If you are like most people you don’t know much about electrical work and it may even terrify you to try. When it comes to the electrical panel, you may know if the electricity in an area of your house is not working you can walk over to the electrical panel and flip the breaker. But if you are having bigger issues with your electrical panel, it is not something you want to mess with. You should know what the signs are when you need a replacement. Sullivan Electric Services outlines them below.
First Step Can Be Resetting a Tripping Breaker
Your electrical panel is the central control system that manages the electricity in your home. This includes lights, outlets, and appliances. The electrical panel is the circuit breaker panel. This is very important because it interrupts the flow when you have a short circuit or overloaded circuits. You may have experienced a tripped circuit in the past. When this happens, you go over to the panel and reset the breaker. If it continues to trip, you may need to replace the electrical panel.
How Do I Know if I Need to Replace a Bad Electrical Panel?
Burning Smells – One of the most common signs that you need a replacement is the smell of burning or even a smell of fishy odor. If you smell this, it is typically the wires or circuits that are overheating. Typically the breaker will trip when this happens but if they do overheat the chemicals found in these materials, often smell like fish or burning. Do not ignore this kind of smell. It could lead to serious problems. If you are smelling the smells, you need to call a licensed technician to identify the problem and you may need electrical panel replacement.
Circuit Breaker Constantly Tripping – If your circuit breaker trips, it’s not always a sign that you need a replacement. But if it is continually tripping, then it is a sign that the circuit is overloaded. This means that the power to the circuit is too much and the circuit breaker is detecting that it is too much. This will happen if there are too many devices plugged in. The breaker will interrupt the channel and shut it off
Circuit Breaker is Hot to the Touch – There could be many reasons why your circuit breaker is hot to touch. But the main reason is that you have a bad breaker. An electrical breaker can last up to about 40 years. Over these 40 years, wires can become frayed from old age or even not properly installed. You may notice flickering lights or need to replace lightbulbs more often. If this is happening, you need to contact a professional electrical contractor.
Buzzing, Hissing or Popping Sounds – If you hear sounds such as buzzing, hissing, or popping coming from your electrical panel, then you need to call a professional. Your electrical panel should not be making any sounds and if it is something is going wrong. A professional will come and inspect your electrical panel and see what is going on.
Electrical & Lighting Services in Snellville, Lithonia, Decatur, Stone Mountain, Conyers, Covington & Metro Atlanta, GA & Surrounding Areas
The electrical panel is not something you want to mess with. You do not want to just leave it alone and hope the problem goes away. If you are not a professional electrician, you should not touch it because you may make the issue worse and even get injured. Call Sullivan Electric Services to inspect your electrical panel to see if you need a replacement.
