Every building, whether residential or commercial, requires electricity to come alive. Irrespective of the architectural design or installations in the building, electricity gives life to the building. And without an efficient system to supply and distribute the power, certain functions will be difficult to perform in the home.
Given the above, a good electrical system is required to power a house efficiently and avoid issues. Meanwhile, an electrical system comprises the electrical wiring, outlets, and electrical panel, which is the heart of the entire system.
An electrical panel is a box that comprises the circuits and breakers, mainly for the distribution of electricity to the different parts of the home according to their needs. An electrical panel through its breakers ensures that no part of the home gets more electricity than needed to avoid a fire and other issues.
Meanwhile, you might need electrical panel replacement in your home over the years because the life expectancy of an electrical panel is from 25-40 years. As a result, you should consider electrical panel replacement if the existing electrical system in your home was installed more than 25 years ago.
Whether you are planning to get your house in shape to sell, or you want to remodel the home and install new appliances, or you want to fix the electrical issues you have been having lately, now might be the perfect time to invest in an electrical panel replacement.
Signs You Need Electrical Panel Replacement
The following are signs that you need to replace your panel to guarantee adequate or optimal supply of power to your home and improve your home safety:
1. Circuit breakers keep tripping
2. The house is old, over 30 years old
3. Electrical fires
4. Flickering Lights
5. Bad smell from the electrical panel
6. Signs of electrical burns, such as charred cables, melted insulation on wires, and discolored outlets
7. Installation of new appliances
8. Undersized electrical panel
The above are some of the signs that you need electrical panel replacement in your home as soon as possible. Do not expose your home and family to the danger of fire. Contact a Calgary licenced electrical contractor today for the replacement project.
Electrical Panel Replacement: Expectations VS Reality
Before embarking on electrical panel replacement, people usually have high expectations, which might be way too high for the reality that the project has to offer. Given that, the expectations and reality of electrical panel replacement will be explored for clarity purposes.
1. DIY Vs. Licensed Electrician
Expectation:
Many homeowners believe that electrical panel replacement can be completed following the do-it-yourself (DIY) guide they watched on YouTube. They are made to believe that once they can identify red, black, and yellow wires, they can replace their electrical panel by themselves. Besides, completing electrical panel replacement personally helps to save money, especially the labor cost. The money can be applied to other expenses
Reality:
The reality when you want to replace your electrical panel in Calgary is that hiring a licensed electrician is the best thing to do. The City of Calgary allows homeowners to replace their electrical panels themselves, as long as they meet the requirements for eligibility to be issued the needed permit to carry out the task.
Considering the requirements outlined for the issuance of the necessary permits for electrical panel replacement, it may be too stressful to obtain the Homeowner’s permit. Even if they have the permit, chances are that the project will not be carried out to the electrical codes and standards in Calgary. As a result, the upgrade or replacement will not be
approved.
In the long run, you would have to hire a licensed and experienced electrician in Calgary to carry out the replacement of your electrical panel. Hiring a Calgary-licenced electrician will help you avoid the hassles of applying for a permit and stressing out replacing the panel yourself.
2. Scope of Work Involved Vs. Additional Tasks
Expectation:
The general belief before starting an electrical panel replacement project is that only the panel will be replaced – nothing more. The expected scope of work involved will be to remove the wires connected to the circuits in the existing panel, remove the circuit, label the wires for easy identification, and install a new electrical panel.
Reality:
If the electrical system in your home is in good condition, the scope of work to be done during an electrical panel replacement project will be as expected, explained above. However, the work required to be done maybe more than expected. In most cases, the existing service wire that connects the home to the high tension power grid needs to be changed, requiring a higher capacity service cable to be installed.
Besides, certain wires connected to the circuits may have become charred due to overheating, these wires also must be replaced. In addition, the existing location of the electrical panel may not meet the code, making relocation of the panel compulsory. From the above, the scope of work expected from an electrical panel replacement may be higher than expected in reality
3. New Appliances Vs. Panel’s Capacity
Expectation:
One of the reasons for replacing an electrical panel is to upgrade the panel to meet the current electricity need of the home. As a result, new appliances can be added to the home without hassles or limitations. There will no longer be restrictions about the appliances that can be used in each room in the house.
Reality:
The only way that an electrical panel replacement can allow new appliances to be added to the home without issues is if the panel is upgraded to a higher capacity. Regardless, each circuit has amperage ratings of the maximum power that will be supplied to each part of the home. As a result, using an appliance with higher capacity on the wrong outlet in the house cash cause issues.
Despite replacing the electrical panel, the right outlet must be used for every appliance in the home to avoid issues.
Final Thoughts
Electrical panel replacement is a project that will enhance the safety of the home and guarantee a stable and adequate supply of power to the house. However, the panel should be upgraded to meet the growing household and power needs. Keep in mind that modern homes should have electrical panels of 200 amps or higher to power power-hungry appliances
