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If you notice your household appliances using a lot of power or smoke is coming out of an outlet, that could indicate the home’s electrical panel needs to be upgraded.
An electrical panel is the heart of a home’s electricity system. Like blood carries oxygen throughout the body, circuits and wires carry electricity to appliances and devices, keeping them powered and allowing them to operate properly.
Without the proper electrical panel, nothing would work in a home. A faulty one can cause serious safety hazards. However, even the best-made panels can develop problems over time due to manufacturing and design flaws. Millions of homeowners may be using an electrical panel that could pose a risk of fire or injury to people and property.
The first step to finding the right size panel is performing a load calculation. This takes into account the amount of electricity you currently use and the potential additional load from future additions to your home. A qualified electrician can perform this for you.
You can also look at your main breaker switch to see what your panel size is. It is usually the largest switch in your panel and will have a number written on it that identifies its amperage capacity.
If you have frequent breaker trips, it is likely that your existing panel can’t handle the demand of all of the appliances and equipment in your home. If you are thinking about adding new electrical appliances, heavy power tools, hot tubs, significant renovations to your home or garage developments, it is a good idea to have an electrician perform a load calculation to determine whether your current panel can handle the added load.
Your breaker box may be outdated if it is more than 40 years old. In addition, the Canadian Electrical Code changed in 2015 and requires all general receptacle circuits (circuits that contain outlets) to have arc-fault breakers. These are twice the size of regular breakers and can only fit in tandem (meaning 2 breakers that take up 1 space). If you have a small panel and add arc-fault breakers to it, you will need to upgrade your panel to a larger one.
The most common sign of an outdated or undersized electrical panel is a corroded and worn cover. This is a dangerous condition and should be replaced immediately by an electrician. A deteriorating cover can expose live wiring and pose a severe fire hazard to the entire house.
Current Amps
In the world of electrical wiring, you will frequently encounter three terms: amps, volts, and watts. Understanding how they relate will help you make sense of the specs and requirements for your appliances.
Amps refer to the current that passes through an electrical circuit at any given time. This is the amount of electrons moving through a wire in a single second. One amp is equal to one coulomb of electrons moving past a single point in a complete electrical circuit (sometimes called electric charge).
Voltage is the pressure that pushes charged electrons through an electrical conductor, allowing them to flow and power devices. Voltage is measured in volts (V), and it can be calculated using Ohm’s Law: V = I * R, where I is the current passing through the circuit, and R is the resistance of the circuit.
When you read the number on your main breaker panel, it will be labeled in amperage. For example, a 100-amp service will supply the standard electricity needs of most homes without an electric heating system. An electrician can compute the likely total demand for your household and size the service accordingly.
If you have a subpanel, it may also be labeled with its amperage rating. A subpanel is an independent breaker box that serves a specific area of your house. Generally speaking, you should not add the amperage ratings of your subpanel to your household total, since they are fed by your main panel. A qualified electrician will be able to help you determine whether your home’s current amperage is sufficient for an upgrade. They can also perform regular maintenance on your electrical system to catch any potential problems before they become more serious.
Load Capacity
The electrical systems that power our homes, businesses, and infrastructure are complex, and their proper installation and maintenance is essential to the safety and function of these vital structures. Electricians specialize in specific aspects of this work, and each type of electrician brings unique skills to the field, contributing to efficient and safe distribution of electricity across a wide range of applications.
In the home, an electrical service upgrade may be necessary to support new appliances or fixtures. Understanding your electrical service capacity and load is critical to ensure that the system will be able to handle the load without overburdening it. To evaluate your electrical service capacity, add up the wattage rating of all general lighting branch circuits and plug-in outlet circuits. This will provide a good estimate of the maximum load that your electrical service can accommodate, taking into account a margin of safety.
During a home electrical upgrade, it’s common for electricians to add additional breakers to the panel to increase its capacity, especially if the home is being electrified from gas to electricity and has an EV charger installed. This is typically accomplished by adding a new breaker or modifying an existing one to be able to accept the higher amperage load.
In commercial and industrial settings, electricians may install, maintain, or repair heavy-duty electrical equipment like motor controls and programmable logic controllers (PLCs). They also perform inspections to ensure that all electrical systems meet applicable safety protocols.
Entry-level electricians have a high school diploma or equivalent and complete a formal apprenticeship to become licensed. To obtain a license, electricians must pass written and hands-on testing to demonstrate their knowledge of the national electrical code and the ability to troubleshoot problems.
Mid-level electricians are responsible for more complex installations and can often specialize in certain areas of residential, commercial, or industrial electrical work. Senior electricians, including Master Electricians and Electrical Contractors, are involved in high-level planning and decision-making and may run their own electrical businesses or hold supervisory roles in larger companies. To gain experience in the industry, apprentices should seek out opportunities to work with seasoned electricians on actual projects and learn from them.
Safety Measures
There are several safety measures that need to be taken when working on electricity. These include identifying the potential losses, and implementing corrective actions. This will help prevent electrical outages and other costly problems. The best way to find potential losses is to conduct routine system inspections. This will help identify overloaded circuits, faulty wiring, and other issues that can be corrected before they cause significant damage.
As any licensed electrician will tell you, there are many hazards associated with the job. It is important to take all of the necessary precautions when working with electricity, even if you are an experienced worker. A mistake or carelessness could lead to serious injury or even death. It is also important to avoid contact with water, as this can be extremely dangerous. It is important to keep any liquids away from any electrical equipment, and to ensure that any equipment that is in contact with water has a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
When measuring voltage or current, it is important to use a test instrument rated for the environment. This will reduce the risk of damage to the instrument and the surrounding areas. It is also a good idea to work on de-energized circuits whenever possible.
If you have to work on energized circuits, it is important to lock out and tag the equipment before beginning any work. This will prevent someone from accidentally turning on the circuit while you are working on it. If a circuit is unexpectedly started while you are working on it, you may be shocked or burned.
Another important safety measure is to wear rubber gloves when handling any conductive wires or other components. This will prevent you from getting shocked if the circuit or component shorts out. You should also wear a hard hat and eye protection when working on any energized circuits or equipment.
It is also important to never climb on or near any overhead power lines. If you get in contact with an overhead line, it can shock or kill you. It is a good idea to stay at least 10 feet away from any overhead wires.