Since it distributes the power to each of your circuits, your main electrical panel is essentially the brain of your home’s electrical system. Part of the panel also houses the circuit breakers, which are essential safety measures that help prevent issues like electrical fires. Upgrading to a new electrical panel is an investment, but it’s one that can really pay off for numerous reasons.
1. Avoiding Safety Hazards
Many people are unaware that electrical panels are prone to developing various issues over time and that some of these could potentially lead to an electrical fire or other safety hazard. This is why electricians generally recommend upgrading to a new panel every 25 years or so as a way to ensure your electrical system is safe. One thing to always watch out for is rust or corrosion in your electrical panel. Either one can lead to circuit breakers getting stuck and failing to trip when they should. The wiring inside an electrical panel also slowly deteriorates with age. This can provoke sparking or create a dangerous arc fault that can cause severe burns or fatal electrocution. Besides that, with a new electrical panel, you’ll have fewer issues with your circuit breakers tripping and shutting off the power to different parts of your home.
2. Protecting Your Appliances and Electronics
An older electrical panel can also lead to your electrical system experiencing more frequent power surges that can damage your appliances and sensitive electronic devices like a TV or computer. While most of these surges aren’t that powerful, they can still do cumulative damage over time and decrease the life span of your equipment. Power surges can sometimes occur when an appliance that uses a large amount of power shuts off. Think of an air conditioner or a clothes dryer. What can happen in this situation is that a sudden influx of power becomes available when the appliance ceases to draw on it. That sometimes results in a spike in the current flowing through the rest of the electrical system.
Plugging your sensitive electronic devices into a surge protector strip helps to prevent or lessen the damage that can occur due to power surges. However, there is really no way to protect hard-wired appliances. This is where upgrading to a new electrical panel is extremely beneficial. By safely channeling all of the current to where it needs to go, it reduces the chances of the power fluctuating and a power surge occurring.
3. Lowering Your Electricity Bills
Another thing you may not be aware of is that your electrical panel can play a direct role in how high your electricity bills are. Newer electrical panels are designed to distribute power around the house more efficiently. Since less power is wasted, your electricity bills stay lower. Unless your electrical panel was installed within the past 10 to 15 years or so, upgrading to a new one can potentially lower your monthly electricity bills by anywhere from 10% to 30%.
4. Ensuring You Have Enough Power to Meet All Your Needs
One sure sign that it’s time to upgrade to a new electrical panel is if you experience some or all of your lights dimming or flickering at certain times, such as when your AC starts running or when you turn on your clothes dryer. Appliances like these have a fairly high start-up load, which means they draw far more power when turning on compared to what they use when fully up and running. If your electrical panel is too small and doesn’t supply enough amps, the start-up load for certain appliances can be so high that it causes a decrease in the power flowing through the rest of your electrical system. This reduction can then cause your lights or even your TV to flicker as a result not receiving sufficient power.
If you’re looking for a top-rated residential electrician in Raleigh or the Triangle area, CMC Electric is the one to turn to. We’ve been serving the area since 2005, and our team of expert electricians has what it takes to handle all of your upgrade, installation, and repair needs. Whether you’re looking to enjoy the benefits a new electrical panel provides or you need any other help with your home’s electrical system, give us a call, and we’ll ensure everything is done correctly from start to finish.
