5 Signs Your Electrical Panel Is Overdue for an Upgrade
Our crew servicing an outdoor panel and meter base. Outdoor gear takes the Texas weather year-round, so we check for rust, loose connections and water getting in before anything else.
Your electrical panel decides how much power your home can safely use at once. Most panels give plenty of warning before they become a problem. The trick is knowing what those warnings look like.
1. Breakers trip again and again
A breaker that trips once in a while is doing its job. A breaker that trips every time the microwave and the dryer run together is telling you the circuit, or the whole panel, is carrying more than it was built for. Resetting it over and over doesn't fix the cause.
2. Lights dim or flicker when something big turns on
If the lights dip when the AC, a well pump or a shop tool kicks on, the panel and service may be undersized for today's load. It can also point to a loose connection, which is worth finding quickly.
3. The panel feels warm, buzzes or smells hot
A panel cover should never be hot to the touch, and you should never smell burning plastic near it. Buzzing or crackling sounds, scorch marks or melted plastic all mean stop and call an electrician the same day.
4. You have fuses or an older panel brand
Fuse boxes and some older panel brands, such as Federal Pacific (Stab-Lok) and Zinsco, have long-documented reliability concerns. If your home still has one, it's worth having it evaluated even if nothing seems wrong.
5. You're out of space, or adding something big
No empty slots, breakers doubled up, or plans for an EV charger, a new HVAC system, a shop or an addition? Those are the most common reasons a panel needs upgrading before the new work can be done safely.
What an upgrade with A&M looks like
- Load check first. We look at what your home actually pulls before quoting anything.
- Permit and coordination. We handle the permit and work with the utility on the disconnect and reconnect.
- Clean install. New panel, labeled circuits, and the old panel hauled off.
- Inspected. The work is inspected before it's closed up.
Need help with panel upgrades?
Licensed and insured, family owned in Corsicana. Tell us what's going on and we'll get back to you.