We rely on electricity more today than ever. From powering essential appliances like water heaters, air conditioners, and refrigerators to keeping our electronics and other devices working, the amount of electricity the average home needs is substantial. Older homes don’t have enough power to keep up with our electrical demands. A lack of power can lead to power surges, blown fuses, and electrical fires. To prevent this from happening you may need electrical updates like electrical panel replacement or an electrical panel upgrade.  At My Chino Hills Electrician Hero, our local electricians have the knowledge and tools to help you upgrade effortlessly and for less than you may think.

How Residential Electrical Panels Function

In the electrical industry, we like to refer to the electrical panel as the heart of the system. It is responsible for preventing too much electricity from running on a circuit. It achieves this task by tripping the breaker switches to cease electrical operations when a circuit is in danger of overloading. Circuits that are overloaded can cause an electrical fire. Homes without a properly working electrical panel are at risk of fire and injury.

Where Can I Find My Electrical Panel?

Residential electrical panels are located gray “breaker” boxes in basements, utility rooms, or in the garage. Inside this box is the electrical panel. It is easily identified by its rows of switches.

What’s Up with all the Breaker Box Switches?

The switches control the various outlets and switches in a home. Depending on the amount of power an appliance requires, the switch may provide electricity for several outlets/switches in the same area or just one or two. Also, some appliances may require more than one switch on the electrical panel. An example of this would be your home’s HVAC system. This is a large appliance that needs a lot of power and one circuit is not enough.

For ease of access, every breaker switch should be labeled so that you know what outlets and appliances are connected to each. You’ll also find a label map that should match up to the location of the switches in the box. Lastly, every switch should have a number etched on it. This number is the number of amps that circuit can handle before it will trip.

Can I Turn Power Off to My Whole House?

Yes! Inside the breaker box there should be a switch that controls all the circuits. This switch is generally larger and should be labeled. Turn that switch off to cut power to the entire home.

 

Signs of Electrical Panel Issues

Before electrical panel problems worsen, you’re usually given a few warnings that something isn’t right. The warnings come in the form of flickering lights, outlets that continuously trip a breaker switch, or power surges. Homes with older electrical panels may just stop working all together and fail to trip a breaker switch. In these cases, your home is at the greatest risk of melted wires and fire. Any of these problems need to be addressed right away by a local electrician near you. Waiting any length of time increases the risk of electrical fires.

Here are some other signs that you may need to a new electrical panel installed:

• Rust or corrosion is present on breaker switches
• Breaker box feels warm
• Recurrent power surges
• You use a lot of extension cords because the home doesn’t have enough outlets
• Your outlets are two-pronged
• Appliances are not running at full power
• You live in an older home with split-buss or a fuse box panel
• Breaker box is visibly defective

We also recommend that any home operating with a Federal Pacific Electric, Pushmatic, or a Zinsco electrical panel have these panels replaced as soon as possible. These panels were common in homes prior to the 1990s and are not safe to operate according to NEC standards.

Electrical Panel Inspections

At My Chino Hills Electrician Hero, we recommend that all homes over 25 years old be completely inspected by a licensed electrician in Chino Hills. Even newer homes can benefit from regular inspections to ensure that everything is working well and meets current NEC code requirements.

Upgrade Electrical Panel to 200 Amps for Best Performance

Many older homes operate on 100-amp electrical service or less. To meet today’s power needs, we recommend that these homes upgrade to 200 amps.

Some homes still use fuse boxes, which are an antiquated and unsafe way to operate your home’s electricity. These boxes carry a huge fire risk and often parts aren’t even available for repairs.

Whether you have a fuse box and need rewiring services, or you simple an electrical panel upgrade, one of our licensed electricians is available to help you today!

Can a Homeowner Replace Electrical Panels?

We never recommend that homeowners mess with the electricity in their homes. The risk of electrical shock and electrocution is too high. Always hire a licensed electrician to perform these electrical repair and replacement services.

Get a Whole House Electrical Inspection Before You Renovate

Whether you’re adding another bathroom, finishing a basement or attic space, or even adding a new appliance to your kitchen, give us a call. You may need additional power to safeguard your home against overloaded circuits. Popular items like hot tubs and power generators may require sub-panel installation or special 240-volt circuits to operate safely.

Call My Chino Hills Electrician Hero and let us perform a power assessment for you today!

All our home electrical inspection services include the following:

• Detailed power assessment
• Electrical panel inspection
• Professional recommendations for electrical installation, repair and maintenance services

My Chino Hills Electrician Hero is a fully licensed, bonded, and insured electrical repair company that services homes and businesses in Chino Hills. We offer 24-hour emergency electrical service at affordable prices. Our #1 priority is always the safety of our customers. When we’re on the job, you can be certain that you’re getting repairs that are made to last so that you and your home are protected. For unbeatable pricing and 100% customer satisfaction, call us today!