded circuits. You can be assured of your family is safe. Moreover, you will be able to use all the modern appliances safely and you can be guaranteed that the expensive equipment is protected. Lastly, when you update the electrical system, you help in increasing the resale value of your home as new buyers would prefer to move into a safe house and wouldn’t even mind a little extra if the electrical system is up-to-date.
An electric upgrade may be an expensive affair but you cannot put a price on safety. So, don’t make your decisions that are just based on the price. Consider the wiring types before you start the upgrade. If you are remodeling your house, upgrading your electrical panel first would be ideal.
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Author Bio:
Jeson Pitt works with the marketing department of D&F Liquidators and regularly writes to share his knowledge while enlightening people about electrical products and solving their electrical dilemmas. He’s got the industry insights that you can count on along with years of experience in the field. Jeson lives in Hayward, CA and loves to explore different cuisines that the food trucks in the Bay area have to offer.
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