There are many things in your home that you don’t think about as long as they’re working. In some cases, it’s fine to leave them alone, but that’s not true of everything. What’s something you should look into upgrading even if it seems to be working okay? Your electrical panel. Many homes in the Manchester, NH, area and throughout New England are older constructions, and they have the wiring to match. If you live in an older home, or it’s just been a while since you’ve had a look, you should have an electrician check it out.
No matter the age of your home, you need an up-to-date electrical panel. An electrician in the Manchester, NH, area will look for these things to determine if you need an upgrade.
Current Fire Codes
For safety reasons, your electrical panel needs to meet current codes. For an electrical panel to be legal, the standard amperage should be 100, 150, 200, or 400 amps. This amperage allows all household appliances to be used without issue, as anything less will actually violate the code, so you would not pass any inspection if you were to try. These amperages will allow you to add an addition to your home as well as other upgrades to appliances that would not be able to be used on older panels.
Tripped Breakers
It is important to consider how often you trip the breaker to determine whether you should upgrade. If you trip the breaker every time you use your hair dryer or toaster oven, that’s a sign you don’t have enough amperage. You should be able to use everyday appliances without overloading the circuit. If you trip the breakers a lot, you need to upgrade.
Ground Fault Interrupters
A primary reason to upgrade is to ensure that you have a GFCI/AFCI circuit breaker. GFCI stands for “ground fault circuit interrupter,” and AFCI stands for “arc-fault circuit interrupter.” These types of breakers detect when the circuit is overloaded or when there is a dangerous electrical arc and automatically shut off. This feature helps to prevent electrical fires and short circuits.
Electrician in the Manchester, NH, Area | Chamberlin Electric
Helping you keep your home and family safe is our priority at Chamberlin Electric. When you need a licensed electrician in the Manchester, NH, area, make us your first call!
