Top 10 Indicators for Upgrading Your Electrical Panel

The circuit breakers of older homes are become increasingly incapable of supporting the rapidly increasing number of electronic devices and larger appliances. If you own a home that was built 50 years ago or more, you may need to upgrade your electrical panel. Also known as the breaker box, an electrical panel is typically a metal box attached to a wall in the utility room or basement. It houses circuit breakers, which look similar to large light switches.

Function

Circuit breakers handle the routing of electricity to wall outlets and appliances inside a home. They also set the capacity limit at a safe level to prevent wiring from overloading when there are power surges from the utility. When there’s an overload, they provide protection by tripping automatically and shutting off electricity to prevent appliances and electronic devices from overheating and starting a fire.

10 Top Indicators

For the safety of your home and family, do not ignore the 10 top indicators that are warnings you may need to replace your electrical panel.  

1. Appliances overheating
2. Breakers often tripping
3. Burn spot on wall outlet or electrical panel
4. Burning electrical smell from a wall outlet or the breaker box
5. Electrical panel equipped with fuse box rather than breakers
6. Flickering lights
7. Melting insulation on wiring
8. Odd sounds coming from electrical panel
9. Plugging in an appliance causes breaker to trip
10. Wall outlets feel hot to the touch

Dangerous Consequences

Consistent overloading of a home’s wiring may result in destroyed wiring, electronic devices, and appliances due to overheating. Fixing a home’s electrical system will be costly, as will replacing equipment that was damaged beyond repair. However, the two most dangerous consequences from an overloaded electrical panel are electrical shocks and deadly fires that may cause injury or death.

Electrical Services You Can Trust

Founded in 1991 and serving Maryland, Virginia, and D.C., where we are licensed and insured, Meyer Electrical Services provides home and commercial electrical services you can trust, including:

• Standby Generator Installation
• Panel Upgrades (Heavy-Ups)
• Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations
• Structured Cabling
• Circuit Breaker Replacement

Based in Bethesda, our team proudly serves all of Montgomery County. Receive a free consultation for custom electrical work today by calling (301) 941-1400.