Every light, outlet, and appliance in your home gets power from the electrical panel, which is the heart of your electrical system. If the electrical panel doesn’t work right, it will affect the whole electrical system of your home. Your electrical power panel will wear out and stop working overtime, just like any other equipment.
1. Your power panel is hot and smells like it’s on fire
Being warm to the touch is one of the most worrying signs that you need a new electrical panel. When an electrical panel is safe to touch, it should be at room temperature and not be hot.
2. Your circuit breakers are constantly tripping
Your electrical panel’s breakers are not meant to trip very often. If you have to walk to your breaker panel more than once daily to turn on a circuit, you should get a new one. But you should first call a licensed electrician to find out how bad the problem is. Sometimes the problem is just with one circuit breaker, so you don’t have to replace the whole panel.
Voltage spikes are much worse than voltage drops because they can damage the electronics in your home. If your electricity goes up and down, you should call an electrician immediately.
3. Lights Often Flicker or Go Out When You Least Expect It
If an electrical panel isn’t working the way it should, the voltage will drop now and then. Small changes in power are regular, but you shouldn’t have big drops all the time. Some lights will dim when too many big appliances are plugged into a circuit, but not the whole system. Voltage spikes can happen when an electrical panel is acting strangely.
4. The Panel makes a Buzzing or Crackling Sound
When the electrical panel buzzes or crackles, electricity is arcing inside. When electricity arcs, the electric current jumps from one connection to the next with a spark. If you see this in your electrical panel, it’s dangerous, and you should take it seriously. A licensed electrician will be able to make out the signs of electrical arcing, which can prevent severe problems like fires.
Making sure your house is safe should always be your number one goal. If you hear noises like crackling or popping, you shouldn’t ignore them. Arcing electricity can also charge the panel’s metal, which is dangerous for everyone in the house.
5. Blackened Wires or Marks on the Panel
If your electrical wires get too hot, they might catch on fire or leave black marks on your electrical panel. In the worst cases, the electrical panel will smell like smoke, and the circuit breakers will have black spots. If the wires become too hot, it can also cause them to melt. When wires melt, your electrical panel is too hot, and the system is working too hard.
If your lighting control panel has gotten to this point, it’s probably because you ignored the other signs on this list. Over time, electrical problems get worse and worse until they finally break and make the environment unsafe.
Conclusion
The electrical panel is a vital part of your home’s electrical system and should be checked regularly to make sure it’s working right. By being proactive, you can find problems early and avoid having to do expensive electrical work. Whether it was installed wrong or is just getting old, your electrical panel will need to be replaced at some point. By looking for the signs in this article, you can tell when it’s time to call an electrician to replace your electrical panel.
Also Read: Die Casting vs. Metal Stamping: The Main Differences
