Category: Electricians

How Much Does It Cost to Upgrade an Electrical Panel?

Whether you’re upgrading your home’s electrical panel for safety reasons, additional power or to sell your home, you’re probably wondering what this project will cost you at the end of the day.

Well, factors that affect the price to upgrade an electrical panel include:

The size of the new panel

Whether or not trenching is needed

Whether whole-home rewiring is needed

Additional outlets/fixtures

Whether the utility company requires a new meter

Whether you have overhead or underground service lines

Labor

The size of the new panel

Here’s the bottom line: The larger the new panel, the more it will cost. Electrical panels are sized in “amperage”, which measures the strength of the electric current that the panel sends into your home. Residential panel sizes can range anywhere from 100 to 400 amps.

Most homes built today have either 100-amp or 200-amp panels. The minimum required by the National Electric Code (NEC) is a 100-amp panel. But if your home was built in or before the 1960s, your home may have a very outdated 60-amp panel. Our suggestion? If you’re considering upgrading your home’s main panel and you have a 60-amp or 100-amp, upgrade to at least a 200-amp panel. A 200-amp panel can satisfy the electrical load of most residences and their modern electronics.

Whether or not trenching is needed

replace the lines running from the utility into your home to accommodate the new panel, this will cost an extra $1,500 to $3,000 to the price. Every main electrical panel, regardless of size, is fed power from the utility lines via electrical lines that are either underground or overhead. Those lines are designed to match the amperage of your panel. So, when you upgrade to a larger panel size, you’ll most likely need to replace those lines. And if you have underground service lines, this will involve trenching.

Electrical Panel Upgrade

Why You Should Consider Electrical Panel Upgrade

If your electrical panel is more than 25 years old it’s likely that it is no longer able to support the demands being made upon it by your home or business. There’s also a good chance that it is causing a cascade of problems that might seem of mysterious origin to you such as breakers tripping repeatedly, shocks from appliances and flickering lights

Residential upgrades

There are a fair number of homes in the GTA that still utilize old fashioned fuse panels. The time for this technology passed long ago and if you’re wondering why you keep blowing fuses it’s because your fuse panel was never designed to handle the type of demands put on it by modern technology

Still others have electrical panels that use circuit breakers but were installed more than 25 years ago. While slightly more efficient and effective than fuse panels these old panels are themselves prone to malfunctions that can cause house fires and leave your home open to damage from power surges.

Commercial upgrades

The typical medium sized business devours many times the electricity of a typical house. If your business is hosted by an older building with an obsolete electrical panel you could experience frequent blown circuits that seriously impact productivity. If your business is open to the public (like a restaurant, bar or retail outlet) and this happens the bad word of mouth alone could sink you

Some of the immediate benefits our customers notice from an electric panel upgrade include:

Smooth Consistent Power – No more flickering lights. No more blown circuits when you switch on the blender or ceiling fan. No more disappointed customers when the lights go out in the middle of their dinner. A new electrical panel will deliver the power you need where and when you need it.

Enhanced Safety – If you survived until today with a 30 year old electrical panel count your lucky stars because there are plenty of homeowners who saw their dreams go up in smoke due to fires caused by obsolete or defective panels

Future Proofing – Just as your home or business today consumes more electricity than it did 10 or 15 years ago so too will it, in all likelihood, require more electricity several years from now. An electrical panel upgrade from Hotwire gives you the ability to anticipate future needs so that your business or home continues to hum along even as demand increases.

Contrary to popular belief it doesn’t require opening up the walls to rewire your entire house. In the vast majority of cases the electrical panel can be replaced in a single day with the pros

Service Panel Guide

An electrical service panel, also known as a breaker box or fuse box, houses the circuit breakers. Your utility provider is responsible for delivering electricity to your property’s meter base; the meter base connects electricity to your service panel which then distributes and manages electrical current throughout your home or business.

You should always know where the service panel is located, keep the area easily accessible with no less than 3’ of clearance around it, and know how to operate it in case of an emergency. All wires should be attached to the service panel with cable clamps and securely fastened. There should be no open holes in the service panel box housing or any unused breaker space holes. These areas should be covered with knockout plugs or circuit breaker blanks.

Location of Service Panel

In a house, the service panel is typically located in the garage or basement. Where neither a garage nor basement are present (such as apartments), look behind open doors and inside closets. A typical residential or small business service panel is a metal box that contains rows of switches that are usually flipped in the same direction

Signs You May Need to Upgrade or Replace Your Service Panel

If you live in a home built before 1990, your main electrical service panel might have less than a 200 amp breaker. Changes in technology and increased use of electronic devices have rendered old electrical panels inadequate; they were not designed to carry the electrical load our current lifestyle requires

Most old electrical service panels were designed to carry up to 100 amps. Rewiring your home to meet current electrical demands and safety codes will significantly increase the safety of the electrical system in your home by reducing the risk of overheating and fire. It will also reduce problem such as tripped circuit breakers and dimming of lights when appliances are turned on and off

Residential Electrical Service Panel Upgrade

What is an electric panel upgrade?

