Like the rest of your house’s electrical and mechanical systems, your electrical panel needs to be replaced from time to time. If you own an older home, you may have an outdated panel. Because these panels are more likely to have repair issues and other problems, it is important to get them replaced right away.
Signs You May Have Outdated Electrical Panels
If your Ocala home was constructed before 1990, you may have an outdated electrical panel. Normally, a home’s electrical panel is a safety device that prevents excess power from flowing through the electrical systems. When there is too much power, the fuses or circuit breakers get tripped. This shuts off the power and alerts the homeowner to a potential problem.
Unfortunately, older breaker panels are unable to do their job properly. Because of this, your home is more likely to experience a house fire. To make sure your home is as safe as possible, you need to look out for the following symptoms of an outdated electrical panel.
1. The Lights Flicker
Flickering lights typically happen when there is some type of power disruption. For instance, lights often flicker during a bad storm. However, your lights shouldn’t flicker all the time. If your lights are still flickering on a nice day, there may be something wrong with your electrical system.
2. You Have a Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Panel
FPE panels were incredibly popular from the 1950s to the 1980s. After getting installed in millions of homes, they were later found to be unsafe. These panels have circuit breakers that don’t trip when they’re supposed to. As a result, many homeowners have experienced house fires. Worse still, some FPE circuits allow energy to keep flowing when they’re in the off position.
Fortunately, you can easily check if you have an FPE panel. You simply need to see if the panel says Stab-Lok anywhere on it.
3. The Breaker Trips Frequently
If your breaker trips when you turn any appliance on, it is likely an indication that something is wrong with the breaker. Because of this problem, it is no longer able to support devices of all sizes.
Most likely, this problem will be worse when you use an energy-hungry appliance. For example, you may trip the circuit breaker each time you turn on your clothes dryer or central air conditioner. If tripped breakers are a frequent problem, it is time to replace your panel.
4. You Have a Split-Bus Electrical Panel
Modern circuit breakers contain a single metal bus. When electricity flows into the panel, it goes through the main breaker and into the metal bus. Then, the bus sends it to each circuit breaker. If you want to switch off the power to the bus, you just need to turn off the main breaker.
With a split-bus panel, the design is different. These electrical panels have two buses. Instead of a single main breaker, they have up to six breakers that are called the main breakers. Each of the main breakers controls a different part of the panel.
These panels aren’t inherently dangerous. However, electricians and builders stopped using them more than four decades ago. Because of this, these circuit breakers are quite old and need to be replaced.
You can tell if you have one by looking inside the electrical box. If the breakers are separated into two groups, you may have a split-bus panel.
5. There Is a Fuse Box in Your Home
A fuse box is an older version of an electrical panel. Instead of circuit breakers, these devices use fuses. If a single circuit pulls too much power, the fuse burns out.
This is another example of a device that isn’t necessarily unsafe. However, fuse boxes are often used in an unsafe way. For instance, some homeowners modify them in unsafe ways to meet modern electrical needs. They may try using a bigger fuse, which can be a major fire hazard.
Alternatively, homeowners may use a metal object or coin to replace blow fuses. While this allows the electricity to keep flowing, it removes the safety mechanism of the fuse and defeats the purpose of having a fuse box.
6. You Have Overheated Appliances
If your home’s appliances keep overheating, it may be due to your electrical panel. A faulty panel can send excessive electricity to an appliance, which can cause it to overheat. You can check for this problem by seeing which appliances overheat. If only one appliance gets too warm, the appliance is likely to blame. When this problem occurs with multiple devices, the panel or electrical wiring may be responsible instead.
7. There Is a Blackened Spot on Your Breaker Box
Burned spots can happen if the breakers overheat. When this occurs, it is a sign that something is going wrong with your electrical system. The best thing you can do is schedule an inspection as soon as possible.
Protect Your Home’s Electrical System
If you are concerned about the state of your electrical system, Mister Sparky can help. We have years of experience in helping clients diagnose and repair common electrical issues.
To keep your electrical system working its best, we recommend regular inspections and routine maintenance. Often, preventative maintenance and prompt repairs can prevent more expensive repair costs in the future. For more information about electrical panels, reach out to our team today.