12/05/2022
From 2015-2019, Fire Fighters responded to over 46,000 instances of home fires involving or caused by electrical system failures? These fires caused an estimated 390 deaths and over 1,300 injuries as well as $1.5 billion in property damage.
Your homes electrical panel is at the center of your homes defense against an electrical fire and keeping it in working order is paramount. Your electrical panel is responsible for safely distributing power to all your receptacles and appliances. It is also responsible for ensuring that you do not overload any of the wiring in your home. If your homes wiring is subjected to too much load, it could heat up and cause a fire. When you experience a tripped breaker, it means that there was a situation where that circuit had too much load and the breaker did what it was designed to do.
Here are some signs that your panel needs to be looked at by an Electrician and possibly upgraded.
- You are constantly resetting breakers
- The panel is showing signs of rust or corrosion
- The panel carries the brand name "Federal Pacific" or "Zinsco". These panels carry a bad reputation as they do not provide the same level of protection as modern breakers. They are known to remain on when they should trip.
- The panel has fuses instead of breaker. If you have a fuse box instead of a breaker panel, we would highly suggest to change. Modern breakers can provide more protection against ground faults and arc faults that fuses just can't provide.
- The panel is hot to the touch or smells "burnt". Panels often fail where the main breaker and the bus bars connect. This connection point or others can become corroded and start to heat up as a result. Sometimes you may even hear an arcing sound coming from the panel. If this ever happens to you, it is best to turn off the main breaker immediately and call a qualified electrician to inspect your panel.
A panel upgrade may be covered by your home owner's insurance or it may qualify you for a premium reduction. Upgrading your panel will give you the peace of mind that you deserve and the safety you need. Don't let your home or family become a statistic. If you see any of the signs that you need to have your electrical panel looked at by a professional, don't hesitate to call Bison or any other qualified Electrician.
