Looking for an electrical panel upgrade for your home? This comprehensive overview covers everything you need to know about its process, cost, and benefits!

Have you ever thought about electrical panel upgrade in your home? It’s easy to overlook your electrical panel, yet it’s a critical component of your home’s electrical system. It is sometimes referred to as a breaker box or a fuse box. This panel is in charge of controlling and distributing power throughout your home.

This blog discusses why, when, and how you must upgrade an electrical panel, its components, process, benefits, and costs. So keep reading to ensure the safety of your home, appliances, your family, and yourself.

Why Must You Upgrade the Electrical Panel?

The electrical panel guarantees that every appliance and equipment in your home receives the proper quantity of power while not overloading the system. However, like any other component of your home, it can wear out or become obsolete over time, hampering the efficiency of power distribution.

Also, if you install the latest technology HVOC system or other prominent equipment in your home, you may need to upgrade your electrical panel to increase capacity.

What are the Components of an Electrical Panel?

An electrical panel comprises several components, including the main circuit breaker, other circuit breakers, ground bus bars, bus bars, and neutral bus bars. Let’s have a glance at their function.

  • Main Circuit Breaker: The main circuit breaker is the switch that controls the power supply to your entire home.
  • Circuit Breakers: Circuit breakers regulate the electricity supply to specific circuits in your home. Circuit breakers are classified as single-pole breakers, double-pole breaks, ground-fault circuit-interrupter, also known as GFCI breaker, and arc-fault circuit-interrupter, popularly called AFCI breaker.
  • Ground Bus Bar: It links the ground wires of all your home’s circuits, whereas bus bars connect the circuit breakers to the main circuit breaker.
  • Neutral Bus Bar: Finally, the neutral bus bar connects all the neutral wires of the circuits in your home.

When to Upgrade Electrical Panel?

There are several indications of the need for an electrical panel upgrade. If you notice any of the following signs, it’s time to call a professional electrician:-

  • Breakers are Often Tripping: If your breakers trip regularly, this might indicate that your electrical panel is overburdened and unable to meet the demands of your home.
  • Lights Become Dim Frequently: This might be a sign of a malfunctioning electrical panel not supplying enough power to your lights.
  • High Electricity Costs: if you’re experiencing excessive electricity bills, it’s conceivable that your panel is old and inefficient.
  • Burning Odour or Strange Sounds Coming From the Panel: In this case, call a professional right away!
  • Rust & Corrosion: Finally, rust and corrosion on your panel are strong indications that it’s time to upgrade your electrical panel.

How to Upgrade Electrical Panel?

If you suspect your electrical panel requires an upgrade, you should call a professional electrician. They will examine your present system to decide whether an update is required. And if it is needed, they will plan ahead and install new circuit breakers that fit the electrical demands of your property.

What are the Benefits of Upgrading the Electrical Panel?

There are several benefits of upgrading your electrical panel. Some of them are:-

  • A faulty or overloaded electrical panel might cause a fire. An upgrade will improve the security of your property. It guarantees that your home’s electrical system is contemporary, safe, and efficient.
  • You may not have enough circuits to power all of your gadgets and devices if your home’s electrical system is outdated. An update will provide extra circuits, allowing you to simultaneously utilize more appliances and gadgets.
  • Finally, if the electrical system in your house is overloaded, you may have power surges or outages. An update will guarantee that your home has a consistent supply of electricity.

What is the Cost of upgrading the Electrical Panel?

The total cost of an electrical panel upgrade can vary depending on several factors. The panel size, whether it’s an installation or an upgrade, and other services required can all affect the cost.

Upgrading from 100 amps to 200 amps will typically cost between $1,300 and $3,000. The cost of lesser or bigger modifications, on the other hand, might range from $800 to $4,000.

Upgrading your electrical panel isn’t the most interesting home repair project, but it’s crucial. With an updated electrical panel, you’ll benefit from greater home safety, extra circuits and appliances, and more constant power. Thus, if you detect any indicators that an update is needed, don’t hesitate to call a skilled electrician.