Panel Upgrade
Panel Upgrades
Here in Electric Universe CA we specialize in all types of electrical panel upgrades in Los Angeles. We have upgraded hundreds of residential and commercial electrical panels, and we know how to properly make the installation process both smooth and quick.
DO NOT wait for your old panel to stop working!
An old electrical panel can be a serious fire hazard to your home or office. We have seen many electrical breakers melt onto the panel and damage the wiring going into the house. Melting like this, causes shorting of electrical outlets, and potentially leading to a whole electrical rewire. Avoid a more costly project by having our electrician inspect your panel for free! From there they will be able to evaluate if there is a need for an electrical panel upgrade.
Why Do You Need A Panel Upgrade?
There are many safety reasons why you should upgrade your old electrical panel. If your panel is more than 10-15 years old chances are you might experience these problems. Most of which may not seem obvious.
Overloaded breakers, not tripping
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Causing electrical breakers and wires to heat and melt.
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Older types of breakers were built on a much less sensitive trip protection system, this causes many breakers to continue working even in the event of an electrical short or an electrical shock. This is a serious safety hazard that causes many injuries, fires and deaths. For instance, about 63% of house fires are started by an electrical fault; be on the safe side!
Rusted bus bar (The bus bar is the connection between the breakers)
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This may cause bad connection and heating or sparking of a breaker which could potentially lead to fire.
No proper grounding
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Older panels were not required to have an additional grounding system, which serves to protect against electrical shock.
How you can get it done:
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Panel upgrades usually take about two days to complete.
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They require a city permit as many hazards are associated with an electrical panel. Thus they should always be taken seriously.
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Once the work is done the city will inspect the work and you can feel safer in your home
Lower panel load capacity and the risk of damaging your main electrical breaker
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Most of the older electrical panels do not have enough load capacity to hold all your current electrical devices and usage that has been added through the years.
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Damaging the main electrical breaker can cause a major power outage in your whole house or business and once again put your building at risk of fire.
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By upgrading your electrical panel you will get the proper load capacity and future space for expansion if you need additional electrical circuits.
Old Electrical Panel Location
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In some residential cases, the electrical panel location is in an unsafe area.
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For example, in some cases, the main electrical wires from the power company pass through the whole backyard, closer to a walking roof line, or even above the pool.
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Some of those older main electrical wires are already breaking apart and exposed due to weather changes and obstacles like trees and branches. This could be very hazardous since there is no disconnect breaker to protect in the case of a short.
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Before performing any electrical panel upgrade, the city will require you to have your power company inspect the location of the new panel and determine if it needs to be moved. This process will be a part of your requirements when you obtain a city permit. Location is key to safety as well!
If you have any questions do not hesitate to call. An expert electrician will be happy to help you over the phone for FREE!