The electric panel is the grey or metal box that holds all the circuit breakers and fuses. It is also known as the service panel of your home. An example of a circuit breaker/electrical service panel is shown in the image on the right. A panel upgrade simply refers to upgrading this system.

The electric panel regulates the electricity in your home. For example, if too much electricity is surged through a circuit, a circuit breaker in the electric panel stops the electricity from overloading the wiring. If the electric panel did not stop the overload, the wiring could catch fire. Therefore, maintaining a healthy electric panel can keep your family safe

When do I get an electric panel upgrade?

You might be wondering why people opt to upgrade their electric panels. There are many reasons you might need to upgrade a panel. For instance, if your house was rewired, your electrician might recommend upgrading your panel to make it up to date with the new wiring. A panel might also be suggested when you are adding new appliances (such as an air conditioner, refrigerator, or car charger) to your home. The new panel will ensure your circuits are equipped to handle this new demand of electricity.

Upgrading your electric panel is also important if your home is over 10 years old. With the advent of modern technology, homes are using more electrical gadgets than ever before. Many homes are not able to keep up with this new electrical demand. Old electric panels can malfunction or overload, which can spark a fire. Therefore, upgrading your electric panel to meet the modern energy demands can keep your family safe.

Here are some signs to know it’s time to upgrade your electrical panel:

You see corrosion/rust on the circuit breakers

Your electric panel makes crackling sounds

Your electric panel feels warm to the touch

Your home has a 60-amp or 100-amp electrical service

Your electric panel has a split-bus panel or a fuse block panel, and no main breaker

Electrical Code Upgrades

Is it time to consider electrical code upgrades for your home? Some of the potential fire causes listed included:

Inadequate wiring and panel breakers

improper installation of electrical panels

Defective power outlets

Insufficient electrical code updates

Why do electrical code updates matter?

regular electrical code updates are meant to guide the electrical industry while keeping them up to date and informed with changes and amendments that affect the function of regulations. These modifications are made from time to time to reflect new information that the industry as a whole has recognized.

The importance of electrical code update information?

The electrical code was devised to establish safe work standards and to improve the awareness and prevention of electrical hazards and fires caused by electricity. Having your home updated to meet current electrical code standards means that you are providing your family with the best possible protection from electrical hazards, and protecting your home from potential property damage.

Keeping current with electrical code updates!

By doing so, we know that our skills and regulation information are always current and that whatever work we perform on your property will be conducted safely and effectively. We also offer panel upgrade services and  whole house surge protection!

As regulated professionals, we’re more valuable to you as a homeowner when we’re able to:

Ascertain that your home meets the necessary guidelines and coding for electrical panel installations and wiring.

Complete a home inspection to ensure that your electrical system is done correctly and is secure and safe.

Eliminate the possibility of delaying a home sale because of electrical discrepancies.

Ensure that no loss of life, injury or liability issues may arise from any electrical work completed in your home.

Gfci Receptacle Vs Gfci Circuit Breaker: What’s The Difference?

What Is a GFCI Receptacle?

You can tell if a receptacle is a GFCI one or not by the way it looks. The GFCI is integrated into an electrical outlet and it typically has a red (or possibly white) reset button on the outlet’s faceplate. The outlet monitors how much energy is going into it when in use. If the receptacle senses any sort of an electrical overload or imbalance, it is designed to trip the circuit in a fraction of a second.

GFCI receptacles are generally used instead of a standard outlet receptacle to offer protection to a single outlet location. However, GFCI receptacles can be wired in two different ways to offer two different levels of protection. Single-location protection offers GFCI protection only at one receptacle. Multiple-location wiring protects the first GFCI receptacle and every receptacle downstream of it (including standard receptacles) in the same circuit. However, it does not protect the portion of the circuit that lies between itself and the main service panel. For example, if the GFCI receptacle wired for multiple-location protection is the fourth receptacle in a circuit that includes seven outlets, then the first three outlets will not be protected.

Resetting a receptacle is typically more convenient than going all the way to the service panel to reset a breaker, but remember that if you wire a circuit for multiple-location protection from a single GFCI receptacle, that receptacle controls everything downstream. If there is any wiring issue downstream, you will have to backtrack to find the GFCI receptacle to reset it.

What Is a GFCI Circuit Breaker?

