Electrical Panel Upgrade in Surrey

It can be difficult to determine whether your home’s electrical panel needs an upgrade. To make it easier for Greater Vancouver Area homeowners, we’ve put together a list of the most common signs that it’s time to upgrade your electrical panel. They are as follows:

• Your electrical panel is hot
• Your electrical panel has not been upgraded in over 20 years
• You are still using a fuse box
• It smells like something is burning
• You feel small electrical shocks when touching appliances
• Your lights are constantly dimming or flickering
• Using your appliances causes your lights to dim or flicker
• Small acts like using your appliances trip the breaker or blow the fuse
• Your breaker will not reset
• You’re using more electricity than your home was built for (for example, there are only one or two outlets in each room, leaving you to rely on power strips and extension cords throughout much of the home)
• You can see signs of melting, burning, or discolouration, such as scorch marks, on your electrical panel or electrical outlets

If, after learning about these telltale signs, you still aren’t sure whether your Greater Vancouver Area home’s electrical panel requires an upgrade, contact Thomson Industries today. One of our knowledgeable and friendly technicians will be happy to inspect your home and offer their professional opinion regarding any necessary electrical work.

Greater Vancouver Area homeowners may consider a variety of factors when upgrading their home’s electrical panel. First, you will need to decide whether it’s worth upgrading your home’s electrical panel. If you’ve noticed the telltale signs, such as flickering lights or scorch marks on your power outlets, then it’s likely time for an upgrade. Once you’ve made the decision to replace your electrical panel, you must also consider which amperage you would like for your new electrical panel (100, 150, 200, 400, etc…) and which HVAC company to hire to install your new panel.

There are many reasons that Greater Vancouver Area homeowners may choose to replace their home’s electrical panel. First and foremost, replacing your electrical panel may be a matter of safety. If you’ve started to notice the telltale signs of an electrical panel that’s near the end of its life, such as heat, sparking, or scorch marks, it’s critical to contact a trusted electrician as soon as possible. If you choose to do nothing after noticing these signs, your existing electrical panel could become overloaded and cause an electrical fire. To protect your family, home, and all of your belongings from the safety hazards that an old electrical panel can pose, you may need to have your panel replaced.

Another reason Greater Vancouver Area homeowners may wish to replace their home’s electrical panel is for efficiency. An old electrical panel does not provide a sufficient amount of electrical current to suit your lifestyle. If your electrical panel is older, it likely wasn’t designed with modern usage in mind. Nowadays, with televisions in every room, laptops being charged all day long, not to mention kitchen appliances, washers, dryers, and more, Canadians use far less electricity than they once did. Without enough electricity, your outlets and appliances can easily become overloaded. In addition, if your home is older, it may have minimal power outlets which is simply inconvenient in the modern world. Therefore, a second reason you may wish to replace your electrical panel is to increase the amount of electrical current in your home.

Third, replacing your home’s electrical panel may boost the property value of your home. If you’re a Greater Vancouver Area homeowner thinking of selling your property in the near future, upgrading your electrical panel could increase the value of your home. Buyers want turnkey homes, so if you put your home on the market and it’s clearly in need of electrical upgrades, this could be a turn-off. Alternatively, upgrading your home’s electrical panel is one way to show prospective buyers that your home is up to scratch and will require minimal, if any, renovations.

Finally, it’s important to note that as a general rule of thumb, electrical panels should be replaced every 25 to 40 years. So if you’re living in an older house or have been living in the same house for decades, it may be time to upgrade your electrical panel.