When Is It Time To Upgrade An Electrical Panel Or Breaker Box?

If your TV still turns on but you haven’t done much to upgrade your electrical throughout the years, you may be taking for granted the fact that it’s still working. Many homeowners go about their merry way simply because nothing is broken, but waiting until you encounter a real problem to take action is probably not the best course of action.

Properly functioning and up to date electrical wiring, panels, or breaker boxes are necessary for our everyday lives. If you’re not encountering blackouts and you don’t have any fried appliances, this doesn’t mean that your electrical is safe or working the way that it should. Your electrical meter panels, just like your roof or your plumbing, requires regular maintenance to keep up with the wear and tear that happens as a natural result of everyday use. If you’re a bit behind, you might want to look into a little preventative care and an upgrade to make your home safer.

How Long Has It Been Since Your Last Upgrade?

Many homes in Arizona were built decades ago. Homes that were built well and have been well maintained throughout the years may remain structurally safe for decades to come. Your electrical panel won’t have that kind of longevity.

When your home was built, microwaves were probably relatively new technology. Homeowners might have had a single television. No one had PlayStations, iPhones, flatscreen smart TVs, laptops, smart home devices, tablets, or many other pieces of powered technology we now depend on. Our demands of our electrical systems used to be a lot lower. No one had any idea that technology would become such an integral part of our everyday lives.

Your home was never wired to power all of your devices that weren’t even a vague notion when your home was built. Your technology might charge or turn on, but it’s imposing a significant demand on a system that was never made to contend with that demand.

If it has been decades since your last electrical panel or breaker box upgrade, you’re long overdue. You need to be sure it’s actually safe every time you plug your phone in. Don’t wait until your system gives out, or worse, causes dangerous problems like electrical fires.

What is the Weather Doing to Your Electrical?

Arizona is hot. That’s no secret. The summers are extremely warm, and we’re all trying our best to stay cool. Many of the homes in Arizona are equipped with evaporative cooling systems, also known as swamp coolers. These swamp coolers are extremely finnicky. They don’t want to do anything at the slightest hint of humidity. You might notice that they’re as good as useless during monsoon season. It’s not your particular cooling system – it’s a design flaw that significantly impacts every single evaporative cooler.

You might be combatting your useless cooling system with window units that draw a significant amount of power. Alternatively, you could be on the precipice of biting the bullet and having an HVAC system installed. Whether you’re waiting on proper air conditioning or making do with window units, a house that is only wired for a swamp cooler isn’t properly equipped to handle either.

An upgrade to your electrical panel will be necessary to support an HVAC system. Even if you’d rather stick a window unit or two in the rooms where you spend the most time, you should still upgrade your panel. Window units draw a lot of power, and they overtax your system. You might even notice that your lights dim for a moment when your window unit kicks on. Combat that by equipping your house to handle the extra strain.

Are Your Bills Higher Than You Expected?

Electricity and water have almost nothing in common, except for the fact that they both flow, have currents, and are capable of leaking. Your electricity can leak the same way your plumbing can leak. Old wiring isn’t made to last as long as modern wiring, and can significantly break down over the course of 20 years. Broken down wiring is terrible at doing its job, and cannot safely deliver the proper amount of electricity to where it needs to go. This can lead to very high electrical bills.

Rewiring your home and upgrading your panel for your new wiring may pose an initial expense, but it will save you a lot of money in the long run. It can save you a tremendous amount of money when you consider the fact that faulty wiring puts you at risk for an extremely destructive and dangerous electrical fire. If you upgrade and stay safe, you’ll be glad you avoided that crisis.

Is It Time to Upgrade?

If you think your home would benefit from an electrical panel upgrade in Tucson, you can always call the experts at JCP Electric. Every technician who works for JCP Electric has years of experience performing residential wiring and panel upgrade or replacement work. Our technicians are trained in the highest safety standards and know how to wire your home to code. Don’t wait until you have a problem – get out in front of the issue to assure your electrical runs seamlessly and safely for years to come.