HomeResidential Service Electrical Panel Upgrades

The electrical panel is the core of your electrical system. This is where your home receives electricity from the utility company. The power is then distributed throughout your entire home until every outlet and light has the power that it needs. As your home ages, your electrical service panel suffers normal “wear & tear.” It is likely that you have upgraded appliances and technology in your home over the past years, so your electrical panel needs to be upgraded as well.

The panel is just like anything else in your home, it needs to be properly maintained. In the event of a fire, the first place an insurance adjuster checks is the panel. If it is not kept up properly, or is a non-approved panel, they will attempt to show negligence.

If you think it’s time for your electrical panel to be upgraded or replaced, call OT Electric today! An electrical panel upgrade is just what it implies – an upgrade from the existing electrical panel. With today’s new appliances and technical devices, we find that older homes and buildings might not have sufficient power available to handle the increased demand. Therefore, a “service change” is required. This includes not only an upgrade in your electrical panel, but an upgrade in your meter socket and wire size between the meter and panel.

The following items should be checked for compliance:

• Non-approved breakers for your brand panel such as Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Panels
• Panels that are older than 5 years
• Corrosion
• Missing Breakers
• Hot Spots
• Over sizing of breakers versus wiring size

When should I upgrade my electrical panel?

When technology is modernized and panels are not, frequent outages are experienced. Old electrical panels simply cannot handle all the power now required. Overloaded wires can lead to deadly electrical shock. In order to help prevent this from happening, electrical panels are designed to tell whenever there is a problem with your electricity and cut off power to that circuit. Older electrical panels did this using fuses, while newer panels rely on circuit breakers.

How can I tell if I’m in need of an electrical panel upgrade?

There are two ways to determine if you are in need of a panel upgrade:

• You live in a home that is over 20 years old and have outdated panels (Federal Pacific, Challenger and Zinsco/Sylvania, in particular).
• If you have (or want) more power requirements.

Electrical panels are NOT supposed to hum, buzz, spark, hiss or become discolored. Our technicians are able to add extra circuit breakers, improve the amperage of your electrical system, and address issues in the safest, most efficient, cost effective way possible.

Always Hire a Professional Electrical Repair Technician

No matter how urgent any electrical repairs seem, it’s never okay to attempt to handle them on your own. Trying to take care of electrical problems without professional training is extremely dangerous. If you or someone else isn’t hurt during your attempt, there’s still a chance that you’ve left something undone that poses a huge risk to you, your home, or your family. In fact, faulty electrical wiring is the number one cause of house fires in the United States, according to the National Fire Protection Agency. So in order to make sure that your home is safe, always rely on a professional for any electrical services.

Electrical Troubleshooting

Circuit breakers that keep tripping, a flickering light on the back porch, or an exhaust fan that just won’t work properly—all of these are common problems homeowners face that have something to do with their electrical systems. But figuring out where the problem is stemming from can take a lot of work. Our OT Electric technicians will find out exactly what’s causing the problem, and what other problem may be happening—or beginning to happen—for the same reasons. Then we’ll nip them in the bud.