When you move into an older home, one of the first actions that you will want to take is to schedule an electrical inspection with a residential electrician in San Jose . During your inspection, your electrician will check the old electrical panel or breaker box to make sure that it is in serviceable condition. Older electrical panels can create significant safety hazards in the home. Let’s review three reasons why old electrical panels can be hazardous to your family and property.
Insufficient Electrical Current
The electrical panel is responsible for delivering electrical current to the various outlets around your home. If your electrical panel is old and outdated, it may not be able to put out a sufficient amount of electrical current to your various outlets. Without the correct amount of electricity, your outlets and appliances could easily become overloaded. Alternatively, you may find that you must resort to using numerous extension cords or plug-in strips to make up for your circuit panel’s lack of electrical current.
Overloaded Electrical Wiring
When your home’s electrical system experiences a surge of electricity, your electrical panel should automatically shut off your circuits. As electrical panels age, however, they may no longer be able to flip their circuits. Since your electrical panel will have no way of warning you when it has ceased to function, you may experience a dangerous overload during the next power outage or other electrical emergency.
Electrical Fires
Another serious danger that is associated with older electrical panels is the risk of electrical fires. When electrical panels get overloaded with electrical current, they may be at risk of bursting into flames. Electrical fires are among the most common causes of serious household fires in the United States. If you want to make sure that your household is protected from the dangers of an electrical fire, be sure to have your older electrical panel inspected by a licensed and certified electrician. When your electrician finds that your panel is outdated, it will be time to schedule a replacement.