If you have an older home, an electrical upgrade may be in your near future. The older your home is, the more likely it is that you need a new electrical panel. This is because older homes are simply not equipped to meet the demands of modern technology.
With more things to plug in, you need an electrical panel that offers both functionality and safety as top priorities. You can keep reading to learn more about electrical repairs in Yakima and when you might need a whole new electrical system. Then give our team a call to schedule a service appointment for your in-home assessment to determine exactly what needs to be done.
Home Age
You can expect the average electrical panel to last between 20 and 30 years before needing to be replaced. If your home is at least 20 years old, you need to schedule an electrical inspection to assess your needs for a new electrical panel. It may very well be that your setup is in excellent condition with the possibility of another decade of use.
But it’s equally possible that you are due for an upgrade in the near future. Either way, our team can help you decide what your next steps are. Remember, even if you aren’t experiencing any electrical issues, it’s always better to be proactive than to risk unexpected problems.
Very Few Outlets Available
Another sign that your electrical panel is outdated is having very few electrical outlets around your home. New homes being built today have electrical outlets every 10 to 15 feet. Older homes may only have one or two outlets in a room.
This is because game systems, cell phones, and computers weren’t in households yet when older homes were built. Today, we have many more things that need to be plugged in on a regular basis. You may be thinking that the solution is as simple as purchasing a power strip to plug in more items.
However, the bottom line is that your electrical panel was not designed to provide electricity to that many devices at a time. You risk overloading your electrical panel, tripping breakers, and even having the system overheat by using power strips.
Tripping Breakers
And speaking of tripping breakers, no matter how many electrical outlets you have, tripping breakers frequently indicate problems with your electrical panel. If you’re using way more power in a single room than you usually do, tripping a breaker may not be that big of a deal.
You just need to spread your power usage out to different circuits or rooms. However, if a simple task like turning the microwave on or blow drying your hair trips a breaker, that’s a red flag. You can have our team check it out to see what’s wrong and determine the next steps in addressing your concerns.
Flickering Lights
It’s also worrisome if lights flicker when you use electricity. For example, if you turn on the blender in your kitchen and the nearby lights flicker, there isn’t enough power stabilization happening. A significant fluctuation in power is happening as it surges into the room too quickly, and then dies down again. These power surges are dangerous and need to be addressed by either making repairs or replacing your entire electrical panel if necessary.
Contact ThermAll Heating & Cooling, Inc: We are “Your Home Comfort Hero!”