Your electrical panel box acts as a transit center for your home's electricity, allowing power to flow into your home and into the various circuits throughout your house. Just like any other component of your home, your electrical panel box will need to be updated from time to time. In fact, we're going to share some of the most common reasons that homeowners upgrade their existing panel boxes.

1. Add More Power

Perhaps the most obvious sign that it's time to upgrade your panel box is that you want to add more power to your home. It's pretty common for older homes built before the 1980s to have less than 200 amps of power going to them. With 200 amps being the modern-day standard (with some homes even getting 250 amps), it's natural to want to upgrade. This will help to ensure that your electrical system can handle all of the demands that you place on it through your appliances, lighting, and electronic devices. If your system is insufficient, you might see your breakers trip often or your lights flicker regularly, both of which indicate you need more power.

2. Over 30 Years Old

Residential panel boxes have a life expectancy of anywhere between 25 and 40 years when kept in proper condition. When your panel box is over 30 years old, it's time to think about getting an upgrade. The more you use a panel box as it ages, the higher your risk is of experiencing a malfunction or hazard like an electrical fire.

3. Not Enough Circuits

Another reason that you may want to upgrade your panel box is that you need more circuits. If all of your circuit breakers are currently taken, you'll need to upgrade to a bigger panel box in order to add in more circuits. This could be for things like new appliances or simply adding more outlets to your home. It's important to have an electrician perform any circuit additions, as you don't want to put too much on a circuit and chronically overload it.

4. Visible Damage or Corrosion

Damage and corrosion make up another indicator that your panel box needs an upgrade. Because your panel box houses all of the wiring for your home, it can be fairly dangerous if it gets distorted. Whether something has significantly punctured the box to make the exterior come into contact with the wiring or there's corrosion eating through the box, it's necessary to get an upgrade promptly. You should never continue to use a panel box that has physical problems, as it can be fairly dangerous to anyone around it.

5. You Want Smart Technology

Rather than an external sign, smart technology is another reason to have someone upgrade your panel. This is less about smart devices inside your home but, rather, newer electrical panels have smart technology integrated into them. Through an app on your smartphone, you can monitor the energy usage of all your breakers and be alerted whenever there's an issue. For example, if one of your breakers trips, you'll receive a notification on your smartphone, and you can often actually reset it from your phone.

6. It's Time to Rewire

Rewiring your entire home is a big undertaking. However, it's a good idea to replace every part of your electrical system to help upgrade all its components to the same age. These include things like your outlets, light switches, and even your panel box. Rewiring your entire home requires ripping all the wiring out of the panel box and putting in new. If you need to replace part of your home's electrical system, it may make sense to swap out your old panel box for a brand-new one at the same time.

7. You're Selling

If you're thinking about selling your home in the near future, upgrades can help to increase the resale value. While you may think about things like adding new appliances and repainting all your walls, you don't want to forget about your electrical system. Updating outdated wiring and putting in a new panel box is a great way to help give homebuyers peace of mind about the state of the electrical system in your home.

8. Odd Smells and Sounds

Your electrical panel box should be completely quiet during operation. If you start to hear odd noises coming from it, like humming or buzzing, it could be the result of a serious malfunction. Furthermore, if your panel box starts to produce bad odors, like a burning metallic smell, it's also a cause for serious concern. As your panel box starts to age, its internal components like your breakers and wiring can start to deteriorate and malfunction.

9. You Have a Fuse Box

Another reason to consider an upgrade is that you have fuses in your panel box. Fuses were common in the early part of the 1900s. However, given all the benefits that come along with modern-day circuit breakers, fuses seem to be a hassle. For example, whenever you overload a circuit with a fuse, the fuse breaks and cannot be reused. To get that circuit back up and running, you'll have to put in a new fuse. With a circuit breaker, all you have to do is reset the circuit breaker instead. Many homeowners find it extremely beneficial to upgrade from a fuse box to a new panel box for both safety and convenience.

10. Installing Many New Appliances

Another reason that you may want to consider upgrading to a new panel box is that you're going to be adding a handful of new appliances to your home. Many times, older homes simply don't have enough power to help run all of the appliances that we have nowadays. Deciding to upgrade your panel box before installing all your new appliances can help to ensure that you have a dedicated circuit for your larger ones and will prevent overloading your electrical circuits.

Importance of Regular Electrical Inspections

As a homeowner, it's important to schedule professional service for a variety of items throughout your home. While you're probably most familiar with getting service for your heating and cooling systems, you don't want to forget about getting service for your electrical system. Opt for having an electrical inspection annually so that you can be apprised of any potential issues with your system. One of our electricians can let you know when a panel box upgrade is going to be most beneficial.

Expert Electrical Panel Upgrade Service

Mister Sparky® provides expert electrical panel upgrade service for the entire Columbia, MD region. We can also assist with all your wiring, whole house surge protection, electrical inspection, code compliance, and more. Call us today for electrical panel upgrades!