Signs You Need a New Electrical Panel Installation
Watching for a few signs ensures you know when your home needs a new electrical panel. As a result, you can have yours replaced before it does any damage to your home.
One common sign that your electrical panel needs replacement is when it always trips. Circuit breakers are meant to trip when your circuits are drawing too much power. When the breaker is constantly tripping, it likely means the panel doesn’t have the capacity to handle your household electrical needs, and a replacement might be required.
Another sign you might need a new electrical panel is when you smell something burning in the area. This smell likely means the panel is failing and could cause a fire if you keep using it. In this scenario, you’ll want to turn your household electricity off and immediately contact a technician to replace your panel.
You might need a new electrical panel if yours has experienced physical damage. This damage can occur under many different circumstances, but it typically happens when something falls on or bumps into it. While it will take a significant impact to damage the panel, it’s worth having it looked at if you can see any sort of damage.
Keep an ear out for strange noises coming from your panel because they could mean you have an issue. An electrical panel should be silent except when a circuit breaker is tripped, so if you hear a buzzing or hissing noise, it could indicate a loose connection or bad wiring. Should you have bad or old electrical wiring that needs replacing, Hunt’s Services offers whole home electrical rewiring in Tacoma to make sure your home satisfies current electrical codes for safety.
Flickering lights are another sign your electrical panel doesn’t have enough output for your home. Your lights shouldn’t flicker when you use another appliance, and you’ll probably need to replace your panel if you find yourself in this situation.
Finally, electrical panels should be replaced every so often because wear and tear and power surges can slowly break them down. Once your panel is 25 years old, it’s a good idea to have it inspected by an electrician and potentially replaced if it’s starting to degrade.
No matter the symptoms your electrical panel is showing, Hunt’s Services can help. We’re standing by in Tacoma and other cities in Pierce, King and Thurston Counties to serve you.
