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3 Signs Your Home Is Due For A Panel Upgrade

Your electrical system is easily one of the most important components of your home, and of the components that make up your electrical system, your electrical panel is the most crucial element. Identifying when your current electrical panel is in need of an upgrade is important as it not only plays a role in the overall function of your home but also its safety. To help you identify some of the signs that your home's current electrical panel is due for an upgrade, our skilled Hawthorne electricians have taken the time to put together this short list highlighting just a few of the common signs you can be on the lookout for that indicate it's time for an electrical panel & service upgrade.

Your Breakers Are Frequently Tripping

The circuit breakers of your electrical panel are designed to trip when they become overloaded in order to stop the flow of electricity to prevent overheating and other forms of damage to your box, your wiring, and your home. This tripping is usually caused because the energy being used in your home exceeds the capacity of what your electrical panel can safely distribute, and the breaker trips to protect itself. While your breakers are designed to function this way, if you notice that your breakers seem like they're constantly tripping, it could be an indicator that it's time to upgrade your electrical panel to something better able to cope with your home's energy needs.

Breakers Won't Remain Reset

Typically, when your circuit breaker trips, all you have to do is flip the breaker back on and the flow of power will be restored. If you notice that any of your breakers won't stay open once you've reset them, however, it could be a sign that there's a bigger issue you need to deal with. Breakers that won't reset or won't stay reset after you have done so are usually an indicator of a problem with your electrical panel as a whole. If that's the case, the best thing you can do is invest in a panel upgrade that will enhance the capacity of your electrical system.

Your System Uses Fuses Instead Of Breakers

If your home is a bit older, there's a chance that your electrical system uses a fuse system instead of the more modern circuit breaker system. While fuses aren't inherently dangerous, they are extremely outdated and therefore riskier. Most systems that still use fuses were designed when the electrical needs of most homes were much less than they are today, which makes them more unreliable and more of a hazard than they were in the past. If your home's electrical panel still uses fuses, the best thing you can do is call in a professional electrician and have them provide you with a panel upgrade.