4 Signs You Need to Replace Your Current Circuit Breaker Panel

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A circuit breaker panel is a metallic box in your garage, utility room, or basement that acts as your home's main electrical power distribution point. The breaker panel is responsible for regulating the amount of electrical power coming into your home to prevent your electrical system from overloading. As a result, when a power overload occurs, your circuit break switch automatically trips to prevent your electrical devices from getting damaged or starting a fire.

Typically, a circuit breaker box can serve you for decades. However, due to various factors in your home or business premises, you may have to consider replacing your old panel with a new circuit breaker panel. Here are four signs that indicate you need a new circuit breaker panel installation.

Breakers Are Frequently Tripping

If your circuit breakers are frequently tripping every time you turn on multiple electrical devices, then it's a sign you need to replace your circuit breaker. Your breakers keep tripping because their amp rating cannot sustain the amount of power being drawn by your appliances simultaneously. As a result, the circuit breakers consider the high amount of power drawn as an overload and automatically trip.

If you are experiencing frequent breaker trips when running several electrical appliances at once, then it is high time you considered replacing your circuit breaker panel. Additionally, it would help if you had an electrician recommend the amp rating of the new circuit breaker before you install it to ensure it can handle distributing power to all your appliances simultaneously without tripping.

You Have a Fuse Box

Since the introduction of circuit breakers, fuse boxes have become obsolete. However, if your home is old, there is a chance that it may still have a fuse box. It is essential to note that a fuse box provides a lesser level of safety than a circuit breaker, and considering the level of electric power consumption nowadays, you are better off with a circuit breaker.

Thus, if you have a fuse box installed in your home, you should consider a circuit breaker installation to replace it. 

Low Amp Wiring on an Old Breaker Panel

Even if your old home has a circuit breaker panel, chances are it has a low amp wiring. Low amp wiring means that the circuit breaker amp rating is not conducive for modern-day electrical use. 

A decade ago, electric power consumption was not as high as it is today. Thus, the circuit breakers installed back then have a low amp rating that is not conducive for modern times. Modern circuit breaker panels have a 200 amps rating, while older breaker panels had a 60 amps rating.

Therefore, if you live in an old home, it is advisable to check the rating on your breaker panel. If it has a rating of 60 amps, then you probably need to replace it with a 200 amp circuit breaker panel.

Electrical Renovations

The circuit breaker panel in your home is meant to work for the original electrical system design. Thus, when you conduct renovations in the home to add various electrical features such as a Jacuzzi, additional lighting, a sauna, etc., all these additional features may overwork the circuit breaker panel.

Thus, when you plan to add various electrical features to your electrical system, you should consider installing a new circuit breaker panel that can handle all the additional features. Replacing an old circuit breaker panel with a new one ensures the safety of your home and its electrical features.


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