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We Provide Electrical Panel Upgrades in Ontario, CA

Professional Electrical Panel Upgrades in Ontario, CA

You should consider a residential electrical panel upgrade if your panel is outdated, needs to accommodate a remodel or home addition, or isn’t providing enough power for your needs. You should only trust a professional for a house electrical panel upgrade. If you don’t use a licensed electrician or electrical contractor, you risk your safety and the safety of your home. At Mr. Electric of Ontario, we have a team that specializes in electrical panel upgrades in Ontario, Chino, and Riverside, CA. We will make sure that your residential electrical panel upgrade is completed safely and efficiently.

Mr. Electric electrician working on a circuit breaker.

Understand How an Electrical Panel Works

Your home’s electrical panel is like a main switchboard for your home’s electricity. Incoming power from the utility company is distributed through each circuit to provide power to your outlets, switches, lights, appliances, and other devices. The electrical panel provides the necessary amount of power to each section or area of the home based upon the load needed to power the appliances, outlets, and lighting installed at the time the panel was installed, or at the time of the home’s construction. If your power needs change or if you add on to your home, you will need increased power to accommodate your higher load.

Your electrical panel is in a metal box that has a hinged door or a lid that lifts. When you open the door, you’ll see circuit breakers for the entire house. They should be labeled by room, appliance, or section. You may have a smaller panel called a subpanel if you have a large home, or a guest house, workshop, or detached garage. Each circuit breaker has a lever that can be flipped to on or off. An overload of the electrical panel will cause the lever to flip to the off position to prevent an overload, short circuit, or fire. The front cover that goes over the levers can be removed to access the wiring. These wires include the hot bus bars, neutral bus bar, main bonding jumper, and ground bus bar.

Determine if You Need Residential Electrical Panel Upgrades

You should consider upgrading an electrical panel during a home remodel, home addition, or if you want to add on more appliances, lighting, security cameras, smart home features, or anything else that might increase your electrical load. Call us to make an appointment for residential electrical panel upgrades if:

  • Your breakers keep tripping.
  • Your breakers can’t be moved from the reset or off position.
  • Your electrical panel contains fuses instead of breakers.
  • You hear strange noises from the breaker box.
  • You smell a burning smell.
  • Your home is more than 40 years old.
  • You see melted wires and/or scorch marks on or in the electrical panel.
  • Your lights keep dimming or flickering.
  • You experience frequent power surges.
  • You’re installing more appliances, or larger ones: a hot tub, extra freezer, new HVAC system, etc.
  • The electrical panel is rusted.
  • You don’t have enough outlets.
  • The electrical panel or outlets are hot.
  • You see sparks when you plug things in.
  • Turning on an appliance makes other ones behave strangely.
  • You plan on selling your home.

Don’t Install These During House Electrical Panel Upgrades

Certain house electrical panels are outdated and/or pose huge safety issues. If your electrical panel is more than 25 years old, check it to see if it is any of these makes and models that have been found to be defective and unsafe:

  • Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Electrical Panel – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission determined that this panel has a safety defect that warrants an electrical panel upgrade. They have design and manufacturing defects that can cause fires and electric shocks. These panels were installed in homes between 1950 and 1980.
  • Zinsco Electrical Panel – Zinsco panels were taken off the market in the mid-70s because their defective design allows power to flow even when breakers are off. Its breaker switches also melt, and the electrical panels pose fire and shock hazards. 
  • Pushmatic Electrical Panel – Pushmatic panels’ breaker switches are weak and become increasingly harder to reset over time. There is no main breaker switch that turns off power to the panel.  
  • Fuse Boxes – Fuse boxes are the oldest type of electrical panel, and typically can only handle 30 to 60 amps. You can no longer buy new fuses for most fuse boxes because these outdated systems are a huge fire and electrocution risk.

Request a Quote for Upgrading Electrical Panel Cost

Before we begin the process of upgrading an electrical panel, we will provide you an estimate for the costs to upgrade an electrical panel. We want all our customers to be able to make informed decisions about their home, so we provide as much information as possible about the benefits of residential electrical panel upgrades. Investing in upgrading your electrical panel will save you money in the long term, as you’ll prevent dangerous, expensive problems from occurring in the future. When you call us, you should also ask about becoming a member of our Mr. Electric Advantage Plan. Our Advantage Plan offers discounts on the cost of electrical panel upgrades. You can also enjoy priority scheduling.

Schedule an Appointment for Upgrading Electrical Panel

If you’re ready to schedule an appointment for upgrading electrical panels in Ontario, CA, call us at Mr. Electric of Ontario. We are experts in house electrical panel upgrades and can quickly diagnose problems with your home’s electrical panel. We can recommend electrical panel repairs, replacement, or upgrading electrical panels. Call us today to make an appointment or to request a quote for the cost of upgrading an electrical panel in Ontario, Chino, or Riverside, CA.