The electrical panel is the heart of the electricity serving your home. If it’s not working correctly, it can cause many disruptions for your household and make your daily life challenging. These are reasons why your electrical panel isn’t working properly.
Overcrowding
Newer homes or newly remodeled houses are most likely equipped with 200-amp electrical panels that are large enough to accommodate the average family home’s power needs. Smaller houses and homes built before the 90s probably have 100-amp service.
If you’re unsure of what an overcrowded panel appears like, take a look at a few of the common signs:
- Double-Tapped Breakers. Minus a few exceptions, breakers should only have one wire connected. When two wires connect to the same breaker, it creates a double-tapped breaker. Electrical arcs and fires can happen when the cables loosen over time. It’s also a code violation.
- The Panel Is Messy. If you open up your electrical panel to find no blank spaces for additional future circuits and crossed, tangled wires, then your box is messy. The wires should be neatly fastened to the panel.
Insufficient Capacity
There’s a rating system for electrical panels regarding the amount of electricity they can handle. If the panel is too small for the home, the lights will flicker and power surges will happen.
If your panel begins to feel warm or hot to the touch, it’s a good indicator that it has insufficient capacity. Also, if your circuit breakers are often tripping, call an electrician for a home electrical panel upgrade.
Corrosion
Water and electricity don’t mix. Have a professional electrician investigate signs of water damage, rust, and other forms of corrosion in the service panel. Humidity also causes deterioration over time.
Always err on the side of caution when it comes to your electrical panel.
If you sense any of these reasons why your electrical panel isn’t working properly, call a professional electrician to come to inspect it. Clinton Electric is here to serve the Baltimore area. Feel free to give us a call today.