West Seattle Electrical Panel Installation Services
Electrical boards, or breaker boxes, furnish homes with power from the electric company and manage how much electricity is provided to a circuit. When the electrical panel is experiencing fritz, different systems in one’s home can be affected. Key signs of panel trouble that require the attention of a professional electrician include frequent tripping of breakers and lack of power to certain outlets. They easily do a repair or an installation of an electrical panel in any home.
Panels are typically found in a garage, closet, or positioned just outside the home. Every homeowner should know the location of their electrical panel and understand its basic functions. If you live in an older home, your electrical panel may now be considered unsafe for use. If you are uncertain as to your panel’s age, or if you reside in an older house, it would be very smart to have an electrician perform an inspection to make sure everything is up to code.
When should you replace your electrical panel?
Breakers are used for the purpose of controlling electricity flow into a circuit. If the circuit is overloaded then the breaker will automatically trip and stop the electrical flow. It is possible that you may have encountered such a situation when you had used different appliances at the same time in the same circuit. You can fix this by unplugging devices and resetting the breaker.
Nonetheless, if this is happening regularly, you may need professional service to help replace your old panel with a new one that will provide sufficient power for your home to meet all its needs. If it’s just a single breaker tripping and it’s not a result of an overloaded system, then maybe you just have a bad breaker that needs replacement to correct the issue.
When your electrical panel gets to the point that you’re replacing breakers frequently, it’s a good bet that the entire panel needs to be replaced. If you aren’t the original owner of your home and you don’t know the history of the electrical panel, seeing different breaker brands or different colored breakers is a sure sign that multiple breakers have been replaced over time.
Whenever you are getting a new appliance, you should always have your electrician make sure it is compatible with your electric panel so that you don’t overload your system. This is especially crucial if the new appliance uses more power to function than your previous one did. If your electrical panel cannot give the needed power, then you need to get a new panel that can do so.
More current boards are presently fitted with AFCI outlets, which shield wires from flames started by jumping electricity. This safety feature was not included in the panels installed before 1999. Your home could be in peril if AFCI outlets are missing at the board or at the circuit starts around the home.
An electrician can investigate your board and outlets and survey your vulnerability. If your panel has no other issues, installing AFCI outlets at the end of each circuit may be more cost-effective than to remove the whole panel.
If there is rust or corrosion anywhere around the panel, this warrants an immediate replacement. If not properly protected, a worn out panel is more susceptible to fires, surges, and other damage.
Other signs that your panel needs replacing include:
- appliances overheating quickly when plugged in
- lights flickering when appliances are in use
- popping or other noises coming from the breaker box
- hissing
- burning smell coming from panel
- burn marks on panel or outlets
- melted electrical wires
- panel is warm or hot to the touch
If there’s anything at all unusual going on with the electricity in your home, you must contact a professional immediately. If circuits are overloaded, they could “fry” anything plugged into those outlets like computers, phones and other electronics. If you ignore the signs of a faulty panel, it could end up costing you a lot of money and could even be a hazard. A faulty electrical panel can cause a fire and electrocute someone.
Although your home’s electrical panel should last for years, it will eventually show signs of wear and tear. For one thing, electrical wires are subject to fraying and deterioration of their insulating coating. In some cases, your system will be disrupted by rodents chewing on the wires. Whatever may go wrong with your home’s electrical system, you can rely on a qualified electrician to diagnose and repair any problems.
At times it is easy to replace it or total panel replacement may be required. If it is the case, your electrician will be able to walk you through all your options and install the new panel easily to get your home back to reliable electricity.
In order for your family and appliances to be safe then you need a professional to check on your home’s panel. Professional electricians specialize in the repair and replacement of faulty electrical panels. People who have no experience in electric work can cause more damage when trying to repair a panel on their own and put themselves at risk for serious injury. Electricians are knowledgeable with all kinds of electrical work and will quickly provide safe electrical service for your home.