GFCI circuit breakers protect the entire circuit. GFCI circuit breakers are simple: By installing one in the service panel (breaker box), it adds GFCI protection to an entire circuit, including the wiring and all devices and appliances connected to the circuit. In cases where AFCI protection is also called for (increasingly common), there are dual function GFCI/AFCI circuit breakers that can be used.

GFCI circuit breakers make more practical sense in situations where all outlets on a circuit require protection. For example, let’s say you’re adding a receptacle circuit for a garage workshop or a large outdoor patio space. Because all of these receptacles require GFCI protection, it is probably more efficient to wire the circuit with a GFCI breaker so that everything on the circuit is protected.

How do you decide whether a GFCI breaker or receptacle is right for you?

Both GFCI breakers and receptacles can increase the safety in your home and reduce the risk of electrical shocks, but there are pros and cons to each, and determining which option is right for you will depend on the individual circumstances.

When to Install a GFCI Breaker:

• When the majority or all of the outlets on the circuit require GFCI protection
• When outlets that require GFCI protection don’t have the space for the bigger GFCI receptacles
• For specialty uses, like for heated swimming pools
• For those who prefer to protect the entire circuit rather than individual outlets

When to Install a GFCI Receptacle:

• When a single circuit powers some outlets that require GFCI protection and some that don’t
• When you need GFCI outlets but don’t want the added expense of installing a GFCI breaker
• When the individual receptacle that needs GFCI protection is located far away from the breaker box

3 Wiring Problems Causing Your Circuit Breaker to Trip

Before we list the wiring problems that may be behind this problem, quickly check to make sure you haven’t forgotten about a device that’s plugged in and on.

Sometimes, people forget about gadgets in their garage or plugged in outside.

Provided that’s not happening, here are three wiring problems to consider.

1. Current Leakage

One possibility is that one or more of the input wires is suffering from current leakage.

In that case, the frustrating problem you’re experiencing is actually occurring for your own good. It’s a safety precaution.

2. Damaged Wires

The damage could be anywhere, not just with the input wires. Insects or other pests may have gotten to them and done serious damage just by chewing. Even with extremely low loads, this type of problem can be enough to cause your breaker to trip.

3. A Loose Wire in an Outlet

This wiring problem can be maddening. In short, one of your outlets has a loose wire that is causing your breaker to trip and will continue to do so until it’s replaced. This is a somewhat common problem if you have an outlet with a GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter).

How Many Outlets Can Be Placed on a 20 Amp Household Circuit?

The circuit breakers in the electrical panel in your house are safety devices. Each one is designed to disconnect power when the current passing through the circuit exceeds its rating. This prevents overheated wires, electrical power surges and fires. Electrical outlets don’t draw power until you plug something in, so a 20-amp circuit should theoretically be able to handle as many outlets as you want without overloading the breaker. There are practical limits, though.

Allowable Breaker Load

The National Electrical Code doesn’t limit the number of receptacles you can place on a 20-amp circuit, but you’ll overload the breaker if you run appliances that draw more current than the breaker can handle. The NEC does specify that a circuit breaker shouldn’t handle more than 80 percent of the load for which it is rated unless the breaker is labeled otherwise. By this standard, the total current draw on a 20-amp circuit shouldn’t exceed 16 amps. This allows the breaker to handle the temporary surge that happens when an appliance such as a power saw or air conditioner starts up.

Avoiding Overloads

When deciding how many receptacles to add to a 20-amp circuit, consider what you are likely to plug into each one. For safety, the total draw on the circuit shouldn’t exceed 16 amps at any one time, which translates to a maximum power draw of 1,920 watts on a conventional 120-volt circuit, even though the breaker won’t trip until the power draw exceeds 2,400 watts. You should limit the number of receptacles on a circuit that will handle a power-hungry appliance. For example, most electric heaters draw 1,500 watts, so a circuit that powers one should have few other receptacles.

Spreading the Load

To better distribute the power consumption among all the breakers in the panel, combine lights and electrical outlets on a single circuit, because lights typically draw less power than appliances. Your kitchen must have at least two outlets, each on separate circuits, so that if one breaker trips, you still have power. Adding lights to each circuit balances the load and avoids the necessity for separate lighting circuits. Certain kitchen appliances, however, such as the dishwasher, must be on a dedicated circuit, which means that you can’t include anything else on the circuit — not even lights.

General Guidelines

In most circuits, only one outlet is likely to be in use at any one time, so it’s a good strategy to spread as many as possible around the house on a single circuit to guarantee you have power where you need it. One rule of thumb is to assign a maximum draw of 1.5 amps to each receptacle, which allows for 10 receptacles on a 20-amp circuit. You must use 12-gauge wire to connect 20-amp circuits; when you’re installing receptacles in the bathroom, kitchen, laundry room or outdoors, they must generally be ground fault interrupting receptacles.