Burbank Electrician Evaluating Your Electrical System – A Smart First Step

Posted on July 14, 2012 | by K Hopkins

Creating that relaxing and efficient bathroom you’ve been dreaming of is a great project. Finally getting to pick out that perfect whirlpool tub or that delicate sconce lighting that you’ve always wanted can be fun and exciting, and it can also be the beginning of the end of years worth of wishful thinking and making do. But, don’t get too carried away with all that planning before the practical matters have been considered, such whether your electrical system is equipped to handle the changes you have in mind. Consulting an electrician to evaluate your system and your remodeling plans is an important first step.

Replacing older bathroom lighting fixtures with new, modern ones is a job that can be a bit more complicated than it may seem at first glance. Newer fixtures, like whirlpool tubs or modern lighting options are designed for new homes with modern electrical systems. Installing them in an older home can present some challenges as far as your wiring system is concerned, making it necessary for your to do some wiring or electrical panel upgrades. Or, you may need additional switches or outlets installed to make everything work. Knowing these details ahead of time can make your project a lot less complicated, so it makes sense to have your electrician Burbank specialist look over the situation before you begin.

No electrician will be more skillful and professional in evaluating the electrical needs of your remodeling project than The Electric Connection. Our well trained and dedicated staff places a high priority on exceptional customer service, which combined with their reputation for high quality work, has made them the highest rated electrician in the area. The Electric Connection can help you determine whether you’ll need electrical upgrades to make your remodeling plans practical.

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Is Your Electrical Panel Safe?

Posted on April 25, 2012 | by K Hopkins

If your electrical panel has fuses rather than circuit breakers, safety can be an issue. Even some electrical panels equipped with circuit breakers can pose safety hazards and need to be upgraded.

Another reason to upgrade your electric panel is if it’s too small. To say it’s “too small” means it doesn’t supply enough power. One sign of insufficient power is that fuses are frequently blowing or circuit breakers are flipping off. Or possibly, a contractor has told you that your home or business needs more power for a new air conditioner or other installation.

What is an electrical panel?

The power from the electric utility company flows through large wires to your home and into the panel, a large metal box with fuses or circuit breakers inside. The panel controls the flow of electricity throughout the house, cutting the flow with fuses or circuit breakers if power levels rise too high.

If you think of your home electrical system as having branches and twigs like a tree, your electrical panel is the tree trunk. From the panel, the current flows into major electrical branches which dwindle into smaller and smaller branches and twigs, serving every part of your home.

An electrical panel may also be called a:

Breaker box
Circuit breaker panel or box
Power breaker
Fuse box or board
Electrical box or service
Panel board
Residential service
Service panel
Main panel
Distribution board

These all mean the same thing.

How do fuses and circuit breakers work?

If too much power were to flow into the wires in your home, they could melt and a fire could start. If you were to accidentally touch a damaged overloaded wire, you could receive an electrical shock.

To prevent more electrical flow than the wires are designed for, your electrical service panel is supposed to detect the problem and stop the flow immediately. In older electrical panels, a fuse blows. In newer ones, a circuit breaker flips off. Both fuses and circuit breakers are designed to break the circuit and cut the power to wires. Properly functioning circuit breakers (or fuses) are vital for your family’s safety and the safety of your home. Click here for more information about how to get the power back on if a circuit breaker has flipped off.

How do I know if my electrical panel is too small and should be upgraded?

If circuit breakers are flipping or fuses are blowing often, it likely means that your electrical system needs enlargement, including possibly a panel upgrade. Here are common situations which call for enlarging an electrical system:

A move to a house with an old undersized service
Adding central air conditioning
Adding an oven, hot tub, spa, power equipment in your garage, etc.
A room addition
A kitchen renovation

Fuse Boxes

Older electrical panels have fuses rather than circuit breakers. In the days when fuse boxes were installed, homes needed considerably less power. Many fuse boxes were designed to handle 30-60 amps of power whereas the appliances and electronics in today’s homes often require 100-200 amps of power or more.

Fuse boxes may become overloaded, blowing fuses and shutting down your appliances. This is an inconvenience, and there’s a temptation to buy larger fuses so that they won’t blow so often. But, oversized fuses can allow overloading and overheating of wires. Occasionally, someone will have put a penny in the opening to replace a blown fuse. This can really create a fire hazard because a penny can’t break the circuit.

A little known danger of fuse boxes is that homeowners can accidentally stick their fingers into the fuse opening, possibly while changing the fuse, and be electrocuted. The safe solution is to upgrade with modern circuit breakers.

Circuit Breaker Brands

Specific brands of circuit breakers, especially those installed in earlier decades, have been found to deteriorate with age and pose a safety hazard. You can go to the free website Inspectopedia and search on the brand of your circuit breaker to check its safety.

If you want to learn more about electrical panels, including some unsafe brands, click here. You can also ask us to check out your electrical panel. Call us 8-5 at (818) 446-0888. The Electric Connection provides free over-the-phone estimates and free home inspections, including checking the safety and sizing of your panel, with every electrical job. We look forward to talking with you.

Kim Hopkins

CEO, The Electric Connection

What is the Difference between a 100amp panel and a 200amp panel?

Posted on January 15, 2002 | by K Hopkins

100amp vs 200amp Electricity become a major part of our lives from the day it was introduced. Electricity has remained powerful, relevant, and dangerous in some situations and at the same time, our demand for it increases. The way power is used now is highly different from how it was used in the past, and this only means that conversations on upgrades will often occur.

What is a 100 amp and 200 amp panel?

The electric panel in your home distributes power through the circuits to every outlet, light bulb, and appliance. These panels come in different sizes ranging from 60 to 400 amps. It could be more or even less depending on what is needed.

A 100 amp panel is equally equipped with circuit breakers or fuses and is ideal for homes with normal or regular electric demands. A good example is a home of up to 2500/3000 sq ft. with heat, gas, water, and one air conditioner.

A 200 amp panel suits average to large homes. It is ideal for a home of the same 2500/3000 sq ft. but with enough coverage for a hot tub, more outlets and other power demands. Homes of 3500 sq ft. and above will, however, need a 200 amp panel and an additional panel for their electrical needs with power demanding appliances.

The Difference

The major difference between a 100 amp panel and a 200 amp panel is capacity. With a 100 amp panel, you can do a lot but never too much because overloading circuits can compromise your electrical safety and lead to damages and even loss of life and property. A 200 amp panel, on the other hand, enhances electrical safety because it gives you enough room to include a hot tub, a pool, a few power demanding appliances, or expand your home.

You can get along fine with either panels or even larger ones depending on your usage. What are your electrical needs and what is the size of your home?

If you have a 100 amp panel but are not sure of an upgrade, an electrician can provide you with professional insight on what to do. If you have a panel with even less capacity than 100 amps, then an upgrade is needed for sure. Modern homes use either 100 or 200 amp. Some use more. What’s important is to ensure safety and comfort.

What does a panel upgrade take?

A panel upgrade is never a small task. It is financially demanding, and it is also vital to hire only a licensed and experienced electrician to get the work done. This electrical technician may also be required to pull a permit for this project. Depending on the electrician you hire and if services like repairs are needed on your electrical system, the upgrade can take from up to 10 hours to a few days.

If you have questions on your home’s electrical panel it is important to speak with the experts. Reach out to us.