February 1, 2025
Electrical Panels in Fox Valley, WI

Your house’s electrical panel is a critical system for both safety and functionality. While electrical panels often deliver decades of use, homeowners need to know when the time for a replacement has come. Here are the most common scenarios that lead to electrical panel replacements.

Panel Overload

An overloaded electrical panel poses serious risks to your household’s safety. When too many devices draw power through an electrical panel, the results can be blown fuses, tripped circuit breakers, shocks, and electrical fires. Your home will often show warning signs before a critical failure occurs. You might notice the lights dimming when you run appliances concurrently. Likewise, you could notice the circuit breakers trip repeatedly. Your electricity bills may also climb as the overworked panel uses power less efficiently.

Even if the electrical panel’s rating appears to be high enough, its performance and capacity will likely decline with age. This can lead to overloads even on electrical panels that seemingly are up to the job. Homeowners should plan regular panel replacements based on their power usage. Households with major electrical demands from high-capacity HVAC units, multiple heavy appliances or electric water heaters should replace their homes’ electrical panels every 10 to 20 years. Families with more moderate power consumption can typically go at least 30 years between replacements.

You should also consider an electrical panel replacement when you move into a house. The previous homeowner may simply have maintained a less-demanding lifestyle, and the panel might not be up to your needs. One of our electricians can discuss your household’s usage level and inspect the current panel to determine whether a replacement might be necessary to avoid overload risk.

Aging

An aging electrical panel creates serious fire risks in your home as its components wear due to corrosion, vibrations, material fatigue, and other influences. Your home’s lights may flicker. The appliances might struggle to run because they’re not getting enough power. These symptoms frequently appear gradually so they can sneak up on you. Pay close attention to any burnt odors around your electrical panel or signs of electrical burnout on outlets and switches. Your aging panel faces extra strain during hot summer months when air conditioning demand spikes, increasing the risk of overheating and potential fires.

Based on age alone, an electrical panel may survive for half a century. However, never operate solely on that assumption. If there are signs that the electrical panel is beginning to fail, have one of our electricians check it. In many cases, you may only need to replace one or two of the circuit breakers.

Obsolescence or Capacity Limits

An older electrical panel might keep the lights on but fail to meet current safety standards, putting your home at unnecessary risk. Modern homes demand more from their electrical systems than ever before, and outdated electrical panels often struggle to safely deliver that power. When you try to install new appliances, an outdated panel may simply not have enough connections or the right ones. You might discover that your panel lacks the right parts to work with an EV charger, smart home automation, or a backup generator. Even if there are workarounds, these modifications often push your panel to its limits.

Similarly, you may find that there’s no space to add new circuit breakers for additional devices or modern features. It isn’t safe to add more wiring than the electrical panel has circuit breakers to handle.

Many homeowners discover their panel’s limitations only after purchasing new appliances or planning home improvements. Consult one of our electricians before adding anything so you can be sure that your home’s system will be up to the job.

Home Renovations and Additions

Home improvements often reveal the limitations of the existing electrical panel. When you add rooms or renovate spaces, the panel may lack the capacity to handle new electrical demands safely. Many homeowners discover their homes’ electrical panels have no room for additional circuits needed to power new spaces or appliances. Similarly, the overall amperage capacity of the panel may be too limited, even if the electrical panel has space for more breakers.

Modern kitchen appliances, entertainment systems, and home offices often demand more power than older panels can safely deliver. Before starting a renovation project or an addition, ask one of our electricians to assess whether the electrical panel is ready to handle the changes.

Certification, Code Compliance, and Insurance

Your electrical panel needs to meet strict safety standards and building codes to protect your home and family. Local building codes and National Fire Protection Association standards are constantly evolving to address new use cases and emergency safety concerns, and your older panel might miss the mark. Similarly, many insurance companies will want to know that the electrical panel is up to the job before issuing a policy.

Check your electrical panel’s certification labels and markings. Faded, missing, and outdated certification information suggests that the panel might not pass muster. Many older panels use components or wiring methods that modern codes no longer allow. Outdated components increase the risk of electrical shock and fire hazards, even if they remain in good condition.

Many insurance companies now require proof that your electrical system meets current codes. Non-compliant panels might affect your coverage or even void your policy. Our electricians can study your home’s electrical panel to identify specific compliance issues and recommend necessary upgrades to bring your system up to your insurer’s standards.

Safety Issues and Testing

Your nose works as your first line of defense for detecting an unsafe electrical panel. Unusual electrical odors often indicate issues that need immediate attention. Any sparks around your panel demand an emergency response, too. Check for visible wear on your electrical panel’s components. Corroded or loose connections, burn marks, melted plastic, discolored metal, or damaged insulation point to serious safety concerns.

Note that some older panels make proper testing difficult or impossible due to outdated designs or deteriorated components. If a panel is too old or degraded to properly test, then replacement is presumed.

Damage From Outside Sources

Outside forces can severely damage your electrical panel. Water damage from floods or plumbing failures often corrodes critical components inside electrical panels. Even after a panel dries, damage may continue to develop unseen. Similarly, fires near your panel can melt components and weaken connections, even if the flames never directly touch the box. Ask us to inspect the panel before you return it to use.

Lightning strikes deliver massive power surges that can destroy your panel’s protective features. If lightning hits your house, request an electrical panel inspection immediately. The electrical grid can also damage a panel. Power surges and unstable voltage from the outside can overwhelm your electrical panel’s protective systems. If this happens, replacement is presumed.

Black-Haak handles a wide range of electrical services including installation, repair, upgrade, and maintenance projects for residents of Fox Valley, WI and the surrounding areas. If you’re worried your home’s electrical panel may need to be replaced, contact us today.

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