If you live in an older home, there’s a distinct possibility that your electrical panel is old and outdated and it may be time to consider an electrical panel replacement. Believe it or not, we still find old, dangerous electrical panels in use in older homes. Electrical panels should be replaced every 20 – 30 years. Check your electrical panel to make sure that it isn’t one of the following brands. These electrical panels were found to be defective and could cause fires. All of the electricity in your home flows through your panel, and it keeps your home safe by detecting electrical problems such as circuit overloads and tripping the circuit to keep your home from hazards like fires.
Knowing basic information about your panel is very important. You should know the size and brand of your panel to ensure it’s up to code, and there are no known recalls or issues. If your home has any of the brands below, you will want to call the trusted electricians at Jeremy Electrical to assess your electrical panel and possibly replace it with a new one.
FEDERAL PACIFIC
These breakers were commonly installed in homes around the United States from the 1950s to the 1990s. Several tests over the years have shown that one in four of these breakers will be defective and not properly trip, causing a fire hazard. Don’t be a victim to something that is preventable. Check your panel today.
ZINSCO
Zinsco was a very popular electrical panel brand. While there are very few of these breakers in operation today, because of their popularity, we still occasionally run across them in older homes. As society’s electrical demands increased, these breakers were not able to keep up. It was found that they would allow electricity to burn until the wires melted, leaving homes at risk of fire and homeowners at risk for shock.
Related Read: 3 Signs You Need a New Electrical Panel
SYLVANIA
Sylvania panels were used in the US in the 60s and 70s. They were Zinsco panels, bought out by Sylvania, and the only major change in the panel was the Sylvania logo. They have the same problems as Zinsco panels. If you have one of these breakers, they are also uninsurable.
ITE/BULLDOG PUSHMATIC
These types of breakers are so old they don’t manufacture any replacement parts anymore. Besides being archaic, they’ve are also grease-fed breakers, which means that if they are not used and serviced regularly, they become difficult to operate. If you have one of these, you definitely need an update.
If you don’t have one of the panels above, but know yours is getting old, it might be time to replace it anyway. All panels wear over time, and we suggest replacing yours every 20 years or so. If you’re not sure how old yours is, our Kansas City electrical contractors can come to perform a safety inspection to determine if yours needs to be replaced or not.
