Electrical panels are the control boxes of the entire circuitry providing power to a house or building.
Though they are designed to be safe and prevent electrical problems, sometimes things go wrong and electrical panel repair is necessary.
These are the top 4 concerns that signal a need for an electrical panel replacement or repair.
When any of these things happen, home and building owners should arrange for an electrical panel upgrade from a licensed electrical contractor.
- Corrosion In or Around The Electrical Box - Corrosion means the presence of moisture, which can be very dangerous around anything electrical. If rust, staining, or other evidence of corrosion begins to appear in or around the circuit box, an electrical panel replacement should be made by a qualified contractor to ensure the box remains safe.
- Overfused Wires - Overfusing is when a current-carrying wire is connected to a fuse that is much larger than what the wire requires. Though this sounds like it might be a good idea to prevent circuit tripping, it is actually a dangerous setup that will prevent the breaker from tripping when there is an overload on that wire. An electrical panel repair to correctly match wires with the appropriately sized breaker should be made.
- Damaged or Missing Handle Ties - A handle tie is a connector that allows multiple circuit breakers to be activated or deactivated at the same time. Broken or missing handle ties require immediate electrical panel repair, as switching circuits on and off separately could be dangerous when they are meant to be controlled together.
- Under-Powered Electrical Panels - To maintain a safe electrical panel, it must have enough capacity to handle all the circuits in the home or building. An under-powered panel is a serious danger that could result in overloading of the electrical system and cause frequent breaker tripping and other safety issues. An electrical panel upgrade to a larger one able to handle greater amperage should be done.
Though it is easy to forget about the circuit box in a home or building when it is behaving normally, it should still be inspected periodically to check for corrosion and maintained properly.
The best way to ensure electrical safety is to have an electrical panel repair service take a look and make sure all circuits, wires, handle ties, and other components are correctly matched and in good working condition.
Take care of electrical panel replacement before a serious accident can happen and stay safe!