At some point, you’ve noticed – the grey metal box in your laundry room or garage. Then again, until you need it, you rarely think about your home’s electrical panel. Of course, once the power goes out in a section of your home, or your coffee maker dryer won’t turn on, the electrical service box becomes very important. The number of times you have to reset circuit breakers or fuses is probably proportionately related to the age of the electrical system in your home.
Having a knowledge of the basics of your home’s electricalpanel will help to keep you and your family safe, as well as you home functioning properly. A panel which is operating efficiently can even help with your monthly budget, as the panel is related to needed repairs from simple outlet replacements to complete home remodeling.
What Is the Electrical Service Panel?
Your home’s electrical panel is the connection between the external wires coming from the outside world; and the wires of your home’s internal electric system. The panel serves as a distribution point that centrally connects the service wire coming from the street—to the wires that split off and service different parts of your home. These wires in your home are called branch circuits or branch wire circuits.
In single-family residences, the homeowner is the owner of the panel – not the electric company. Therefore, any and all issues which arise with the home’s electrical panel are the responsibility of the homeowner.
Circuit Breakers and Fuse Boxes
An electric service panel is also known as a fuse box, fuse panel or a circuit breaker panel. Most newer Sarasota area homes have an electrical service panel installed, also known as simply the service panel.
A circuit breaker panel is not the same as a traditional fuse box. The former has a mechanical, toggle-switch circuit breaker mechanism, not fuses which screw or pull in or out. However, both types of panel perform the same function. All of your home’s power originates in the service panel, which provides 100, 200 or more amps of power to your house.
Your home’s electrical service panel is kept away from the main living area of your home, such as in the garage, a hallway leading to the garage, a closet, or a mud room.
Your Home’s Electrical Panel Components
- Panel door that swings open and shut
- Protective cover with spaces for the circuit breaker switches
- Lugs and thick wires that connect to the exterior service drop
- Circuit breakers
- Wires that run from the circuit breakers to the circuits that around your home
Service Panel Safety
- The electrical service panel is safe to touch whether the outer door is open or shut, under normal and typical circumstances.
- When the protective cover is removed, it can be dangerous to work on the panel. With the covering on, you will be touching the receptacle. Even if the receptacle delivers an electric shock, it should not cause much harm. However, with the protective cover removed, lugs are exposed which can cause severe harm and even death.
- A pair of black heavy-gauge wires enter the panel from the top of the breaker box. A homeowner should take care not to touch these wires.
- Be especially deliberate with any tools you may be holding. When the service panel is detached, tools such as screwdrivers, wire cutters, wire strippers and pliers can potentially come in contact with service wires. This could cause a serious electric shock.
Adding Circuit Breakers
As long as there is space to do so, more circuits and circuit breakers can be installed in your electrical service panel box. If there are no empty spaces, a professional electrician can install a new, larger service panel box.
You can determine if more circuits can be installed by counting the metal knock-outs on the panel – any space not currently knocked out should allow for the installation of another circuit breaker.
Did You know? Homeowners are permitted to do their own maintenance work on the home’s electrical panel, but due to safety concerns, most call a local electrician. While flipping a circuit breaker back to the “on” position is an easy task, anything removing the protective cover may be dangerous for homeowners.
Call Promise Electric today is you are having trouble with your service panel, or you need to install a new panel. Our master electricians are properly trained to ensure the safety and efficiency of your electrical systems.
