Electrical Panel Upgrades
The electrical panel in your Sherwood Park and Edmonton area home or place of business sees a lot of action. Today’s devices, appliances and equipment demand more power and, in many cases, require special circuit protection due to today’s electrical code requirements. As technology grows, so does the demand on our local electrical systems, which can result in the need for an electrical panel change or even a service upgrade in many older residential properties. You can count on our experienced residential service electricians and to do the job right and deliver a fantastic customer experience.
Why would I need to change my electrical panel?
The age of your electrical panel in your Sherwood Park and Edmonton residential home and commercial facility is a key factor to consider. Over time, electrical panels wear out, and electricians must replace them to ensure safety and efficiency.. There is no definitive timetable on when to replace an electrical panel however if the panel is 40 years old or older, we will recommend replacing it.
Along with the age of your electrical panel, there are other indications that a panel is unsafe and in need of replacement:
- Rust and corrosion on the electrical components
- Circuit breakers that constantly trip
- Circuit breaker handles do not operate properly
- Circuit breakers or panel covers are hot to the touch
- Buzzing or crackling noise from the electrical panel
- Burn and scorch marks in the electrical panel
- Dimming and flickering lights throughout your home or place of business
There are also older electrical panels with known safety concerns that need to be replaced. These panels may appear to operate properly however they have known issues which can cause an electrical fire.
If you have one of the panels listed below, it is time to replace it.
Screw in style Fuse Boxes
Fuse boxes with the clear screw-in style glass fuses were used in Sherwood Park and Edmonton area homes up until the 1950’s and are now obsolete. If your home still has an old fuse box in use, it needs to be replaced.
C.E.B. Commander and Sylvania Electrical Panels
Commander and Sylvania were used through the 80’s and 90’s and are in service in many Sherwood Park and Edmonton homes. These electrical panels are known to be a fire hazard because of overheating of the circuit breakers under normal operating conditions. This overheating creates a poor connection where the breaker secures to the panel bus bar causing an arcing condition and can melt the breaker. Replacement breakers for these panels are expensive and arc-fault breakers which are a code requirement for most new residential circuits are not available for certain models of these panels. We recommend our clients replace these electrical panels.
Federal Pacific and Federal Pioneer FPE Stab-lok
Federal electrical panels were installed from the 1950s to the 1980s in Sherwood Park and Edmonton homes. These Federal Pacific and Federal Pioneer Stab-lok panels are dangerous due to their age and proven faulty components that fail when tested. The federal breakers have been shown not to trip when overloaded, causing the electrical panels or wiring to catch fire. Many older homes in Sherwood Park and the Edmonton area still have these outdated electrical panels in service, and they are the most common electrical panels our residential electricians replace. We encourage our clients to do their research on the electrical hazards associated with Federal Pacific and Federal Pioneer Stab-lok electrical panels.
ITE Pushmatic and Bulldog
Pushmatic and Bulldog electrical panels were used from 1930-1960 and are recognizable because of their distinct push button switches instead of traditional style circuit breakers. We still run across these old panels in older homes in Sherwood Park and Edmonton. Any Bulldog panel in service today will be at least 60 years old and is ready for retirement. Our trained and experience residential electricians will gladly replace these antique electrical panels with a safe, modern electrical panel.
