Your electrical panel affects everything from your home’s lighting to the HVAC system and your overall comfort. If you don’t have it regularly inspected and maintained by a licensed electrician, this greatly increases the risk of house fires, power outages, and safety issues.

What Happens During Panel Maintenance?

During a maintenance visit, an electrician will do much more than look at the panel for rust and corrosion. An electrician will also check for melted insulation, which could indicate some of the wires are overheating. If the bus bars or breakers show signs of heat damage, the electrician will know to replace the affected components. Most homes need a panel maintenance visit at least once a year.

Lowers the Risk of House Fires

One of the main safety reasons to schedule annual maintenance for the panel is that it helps reduce the risk of house fires. If there’s a loose breaker connection, this problem can generate heat inside the panel that goes undetected for months before you start seeing noticeable symptoms inside the home itself. If the heat becomes severe, it can ignite the surrounding materials, leading to a fire that damages the home and puts its occupants in harm’s way.

Pinpoints Pest Damage in the Earliest Stages

If you’ve ever opened your electrical panel before, there’s a good chance it has some dead or live insects or pests inside of it. You might see a mouse or two that’s eating through the wires, causing major safety hazards. Even their nesting material can result in overheating that puts the whole electrical system at risk of electrical fires. During a maintenance check, the electrician will look for pests and make recommendations on how to keep them out of the panel on a permanent basis. By taking care of pest problems early, your panel is more likely to last longer and deliver better performance for your home’s electrical system.

Helps You Know When You Need Panel Upgrades

If your panel is older than 25 to 40 years, it may not have the capacity to fully handle your modern electrical needs without becoming overloaded and causing other safety issues. This is especially true if you’re still using one with 100-amp service. With annual maintenance visits, an electrician can assess the current condition and capacity of the panel to see if it needs any upgrades. Maybe you’ve had a hot tub or electric vehicle charger recently installed. In these scenarios, the panel may need to have additional circuits installed.

The time you put into taking care of your panel will go a long way in keeping your home and family safe. A skilled electrician can answer any questions you have about making sure your panel is the right fit for your household’s needs. If you live in Memphis, TN or a surrounding area and need electrical panel services, make your first call to Rush Electric.