The electric panel is the central part of your electricity supply system. This is where electricity from your power provider is obtained and is then distributed all over your home or company to every power outlet, equipment, or appliance it needs to power. Hence it’s essential to make regular checks to your electric panel to ensure that all the switches are turned on, and no power trip is taking place. As a rule, after every 25-40 years, the electric panels have to be upgraded, so if your house is that old, it’s time to consider an upgrade. There are, however, other vital signs to figure out when the current electric panel needs replacement.
- Faults in wiring
There are times when the panel may not work as it seems and may create much more problems for turning on regular appliances. It may also get warmed up, may give a hissing sound, or may cause flickering in your lights and appliances. If you this sounds like you? Then you better consider replacing the electric panel.
- Installing new appliances
If you have bought a new AC or any other appliance, you may want to make sure that the electric panel can generate the additional power required to run the appliance. If your panel cannot handle the additional power, then it will keep on tripping your lights as it sees the extra power as a signal to cut off electricity because it’s detecting more power usage than general.
- Using power strips
Well, these days, the only things we want to keep charged are our mobiles and laptops, and not only that, we want to charge them right in our hands when we are using them. So, for that, we buy additional power strips or extension cords to provide convenience for charging or plugging any appliances that are far away from switchboards. Power strips demand more electricity, so make sure to consider an upgrade when having multiple power strips.
- Future-Proofing
If you are planning to remodel, renovate or sell your house, you should consider upgrading your electric panel. As mentioned above, If you have a house that is more than 25 yrs of age and you want to sell it to someone else, it’s better to upgrade the fundamentals before selling. Upgrading the electric panel can add more security and ensuring a stable flow of current to all areas of your house.
How much time does it take to upgrade the electric panel?
Well, it actually depends on what amount of work has to be done to get all things upgraded and running. If your house is too old, there can be a possibility that all wires going through the house needs to be upgraded as well. Even if that’s not the case, you can very well assume it to occupy one full day as it has to be ensured that all phases as working as intended.
Can I upgrade it by myself?
Unless you have a knack for fixing electric appliances and wiring in your house, you should better consider upgrading your electric panel through a local electrician or hiring a professional electric panel maintenance agency for your office to ensure that all the wiring is done accordingly. There will be a tendency to fix all of it on your own to save costs, but it will be way better if you them this in the hands of a professional.
If you are not familiar with electric wiring, it can definitely be very dangerous. Also, the electrician will make the job easier by quickly identifying what parts need to be replaced for a better flow of electricity.