Though you may not give it much thought, your home’s electrical service affects your day-to-day life in direct and significant ways. If you’re relying on inadequate equipment, you could experience service disruptions, malfunctioning electronics, damaged appliances, and even dangerous electrical faults. To prevent these issues, it’s essential to ensure your home is equipped with an electrical panel designed to meet your family’s needs.
How Electrical Panels Work
Before choosing an electrical panel for your home, it helps to understand a little about them. Luckily, if you’ve ever had to reset a tripped breaker, you’re already familiar with the basics. Whether you call them service panels, breaker boxes, or load centers, these inconspicuous steel boxes are the nerve center of any household electrical system. They work by receiving power from the grid and distributing it to your home through designated circuits, each of which may include a variety of outlets, light fixtures, and other devices.
If any particular circuit begins drawing too much power, the associated breaker “trips,” cutting off the flow of electricity almost instantaneously. This protects against faults that might otherwise cause overheating, fires, electrical shocks, and other hazards. However, even when no individual circuit is overloaded, there’s still a limit to the total amount of power a given panel can provide. This is known as its service rating, with higher ratings indicating a higher volume of electricity available to power your home.
How To Choose an Electrical Panel for Your Home
If you find your current electrical service is no longer sufficient — or if you’re in the process of building or renovating a home — selecting the right load center should be a top priority. Of course, the best way to ensure you make the right choice is to work with a licensed and qualified electrician from a trusted local company like Mister Sparky of Lakeland. Nonetheless, there are a few key factors to keep in mind when considering your options.
Electrical Service Rating
Nothing else matters if your electrical panel isn’t capable of safely meeting your daily electricity demands. As such, it’s important to start by determining your electrical service requirements. An electrical panel’s service rating is measured in amps, with 100-amp service representing the current minimum required to comply with National Electric Code (NEC) standards. While this standard may be sufficient for smaller properties with only a few electric appliances, 150-amp service is generally recommended for houses over 2,500 square feet. A 200-amp panel may be more suitable if you own multiple power-hungry appliances, such as:
- Clothes dryers
- Electric stoves and ranges
- Central HVAC units
- EV charging stations
- Pools and hot tubs
Number of Available Circuits
Once you know how much power you need from your main breaker box, it’s time to consider how that power should be supplied. In practical terms, this means deciding how many circuits your new panel needs to accommodate. In a standard 100-amp unit, there are typically spaces for at least 20 individual circuit breakers. Under NEC regulations, the maximum number of circuits a 100-amp panel can support is 42.
Naturally, higher-rated service panels can support a larger number of circuits. For instance, while most 200-amp panels come with 42 slots, some models may feature up to a maximum of 84. When evaluating how many slots you need, however, keep in mind that some circuits may require double-pole breakers that occupy two spaces within the panel.
Planning for Future Expansion
Choosing a new main breaker panel isn’t just about serving your current electrical needs. It’s also about anticipating how those needs may change and ensuring you’ll have the flexibility to meet them moving forward. Are you planning to renovate or expand your home in the coming years? Will you be purchasing new appliances or technologies that may require additional power or dedicated circuits? When in doubt, it’s often better to invest in the future and select equipment that provides enough headroom to grow.
The Benefits of a New Electrical Panel
If you’ve been experiencing electrical issues due to underpowered or obsolete equipment, you’re likely well aware of the immediate perks upgraded electrical service can provide. A new service panel can stabilize your whole electrical system, eliminating nuisances like flickering lights and tripped breakers while also affording better protection against more serious hazards. A stronger, steadier supply of power can also help prevent damage to your sensitive electronics and appliances.
What’s more, electrical service is a key consideration for many prospective homebuyers. Although standard 100-amp service is hardly disqualifying, homes with upgraded electrical panels tend to attract more attention and command better offers on the open market. Should you ever decide to sell, you may be glad you made the investment.
Are you in the market for a modern, high-quality service panel in Lakeland, FL? Mister Sparky of Lakeland has you covered. Our skilled electricians are standing by to assist you with every step in the electrical panel installation process, so call today to get started!