Your Home Electrical Service Panel

Inconspicuously tucked away in a garage, laundry room, or basement, your home has a power distribution center for your home. A look inside will reveal circuit breakers or fuses, designed to fail in the event of a power surge to prevent wiring from becoming overloaded. This box is the electrical service panel, also called a circuit breaker box, fuse box, or load center. 

WHY THE LOCATION IS IMPORTANT

Every capable person in the home should know the location of this box for the sole reason that the service panel is also often the location of the main electrical breaker. In the event of an emergency, the main switch should be shut off--specifically if there is an electrical event, a leaking roof, or flooding in the home. If the main breaker isn’t located in or at the panel, it may be found at the electric meter. Everyone who lives in the house needs to know the location of this breaker and how to shut it off.

WHAT IT DOES

The service panel not only regulates the amount of electricity coming into your home but also protects your wiring. If someone uses appliances requiring too much power for the wiring to handle, the circuit breaker will trip and cut the power to the wires. Tripping may also protect electronics and other appliances from damage.

The service box will usually contain two different types of circuit breaker poles, single and double poles. Single poles are 120 volts and are for standard outlets and lights, while double poles are 240 volts. These serve heavy users, such as the water heater and HVAC. 

NEW NEEDS

Electrical needs have changed as homeowners have become more tech-savvy. A typical home service panel used to have a standard 60 amps. The minimum standard is now at least 100 amps; however, it isn’t unusual for a service panel to be 150 amps. This new standard is because circuit breakers are meant to operate at 80 percent of their capacity. The mathematical formula to use is watts/volts=amps to calculate typical electrical requirements.

Over time, the family electrical needs may outstrip the current breaker box capacity. Also, if the circuit breakers trip repeatedly, the electrical system should be reviewed by an electrician to determine if the home needs a service panel upgrade. While newer appliances are more efficient than they’ve ever been, the typical consumer is tapping into a higher volume of electrical devices. If you feel your electrical needs are more significant than they have been in the past or are higher than your electrical service panel can handle, asking an electrician is the easiest way to get a clear and decisive answer. Give us a call!

Evenflow Home Services is a reliable electrical contractor for a wide range of electrical services, including new home wiring, GFCI outlets, electrical panel upgrades, electrical outlet and panel relocation, ceiling fan installation, and electrical remodeling. We always prioritize customer needs.