Need to upgrade your electrical panel? What to do when your home's safety feature isn't safe anymore.

Understanding Your Electrical Panel

Your electrical panel is the heart of your home's electrical system. It takes the power coming in from the power company and safely distributes it throughout your home with fuses or circuit breakers protecting each circuit from overloading. If the system fails, is not running at peak performance or is outdated you may have a potentially dangerous situation just waiting to happen.

A safe home starts at the electrical panel.

Our world is changing fast and the amount of appliances and electronics we add to our daily lives is not going to go down. We have to make sure the power supplying these life conveniences is adequate. 
The top reasons to look at upgrading or replacing your electrical panel.

• Your home still has fuses: new circuits installed are required to have AFCI protection. Fuse panels do not have the ability to provide this safety feature. While we have seen sub panels installed as a loop hole solution. It is a band aid that doesn't address the fact that the home has an outdated electrical system that should be updated to ensure your safety. 
• You notice lights are flickering: Your electrical system will often drop hints that something is not right. Flickering or dimming lights can be a sign that a circuit is getting overloaded. 
• You continue to have breakers trip: Power strips are a huge red flag that your homes electrical is not adequate for your current use. Whether you need to add more receptacles or upgrade the circuit, addressing these issues soon could prevent some costly and potentially dangerous problems later.
• Your electrical panel is over 20 years old: Not all things get better with age. Even basic use of your home's electrical will wear out the equipment over time. When electricity is being used it creates heat, which causes expansion, the end result is connection failure. As the connections get worse they often get hotter and hotter until the point where they trip a circuit breaker or catch fire.

Do you have an outdated or dangerous panel?

There are still a couple brands of panels being used in the Twin Cities that pose a risk all their own.
​The Unusual Suspects:

The (3) panels above have all been flagged as posing a fire risk and is recommended they be replaced right away.  If you want more info about the suspects above click "Read More" below the summary.

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Skyline Summary

• If your home's panel is outdated (fuses, 60a service) It is recommended to get an upgrade to keep up with the increased electricity needs of today's day to day life.
• If you have one of the listed "dangerous" panels, set up an appointment to discuss options.
• No matter how old your panel is, it is recommended to do yearly inspections (tighten connections, check breaker function and wire condition as well as other maintenance items). Contact us today to set up an appointment.

Federal Pacific (FPE): one of the most common manufacturer of circuit breakers and panels from the 1950's to the 1980's. Experts now say FPE panels can appear to work fine for years, but after one over current or short circuit and they can overheat and become fire hazards. FPE lost a class action lawsuit in New Jersey that ruled they knowingly and purposefully distributed circuit breakers which were not tested to meet UL standards.
Pushmatic (ITE,Gould, Bulldog): Primarily installed from the 1950's through the 1960's, The product label "pushmatic" was produced as early as the mid 1930's. The design lacks the magnetic trip mechanism that modern breakers have to increase the likelihood they will function properly in the event of an overload or short circuit. The design of the breaker is also such that, over time, they become stiff and difficult to operate or reset.
Zinsco: At one time a very popular brand, as time has passed, inspectors discovered that certain panels often fail to operate properly. As homes have increased energy demands, these panels may overheat and portions melt. In this situation, if the breaker melts to the bus bar it will no longer trip in the case of an overcurrent or short circuit. It can burn until the wires melt potentially causing a fire.