Your electrical panel is the heart of your home’s electrical system and should seamlessly power all its electronics. If not, you may need to consider upgrading your electrical panel. Even if you’re not experiencing noticeable problems with your home’s electronics, your electrical panel may still need an upgrade. Much like a human heart, the effective ongoing daily operation of the electrical panel can be compromised by aging, environmental factors, birth (manufacturing) defects, excess demand, and other issues. And, like the heart, some inherent or emerging problems with the panel may not become apparent until they affect energy or cause damage.

The electrical specialists at Meeks Electrical Services in Tallahassee cannot address your heart health but are experts at diagnosing all elements of your home’s electrical system. They know that most homeowners pay little attention to their electrical panels unless they start experiencing any electrical problems. Forewarned is forearmed, though. Thus, we’re using this space to educate you about your electrical panel so that you can assess any potential need for an upgrade so that it doesn’t cause you any problems in the near- or longer term. Read on!

Tell-Tale Signs That You May Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade

Even if you know nothing about electricity and how the electrical panel disburses power through your home via circuits, some obvious signs suggest your electrical panel needs upgrading. If the breakers in your electrical panel frequently trip, it’s either faulty or overloaded. “Blowing a fuse” indicates that your electrical panel is long overdue for replacement, as fuse boxes started going the way of the Dodo Bird in the late 1960s. Circuit breaker electrical panels became standard in new home construction in the 1970s due to their convenience and safety profile.

If a single light flickers or dims, it’s probably due to a loose connection. However, if the entire home’s lighting or that powered by a single circuit flickers or dims, it’s likely a sign of poor electrical distribution from your panel. Whatever the case, such issues should be inspected by an experienced electrician, like Meek’s Electrical Services in Tallahassee, to ensure your family’s safety.

Likewise, and even more promptly, you should seek professional electrical service if you notice any signs of burning, whether scorch marks, discoloration around outlets, or recurrent electrical singing odors. An electrical panel that buzzes, crackles, or emits other odd noises clearly indicates a panel fault or electrical arcing that should be inspected ASAP.

Breaker Box Size and Type Matter

If you’re living in a vintage home powered by a fuse-box electrical panel, it’s time for a breaker box replacement, even if you aren’t experiencing any issues with your home’s electronics. First, your fuse box likely only has a 60- or 100-amp capacity, which means it’s probably not going to handle any increase in your home’s power needs. Second, your fuse box does not meet current safety standards, which may cause problems with your insurer and cause difficulties if you decide to sell your home. Third, its age will inevitably start causing frequent blown fuses and other electrical issues, including a greater fire risk.

Should your home be powered by a modern circuit breaker panel, great! That is, as long as it’s rated 200 amps or higher, as anything lower could lead to future problems. Consider that an average Florida home needs a minimum 100- to 150-amp panel to meet its electrical demands. However, 100- and 150-amps don’t go far with today’s technology. Many Tallahassee-are homeowners discover that they need to upgrade such lower-amperage electrical panels when they install additional high-demand electronics or start renovating or adding an addition to the house.

Last, considering the type of electrical panel powering your home should go beyond whether it’s a fuse box or circuit breaker to check the brand. If your home is powered by one of the millions of circuit breaker-style Federal Pacific electrical panels installed between 1950 and 1980, you should replace it. They have an extremely high failure rate and have been linked to thousands of electrical fires nationwide. Likewise, Zinsco electrical panels have a high failure rate and have been linked to fires and shocks.

Contact Meeks Electrical to Upgrade Your Electrical Panel in Tallahassee

Meeks Electrical Services technicians have installed or upgraded thousands of electrical panels for Tallahassee homeowners for over five decades. With expertise in electrical capacity, safety, and homeowner’s electrical needs, we ensure that every homeowner secures safe and efficient power with years of trouble-free maintenance. For expert residential electrical services in the Tallahassee area, contact the seasoned professionals at Meeks Electrical Services at (850) 575-5241.