Electrical Service / Panel Upgrade
Top Reasons to Upgrade
- Your home currently has an old fuse box.
- You do not have spare room to add circuits.
- You added a major appliance to your home, such as a hot tub or air conditioner
- You would like to add an addition to your home, but your current panel will not support the power draw.
- You currently have a panel that has been discontinued due to recalls such as Federal Pacific or Push-Matic.
- You notice dim lights when appliances turn on such as air conditioners or microwaves.
The route of the service
A service drop occurs when the utility pole’s electrical line meets with the house or building and provides power to the house or building.
A service lateral is the underground version of a service drop. The weather-head protects the service entrance cable from rain or snow.
The power is transferred through the wires into the meter which the electric company services for billing purposes. From there, it is taken to the service panel where the breakers are located. The power is divided among the breakers and then is supplied to the area according to the breaker.
Problems to look for
Abrasions in service entrance cable due to age, weather or outside circumstances
- Sealants where wires meet meter or entrance to the building that are dried out, cracked, removed or non-existing
- Rust on the meter socket or in the panel
- Visibility of an anti-oxidation agent on service entrance cable where it meets equipment
- Inappropriate breaker sizes and loose connections of circuitry
Grounding and Bonding
It is important to have a properly grounded system installed to your electrical service to ensure a proper path for current during an electrical fault. This grounding system helps keep your overcurrent devices open during an electrical fault in the circuit.
This is done by properly grounding water lines and grounding rods to NEC (National Electrical Code) Standards. This is completed by properly installing ground rods into the earth according to NEC.
