Upgrade electrical panel

I’m working from home, should I upgrade my electrical panel for my home office?

Made the switch to working from home like most Australians have? Working from home is great in so many ways, more flexibility, no travel to work, ability to cook lunch, and maybe even get a little sleep in.

Although these are all great, working from home has also highlighted some “deficiencies” in home’s wiring and electrical systems. Electrical problems may have been more tolerable in the past if working from home was occasional. However if you’re working from home full time, your home’s electrical panel may simply not be able to keep up. Fortunately, it’s simple to figure out if you should upgrade, and its quick and easy to get the job sorted.

When You Need to Upgrade an Electrical Panel

Firstly, locating your electrical panel and determining what kind of electrical system you have is essential. Your system may still use fuses if you live in an older house. These need to be replaced when they go out. A system that still uses fuses should be upgraded to a panel with circuit breakers. If your electrical panel already has circuit breakers, but is more than 10–15 years old, it’s most likely due for an upgrade too. Older circuit breakers may not trip or turn off, increasing the likelihood of overheating and electrical fires.

Your Increased Energy Use

We know appliances and other electric devices have gotten more energy efficient as time goes by, however, most households have more gadgets and appliances than ever before. An average family will have multiple televisions, desktop computers, video consoles etc, as well as appliances such as hot tubs, air fryers, hair dryers, heaters etc. The more electrical devices added, the more strain it can cause to your electrical system.

When You Need to Repair an Electrical Panel

If your system is frequently tripping circuit breakers, that’s a good sign the electrical panel is overloaded. Even if a circuit breaker trips infrequently, it’s probably being caused by a system overload. If an electrical surge causes the breaker to trip – this doesn’t indicate a problem—that’s just the breaker doing its job.

Large appliances like air conditioners or washing machines will intermittently draw more power and overload the system. If you have several large appliances running at the same time, and then add extra devices like air compressors or electric saw or even hair dryers, this can also overload your system. Your circuit breaker may be able to handle each individual device, but not all of them at the same time.

You may find ways around this, like not using the toaster and microwave at the same time, however, they’re temporary fixes at best. Eventually after resetting your home’s circuits, you’ll need to find a more permanent solution. These temporary fixes do not improve your home’s safety and useability.

Are upgrades easy?

Mistakes can happen and, especially when dealing with electricity, a mistake can be dangerous when doing it yourself. Our Local Electrical Services has you covered for all your home electrical upgrade needs. Give us a call on 03 9909 5369 and have the professionals complete the job for you.