Service Upgrade

Main reasons to upgrade your electrical service: Safety and size, is it big enough for your current electrical demand. In either case, an electrical service upgrade is very important to both your immediate safety and the future integrity of your entire electrical system. If your service is already unsafe, it is fairly obvious why this can be dangerous. Having a system that is not large enough to handle your daily demand, however, can lead to situations that are hazardous as well. A system that is too small typically results in overloaded circuits. This leads to tripped breakers, blown fuses and potentially dangerous shocks if these overloaded electrical circuits are not properly managed.

Whenever your electrical service is too small, it can no longer provide the minimum amount of electricity that your home needs on a day-to-day basis. This often happens whenever you add more high-powered appliances or new electrical equipment to your home. The greatest sign that your home might need an electrical upgrade for this reason is frequently tripped circuit breakers. If you have recently added a room, installed central heating and air, renovated your kitchen, or added a hot tub or other power-hungry appliance, you should consult an electrician about also upgrading your electrical service. This could be an upgrade as simple as adding a new, dedicated circuit to your electrical panel, or performing a full service upgrade that will increase the amount of electricity that your electrical panel can actually bring into your home.

The standard for household power used to be 60 amps. But modern homes may need as many as 200 amps to run air conditioners, computer equipment, high-definition televisions, electric vehicles charge stations, high-tech home automation devices.
Not having enough power isn’t just an inconvenience — voltage drop-offs may actually damage sensitive electronics, so having plenty power is important to electrical home safety. Even with enough power, you may need additional outlets to avoid relying on a tangle of power strips and extension cords — a potential safety hazard.

Whether you require an electrical service upgrade due to an undersized electrical service, or one that is fundamentally unsafe, it is important to remember that the safety of both your home, you family and your valuable electronics are on the line. An overloaded electrical system can be just as dangerous as one that has known defects. If you believe that your electrical service may be unsafe or undersized, don’t hesitate to contact your electrician to come check it out.

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