Sometimes referred to as a breaker box or fuse box, an electrical panel is your home’s central connection point between your house and the municipal power grid. It acts as a conduit, regulating the supply of electricity to every outlet, appliance, and light bulb in your home. You can generally find your electrical panel in the garage, a furnace room, or a utility closet.
When Should an Electrical Panel Be Upgraded?
The lifespan of an electical panel is around 25 years. If you are unsure about the condition of your homes electrical panel, it is always best to have a licensed electrician in to inspect it. Asking yourself if any of the following statements apply to your home is a good way to gauge whether your panel is due for replacement.
- Does you electrical panel use fuses instead of breaker switches?
- Is your home older than 20 years?
- Do the fuses or breakers in your electrical panel trip frequently?
- Does your electrical panel ever feel warm to touch or emmit a smell?
- Do the lights in your home ever dim or flicker when an appliance is in turned on?
- Do you have plans to renovate or create an addition on your home?
- Are you adding/upgrading your appliances or installing new electrical outlets in your home?
- Are you looking for ways to increase your energy independence, considering moving toward a DC lighting system, or wanting to incorporate and capture energy from solar, wind or a battery system?
If you answered yes to any of these, you should have a licensed electrician in to assess your panel right away.
What are the Benefits of Upgrading Your Electrical Panel?
Safety is the biggest benefit – An outdated electrical panel wasn’t build with current technology use in mind, meaning it has a hard time keeping up and can result in electrical overload. This can lead to short-circuiting, but also puts your home at risk of an electrical fire. You may also need to update your panel in order to qualify or comply with your home insurance policy.
If safety and peace of mind weren’t enough, there is also some cost savings associated with an updated electrical panel – new panels are more efficient than their outdated predecessors. Having an updated electrical panel can also help to boost your home’s resale value.
Additionally, if you have been considering switching over to a DC energy system or are hoping to move toward greener technology and energy independence, incorporating solar, wind, or a battery system is a great way to meet sustainability goals and generate cost savings. Blais Electric is proud to be a certified installer of CENSE Direct Current (DC) Energy Systems – the first safe, smart, and sustainable digital electric panel. it is a low voltage, modular DC power distribution system offering the ability to effectively manage a low voltage power network within a home or business and provides intelligent control for users.
Curious to learn more? Feel free to contact Blais Electric any time – we are happy to setup an on-site consultation to go over your project needs and discus a variety of energy options with you.
Blais Electric | 519-766-2940
Proudly serving clients in Guelph, Kitchener/Waterloo, Cambridge, Milton and neighbouring Southern Ontario communities.
