While it may be a subject of little thought for many years, home and property owners often face the question at some point of whether they need to upgrade the electrical panels serving their building. There are several factors, including safety and financial impact, that can influence the decision. Read on to learn more about whether you should be considering an electrical panel upgrade in Denver, and how much it may cost if you decide to do it.
Signs It May Be Time For an Electrical Panel Upgrade
Outdated, insufficient or damaged electrical panels can be a source of many issues, and it can be very important to be able to spot the signs early on to protect the safety of your home or property as well as to keep your energy costs from being unnecessarily high. We highly recommend periodically having your panel inspected and maintained, partially as this can bring awareness to problems and let you know when it may be time for an upgrade or replacement.
Here are some of the things to look out for in relation to your electrical panels:
- Age – Most electrical panels should function well for at least a couple decades, but if your panel is over 20 years old or is the original panel to your home, it may be time to consider upgrading it to match current electrical standards for safer and more efficient electrical in your home.
- Manufacturer – Some very commonly used panels from decades ago that still exist in many home have been found to be dangerous in more recent years and typically should be replaced. These include Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels – if you check your old panel and discover it’s one of these brands, it’s likely a good idea to call your local electrician in Denver and have them inspect it.
- Overheating, Rust, Smoke or Burns – These are obvious signs that there are issues with your panel and could be signs of very dangerous problems. If you’re seeing signs like this on your panel, have it checked as soon as possible by a trained electrician.
- Electrical Service Rating – The electrical systems for most homes these days are rated for 100 or 200 amps – anything less than 100 amps likely means you’re due for a panel upgrade.
- Old Glass-Style Fuses – If your panel uses the screw-in glass fuses common of older panels instead of circuit breakers which are standard for newer panels, it’s quite old and should probably be replaced.
- Electrical Issues In Your Home – Issues related to the actual electrical functionality in your house may be immediate indications of problems with your electrical panels. Here are some examples – if you notice any of these, you should call an electrician to perform an inspection:
- Flickering or dimming lights that don’t seem to be obviously related to the bulb or appliance itself.
- Circuit breakers tripping on a regular basis.
- Smelling an odor like burning plastic is scary in any circumstance as electrical fires are a very real and potentially devastating concern. Check if these smells are coming from near your electrical panel and if so, get it inspected immediately.
- Noises from your electrical outlets or the panel itself such as buzzing, humming or popping sounds are an almost definite sound that your electrical panel is due for an upgrade.
- If you ever experience mild shocks when touching an electrical outlet or switch in your home, this is a sign of something faulty in your system and means you should have it inspected.
Benefits of Upgrading Electrical Panels
There are many reasons you may want to upgrade your electrical panel, some of which are very obvious if you’re experiencing electrical problems or signs of a potentially dangerous electrical system.
Safety First!
One of the most obvious and important benefits of upgrading electrical panels is to protect the safety of a building and those in it. When an electrical panel is very old, outdated or otherwise not functioning properly, this can lead to larger issues such as electrical fires. Tens of thousands of homes are impacted by electrical fires every year in the United States and these can be extremely dangerous and even deadly situations. By keeping your electrical system up to date and well-maintained, you’re taking a major step in ensuring the health and safety of those in your home or building.
More efficient and consistent electrical performance
Outdated electrical systems are less efficient and much more prone to causing issues with the actual electrical performance in your home or building. When you upgrade electrical panels to a newer model, you’re not only ensuring safer electric, but more efficient and consistent electric. It also can mean higher electrical capacity, so if you plan to install new heavy appliances in your home or are looking to add more outlets, a new electrical panel may be necessary. Due to some of these elements, having a newer electrical panel can even increase the value of your home.
Be Compliant With Insurance Requirements
Most home insurance plans have requirements related to the amp rating of the home’s electrical panel in order for the home to be compliant. As mentioned above, you typically want a rating of at least 100 amps, and that’s a common low-end that insurance plans will require for compliance. If your home electrical system is rated much below 100 amps, you may not be compliant and should look at upgrading your electrical panel.
Cons of Upgrading Electrical Panels
As you can see from reading the above points, there are many benefits of upgrading electrical panels, especially if yours is outdated or otherwise exhibiting any of the other issues noted above. That said, one of the main cons to upgrading that holds people back is that the cost of newer panels plus the process of installation by a licensed professional can be a little expensive. Obviously this depends on the panel that you choose and the electrician that you hire to install it, but it’s important to keep in mind the safety and efficiency concerns and to remember that you get what you pay for – this is not really a good place to go for a bargain. Rather, choose a well-experienced professional electrician to do the job right, and have them install a panel that meets the electrical and safety needs of your home.
How Much Does Upgrading Electrical Panels Cost?
On average, upgrading electrical panels tends to cost somewhere in the ballpark of $2500 to $4500, depending on the electrician servicing you, the panel and amperage you choose to go with, and whether the existing system in your home leads to any unexpected issues during the upgrade process.
Federal Pacific Electric Panel Replacement Cost
Electrical panels manufactured by the company Federal Pacific were very common in homes from around the 1950s to the 1980s, so it’s still somewhat common to find them in place in older homes where the electrical panels haven’t been upgraded in many decades. These panels are widely known to have problems and have even been directly attributed to countless electrical fires in homes that resulted in death or injury to those residing in those homes. As a result, houses that still have these panels are typically very hard to insure because of the inherent risk of using these panels. If your home has an old Federal Pacific panel, you should consider this a serious risk and have it upgraded as soon as possible. A Federal Pacific electrical panel replacement costs in the ballpark of $1800 to $4000 on average, though sometimes more depending on the circumstances (source).
Zinsco Panel Replacement Cost
Zinsco is another company that is notorious for fault electrical panels and breakers manufactured and sold under a variety of brand names including Zinsco, Sylvania, GET-Sylvania, and Sylvania-Zinsco. Their products have been found to commonly melt from overheating which can lead to issues with the breakers being able to open which is unsafe. So, if you have a panel or breakers manufactured by Zinsco, you should likely have it replace. A Zinsco panel replacement will typically cost in the ballpark of $1800 to $4000 on average, though sometimes more depending on the circumstance.
Conclusion
To wrap up, keeping your electrical systems up to date and well maintained is crucial to the safety and efficiency of your home. If you’re experiencing electrical systems in your home or building or have simply noticed that your panel is old and out of date, we highly recommend bring in a local licensed professional to inspect it and provide recommendations. Need an electrical panel upgrade in the Denver metro area? Don’t hesitate to call the master electricians at Electricity Electrical Solutions for help, we’re just a call or email away and we service all over the greater metro area.