Residential Electrical Panel Upgrades in Lexington, KY

Elite Electrical Solutions That Keep Your Home Safe

Central Kentucky homeowners like you rely on your electrical panel to keep your home adequately powered and your family safe and sound. The electrical panel regulates the electricity running throughout every area of your home, providing continuous protection from electrical overloading and the associated potential for fire hazards. However, as your home ages, your electrical panel may struggle to keep up with the increasing demand for electricity to supply power to appliances, HVAC systems, lighting, and all of your family’s electronic gadgets.

At Mr. Electric of Central Kentucky, we take pride in providing a comprehensive range of world-class electrical services, including transformative electrical panel upgrades for homeowners in Lexington, KY, and throughout the great local communities in Central Kentucky. If your home is ten years or older, our electrical professionals will ensure your electrical system remains up-to-date and functions as it should. Learn more about our electrical panel upgrade services and get started today.

Understanding How Your Electrical Panel Operates

Your home’s electrical panel is an easily identifiable gray-colored box that can typically be found in your garage, the utility room, the basement, or even in a closet. The panel receives power from the main power line from your electrical service provider, which is connected to a power meter outside of your home and linked directly to your electrical panel.

There are several rows of switches inside the panel; these are circuit breakers designed to feed power to all the smaller branch circuits throughout your house. The switches are labeled with numbers corresponding with the location of the outlets and appliances designated to that breaker. These labels should also indicate the number of amps each branch line can withstand before overwhelming the electrical current and tripping the breaker switch. Your home’s electrical panel also features a main power breaker to power down the entire electrical system.

The Signs & Symptoms of Old, Faulty Electrical Panels

Older electrical panels are prone to issues and malfunctions as wear and tear sets in, but frequently the cause for many common electrical problems can be diagnosed as circuit overload. As the electrical panel becomes more defective, malfunctions can appear as dimmed or flickering lights and even outlets that fail to supply power to multiple appliances using the same circuit. Sooner or later, circuit breakers may begin to trip more frequently or even fail to trip, posing the risk of melting wires, causing a housefire, and leaving your family at risk of electric shock.

When is it Time to Upgrade My Electrical Panel?

The electrical panel is an essential component of your home and everyday comfort, and when it’s not functioning correctly, it can put your family’s safety at risk. Generally, you should have your electrical panel checked if it's near 25 years or older. But how will you know if your electrical panel needs a checkup? Here are some common signs to look out for:

• Crackling Sounds & Corrosion – Visible evidence of rust and corrosion, as well as strange noises emanating from the electrical panel, are indicators of serious problems that demand the care and attention of an electrical professional.
• Abnormally Warm Panel Interior – Another common warning clue your electrical panel needs attention is if the inside feels warm to the touch, which may indicate a fire hazard from an overloaded circuit.
• Appliances Not Operating at Full Capacity – If you notice certain appliances aren’t running at full power or suffering from poor performance, it’s a good sign that the electrical demands of your home outweigh your electrical panel’s limited capacity.
• Outlets Near Sinks, Tubs, & Other Water Sources – Electrical outlets near water sources such as sinks, tubs, and dishwashers should be installed as GFCIs, or ground-fault circuit interrupters. GFCIs are fast-reacting circuit breakers specifically designed to stop an electrical current exposed to moisture.
• Extensive Use of Extension Cords – If you find yourself constantly in need of extension cords to make up for a lack of outlets in your home, your electrical panel’s limited ability isn’t able to compete with your increased demand for electricity.
• Limited or Insufficient Main Electrical Service – If the main electrical service from your utility company is limited to 60-100 amps and fails to power certain appliances or areas in your home, it’s time to call in the electrical experts at Mr. Electric of Central Kentucky, Lexington’s finest in residential electrical panel upgrade service.

Be Vigilant With Your Old, Insufficient Electrical Panel

While electrical panels installed in the 1990s are generally well-designed and considered safe, certain specific panels installed in homes prior to this era may have serious defects lurking within their primitive hardware. If you have one of the following electrical panel models installed in your home, it is highly suggested you contact Mr. Electric of Central Kentucky to schedule a prompt and thorough diagnostic checkup:

• Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Electrical Panels – If your home is equipped with an FPE electrical panel installed between 1950 and 1980, it’s time to have it replaced with modern equipment. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission deemed these panel types unsafe.
• Zinsco Electrical Panels – In the mid-1970s, Zinsco electrical panels were removed from the consumer market altogether due to a defective and hazardous design that posed significant safety threats. These malfunctioning panels allowed the flow of electricity even with disengaged breakers.
• Pushmatic Electrical Panels – Weakened breaker switches that become more and more difficult to reset define the hazardous defect of old Pushmatic electrical panels. These faulty electric panels were also designed without a main breaker switch, leaving the entire system with a constant, uncontrollable flow of electricity.
• Fuse Boxes – Where modern homes often require at least 200 amps of power or more to maintain electricity, rudimentary fuse boxes from eras gone by were designed only to withstand 30-60 amps. Fuse boxes are the earliest made electrical panel systems featuring outdated wiring that pose significant fire and electrocution risks and should be promptly replaced by a modernly crafted electrical panel.

Let’s Consider the Cost of Electrical Panel Replacement

Replacing your old, outdated, and hazardous electrical panel is a job that comes with a price tag, and the total cost will depend on a few defining factors. Because each Mr. Electric is independently owned and operated, electrical panel upgrade service prices may vary from location to location. Additionally, replacing a fuse box system with a brand-new electrical panel will differ from the cost of integrating a small secondary panel for an electrical generator. Site conditions also play a role in determining the final costs, such as wiring or installation sites that require work before replacing the panel.

Should I Repair or Upgrade My Electrical Panel?

There are some cases where our electricians can repair your current electrical panel rather than upgrade it to a brand-new system. Mr. Electric of Central Kentucky can perform a thorough assessment of your existing system and evaluate your household's energy demands to determine whether your panel is a good candidate for repair. Your electrical panel’s manufacturing date and overall safety and reliability are some key factors that affect the decision to repair or upgrade your electrical panel.

Giving Your Home the Bright New Spark It Deserves

Don’t wait until an electrical problem arises to have your home’s electrical panel inspected. Contact our team at Mr. Electric of Central Kentucky today to set up a comprehensive electrical inspection and keep your home’s power flowing safely and effectively! Our electricians are dedicated to ensuring homes in Lexington and beyond are equipped with electrical panels that exceed all state and local regulations and to provide Central Kentucky residents like you with peace of mind knowing your home’s electrical system is in great shape.