Still Struggling with Overloaded Circuits?
When you’ve had enough of overloaded circuits and tripped breakers, it’s time for an electric panel upgrade. Don’t live with an underperforming, outdated, and potentially dangerous electrical system any longer, when Fitch Services electricians can upgrade your panel for full performance. An upgraded electrical panel will allow you to use all of the electrical appliances and high-tech equipment you’d like, with no more concerns about safety or outages.
Ensure the safety of your home and family
Unfortunately, the problems of an underpowered electric panel can go far beyond the relative inconveniences of tripped breakers. An older or underpowered panel can pose real dangers to your home and family.
Do your lights dim when you turn on an appliance? This can happen if multiple outlets or lights share a circuit, and could indicate that the circuit is overloaded. An overloaded circuit can damage wiring, outlets, switches, or the electric panel itself; ultimately, this can create a fire hazard.
Extension cords can pose a tripping hazard as they run across your floors. Even scarier, though, is that extension cords can lead to short circuits or overheating, both of which are fire hazards. If you find yourself relying on extension cords to supply power to devices in your home, it’s time to add outlets and upgrade your electrical panel to meet your power needs.
Every time you trip a breaker, you likely reset it and forget about it; however, the circuit may be incrementally damaged every time. Frequent circuit overloads can damage components of your electric system, increasing the risk of fire or electric shock.
Is Your Home 50+ Years Old?
Many homes built in the 1960s and earlier have 60 amp service. That’s insufficient for a home with today’s demanding power needs, especially when you consider that many new homes in central Virginia today are built with 200 amps! If you own an older home, it’s time to upgrade your electrical panel to at least 100 amps.
If you think about homes today versus those in previous decades, it’s easy to see why an older home might be due for an electric panel upgrade. In our homes today, we have more electronics and appliances, both of which often pull more power than older models. Consider your kitchen alone; it’s not unusual for a kitchen in central Virginia to have ten or more appliances: refrigerator, double oven, cooktop, microwave, dishwasher, toaster, mixer, blender, coffee pot, etc.! Homeowners today are also more likely to utilize more outlets to power our various devices, and to have and regularly use their air conditioners and heat pumps. As our lifestyles have changed, our power demands have increased and the 60 amp service just doesn’t keep up.
Upgrading your electric panel will ensure that you have peace of mind about the safety of your electric system as well as the service you need to meet all of your electricity needs with no more tripped breakers or overloaded circuits.
Remodeling or expanding your home?
If you are finishing a basement, building an addition, or upgrading your HVAC, then now is the time to also upgrade your electric panel. These types of home improvements can tax an existing electric system. Don’t go through the effort and expense of a major home improvement without ensuring that your electric system is well-equipped to handle any additional load.
Let’s get started! Call now for an appointment!
Once you are ready to upgrade your electric panel, call Fitch Services for an estimate. One of our certified technicians will come to your house to evaluate your current electrical system and the condition of the electric components. The technician will discuss your needs with you, and make a recommendation for an appropriate upgrade.
When you are ready to proceed, Fitch Services handles all of the permits required. We will contact local authorities for approval; we’ll also contact your power company to schedule installation of a new drop. Generally, we recommend customers plan about a week to wait for the permitting and power company installation. Then, it usually only takes about a day for our electricians to complete the upgrade at your home.
Call Fitch Services, voted Charlottesville’s best electricians, to improve the safety, efficiency, and productivity of your home electrical panel. We’ll give you a free quote on the upgrade, so you can plug in your electronics, worry free.