Skip to Content
Top

When Should You Replace Your Electrical Panel?

  1. You live in an older home with a Federal Pacific-manufactured electric panel: Have you ever considered the longevity and dependability of the electrical panel in your home? If it was built by Federal Pacific, it could become an issue. After all, these electrical panels are becoming outdated. Research suggests that they’ve experienced concerns surrounding their reliability, especially now that new innovations enter the market year after year. Therefore, if you’re part of a demographic who generally resides in an older home with a Federal Pacific-manufactured electric panel, perhaps it’s time to get it replaced with a model designed to meet current standards.
  2. Flickering lights: If you’re witnessing fluctuating lights in your house, you should take note. It could be an indication of an overloaded circuit or improper wiring, and yes, this is likely due to the outdated electrical panel present in your home. Potential safety hazards arise with bad electric panels, so it’s essential to have them examined as soon as possible. It may be time for a replacement if the existing panel is not modern enough to handle all of your home’s current electrical requirements. Spotting early signs such as flickering lights will prevent any further damage from occurring and can help save valuable cash down the line too!
  3. Frequent breaker trips: Are your electrical panels’ breakers constantly tripping? This happening could be a sign of too much current coming through the circuits – a sure indication that you need to upgrade! Such an issue can be resolved only with the implementation of a new panel. Aside from helping bring your electricity system into uniform compliance, a new panel is well equipped to address the overload issue. Installing a new panel will also help prevent any dangerous power fluctuations.
  4. Shocks from touching light switches or outlets: Electric shocks are far from normal, and should never be taken lightly. They have the potential for serious injury and even death in some cases. It can happen quickly when using light switches or plugging into outlets. If you experience shocks of electricity at any time, your safety should come first. Seek to get your electrical panel replaced ASAP to avoid future injury or danger. Look out for yourself and take the necessary steps towards a safer environment.
  5. Burnt smells from the breaker box or wall outlets: Do you detect an unusual odor of burning plastic or rubber coming from your breaker box or wall outlets? If so, this is a potentially hazardous situation that needs to be addressed promptly. It’s possible that the circuit is being overloaded due to an outdated electrical panel and could require replacement. Ignoring this issue can risk causing harm to you and your family, not just inconvenience. Don’t take any chances—seek out a qualified electrician to Swap Out the Old Board in order to guarantee safety.
  6. Discoloration on outlets and switches: If you notice any discoloration around your outlets or switches, it could be a sign of weak wiring in the electrical system. Overloaded circuits caused by poor wiring is dangerous and when you spot these signs, it’s time to call an electrical panel installation expert. A professional can survey your overall wiring system and determine if installing a new panel is necessary. Don’t put your well being at risk with deteriorating wiring – take action now before an incident can occur!
  7. Breaker box making noises:  Have you ever heard a humming sound come from your breaker switch when it turns on? That’s perfectly normal! However, if you hear popping noises coming from your breaker box, that could be an indicator of faulty wiring caused by wear and tear. This is just another reason why investing in a new electric panel to replace the aging one may be necessary. Older wires can post major dangers to anyone living in the household let alone the stress it puts on energy efficiency.
  8. Overloaded extension cords: Extension cords are designed for temporary use only; if you find yourself regularly relying on them because there aren’t enough power sockets around the house then this could signal increased demand on the current which would require additional capacity offered by replacing the old electric panel with a new one.
  9. Not enough power sockets around the house: Do you find yourself constantly having to unplug appliances just so you can plug something else into their place? This could indicate insufficient capacity provided by your current electric circuit which can only be solved with an upgrade of your existing electrical system including the replacement of the electric board with a more suitable model.
  10. Your fuse boxes don’t protect against overloads: Fuse boxes provide protection against overloads but they become inefficient over time due to a lack of modern protective features like ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) which protect against shock hazards – yet another reason why replacing outdated electrical panels might be necessary.

Whether due to age, obsolescence or simply increased electricity usage in our homes, replacing outdated electrical panels is key for ensuring the safe operation of our electronics as well as proper fire prevention measures. Thus, if any of the above-mentioned signs occur – make sure to contact a professional electrician who will help determine whether it’s indeed time for upgrading an existing system with a modern model providing up-to-date safety standards. For your peace of mind, just check out some of our reviews in Orlando, Florida.