Scherer Electric Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Federal Pacific Electrical Panels’

Can I Install My Own Electrical Panel?

Monday, April 27th, 2020
hand-holding-wrench

If you’re asking this question, it’s because you either have a suspicion that your current electrical panel is out of date, or you know it’s out of date because it’s failed on you. Perhaps you have an old fuse box, and now realize that this antiquated technology isn’t viable anymore as you keep putting larger and larger fuses on it. Maybe you’ve found out about the danger of the Federal Electric panel installed in your house and want this fire hazard eliminated.

Great—replacing your electrical panel is almost certainly beneficial, and could even prevent a house fire. But if you came here looking for advice on how to install the panel yourself … well, we hope we stopped you before you wandered over to any hazardous recommendations on how you can do it yourself. Because even if you could, you shouldn’t.

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Watch Out for Federal Pacific Electrical Panels and Have Them Replaced!

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020
electrical-panel-repairs

We watch out for the safety of our customers. Keeping electrical systems running without hazards for a house is an essential part of the job of any professional electrician. But our electricians in Orchard Park, NY have a special safety focus, which is replacing outdated electrical panels. Assessing the current electrical panel for age, condition, and compliance with modern codes is crucial before deciding to replace or upgrade.

There are many older homes in Western New York which still have their original wiring and electrical panels. Those panels may have been fine decades ago, but they aren’t right for modern electrical demands. The current panel may not support modern heating, cooling systems, or new technology like electric vehicles and solar panels. The amp panel’s capacity often falls short as homes require more electricity due to increased electricity usage and electrical use from new appliances and devices.

And then there’s the Federal Pacific electrical panel, which presents a significant fire danger for homes—and is found in far too many of them! If you have a Federal Pacific electrical panel in your house, please schedule service with us as soon as possible to have it replaced. Unusual noises such as buzzing or crackling from the existing panel or main panel are warning signs that it may need to be replaced. The circuit breaker inside your home’s electrical panel plays a key role in ensuring safety by protecting against overloads and preventing electrical fires.

Routine maintenance of your home’s electrical system is important to prevent hazards, ensure safety, and support future upgrades.

When should you upgrade your electrical panel?

  • Your panel is more than 20 years old or no longer meets your home’s electrical demand.
  • You have a Federal Pacific Electric or FPE panel, which is linked to breaker failure and fire risk.
  • Your home was built before 1990 and still has its original panel.
  • You want a safer system with more capacity for modern appliances and electrical use.
  • A breaker panel upgrade can improve safety, reliability, and available electrical load.

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