Your home’s electrical system simply could not function without this very important component–the electrical panel. Of course, you might still have a fuse box instead, so your electrical system may still be functioning–but not as safely as possible (more on that below!)
The electrical panel serves as the “central station” for all the voltage coming through your wiring that gets separated into different circuits. Breaker switches in the panel help protect the electrical system from electric shorts in your home.
The thing is, no electrical panel will last forever–this is especially true with the increasing demands that homeowners put on their electric systems these days. The panels wear down as electrical demands in a house grow, and it’s not a great combination. Read on as we uncover some signs that your home is basically asking for an electrical panel upgrade:
Did you know that your electrical outlets protect you? At least, this is definitely the case in modern homes. This is part of the reason it’s so important that if you live in an aging home, you have your electrical system inspected on occasion. Today’s electronics and electrical appliances put increased demand on these systems, which can lead to overloads, blackouts, or even electrical fires.
Is your home operating as safe as it should be? What we mean is, what kind of shape is your electrical system in? If your home is a few decades old and you’ve never had an electrical inspection, there’s a good chance you could be operating on an outdated panel. This is a problem for a number of reasons.
Also referred to as the circuit breaker panel of your home, the electrical panel is the central hub of your entire electrical system—where the incoming electricity is routed to the different circuits. The breakers are designed to shut off circuits in case of voltage overload. If you have an older circuit breaker panel, you should ensure you aren’t overdue for having it replaced.
Have you taken a good look at your landscaping lately? Probably not, since it’s been covered in snow in prior months. But now that it’s melting away, consider this—is your outdoor landscaping and lighting serving the function you want it to? Maybe you’d like more lighting in order to entertain. Or perhaps you’d like to enjoy your patio for meals with the family when the weather gets warm enough.
Many, if not most, homeowners assume that power surges come from stormy weather, and that alone. But this is not actually the case. Power surges come from the appliances in your home, and in recent years, as we have become increasingly reliant on electronic devices and high efficiency appliances, we’ve increased our own risk of power surges. And they post a more serious threat than many realize, to appliances, electronics, and homes in general.
You might have heard at some point that ceiling fans do very little to actually lower the temperature of the air in the room in which they’re running. So leaving the ceiling fan on all day when you’re not home won’t actually help the room feel that much better when you do come back.
When you think about the landscaping of your home, what comes to mind? If you’re like the average homeowner, the types of flowers and trees you’ll plant, and whether you’ll go with grass, or some type of wood chip or rock ground foundation is probably also a consideration.
We’re going to discuss something here now that usually isn’t a huge topic of conversation this time of the year, but should be! As a full-service home services company, we’re happy to share efficiency and money saving tips with our clients. As such, there’s one electrical service you can invest in that will help with another area of your home—your HVAC efficiency!