What is the difference between a service upgrade and a panel upgrade?
Great question, a service upgrade is an upgrade to the available power your home will accept from the electrical utility provider. Typically you see 100 and 200 Amps for residential dwellings, and in older smaller homes or businesses you may see 60A Services. The difference between a service upgrade and a panel upgrade is that a service upgrade is the upgrade of service, say from 100 to 200 Amps. A panel upgrade is just that, an upgrade of your electrical panel, from a fuse to a circuit breaker panel, or an upgrade of the existing old circuit breaker panel to a newer and more safe electrical panel.
What is an electric panel?
An electric panel connects the wires from outside your home to the wires inside your home. Electric panels can be found in your garage, home exterior, or in a utility room. However, it can also be placed anywhere in your home that allows it. The breaker panel is how the hydro company provides electricity to your home. It goes by many names such as the fuse box, load center, breaker box, etc. In a situation where you have tripped the breaker, normally all you need to do is flip the breakers on and off.
How much does it cost?
To find out pricing for a panel upgrade, please talk with our chatbot or contact one of our team members. They will be more than happy to help you with getting a quote for your panel upgrades.
Should I upgrade my electrical panel?
You can determine if your home needs panel upgrades if one of these questions applies to you.
Is your home more than 20 years old? Older homes usually top-up to 100amps of power. 20-30 years ago this was enough for most appliances at the time. However, new appliances consume more electricity, with newer homes now being built to have 200 amp panels. Electricity consumption is growing along with all the new appliances we buy for our homes.
Is your electric panel warm or smell? A panel that feels warm to the touch is a sign of a panel that is overloaded, or wasn’t installed properly, or was defective. A burning smell is a sign that a wire isn’t properly connected or there is a bad circuit breaker. This can put you at risk for a fire. Learn more
Faulty Wiring: They are a few ways to notice faulty wiring in your home. Some of them include Flickering or dimming lights, Slight shock or tingling sensation when you touch appliances, A persistent burning smell, Sparking or discolored power outlets. The risk of a fire caused by faulty wiring dramatically increases based on how old your house is. Older wiring may not meet code, and wire insulation and other materials tend to deteriorate over time.
New Appliances: If you are planning to get a new appliance that consumes a lot of electricity, there is a high possibility your electric panel may not have enough power to keep it running. If your panel does not have enough electricity to meet all your appliances, there is the risk of your circuit breakers tripping. Charger
Adding circuit breakers: Fuses today are outdated; designed for an age when homes didn’t have so many things plugged into the electrical outlets. Fuses pose a fire hazard, and many insurance companies will refuse to insure homes that still use fuses. Fuses are essentially one-time use. When they detect that a current is running at too high of a level, the fuse will melt, interrupting the flow of electricity. Circuit breakers simply have to be reset.
Real Estate Perspective
If you are also thinking about selling your home in the near future, you can fetch a higher bid on your home since the future homeowners will not need to do it.
Conclusion:
Every modern house runs on electricity. Increasingly, our demand for electricity and the number of gadgets we use is putting a strain on our existing electrical infrastructure. If your home has an electric panel that is more than a generation old, it could be time for an upgrade. Certainly, if you are experiencing poor service, or the existing system appears dangerous, an upgrade is essential
Here’s how it works
Our team is here to support you every step of the way towards the design, installation and maintenance of your Electric Vehicle Charging Station.