Everything to Know About Electrical Panels

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Everything to Know About Electrical Panels
An electrical panel works as a driving system of
electricity in our homes. It has circuit breakers
and some other elements that receive electricity
from the distribution company. It then transfers
electricity to our household electronics. That
means you get electricity in every corner of your
home, or anywhere you live with the help of an
electrical panel. It provides electricity to
every single electrical item, including the HVAC
system, dishwasher, washing machine, dryers,
water heater, refrigerator, etc. In short, an
electrical panel is a mini power station inside
your homes or workplaces to handle electrical
power needs. 
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Furthermore, with the rising demand for
electricity in your home, electrical panels can
cause fire and damage. Also, electrical panels
get corroded after some time and cause a
malfunction due to poor connections, dust, etc.
All these things put your property at risk and
create problems like blowing fuses, tripping
breakers, power surges, and more. That is why
electrical panels require maintenance over
time.     
Maintenance of an electrical panel
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Maintenance of an electrical panel is vital for
proper functioning. You should consult a
professional for adequate maintenance, as it is
not a DIY job. Electrical panels may get faulty
and dirty after continuous use. So, you should
schedule maintenance of your panel at least once
every three years. Scheduled maintenance keeps an
electrical panel functional and
safe.  Professional electricians conduct a
proper check by removing the outer cover. They
inspect all components of the panel. They check
the faulty connections and run a thermal check to
ensure the right temperature level as high
temperature around the panel is not right because
it creates many issues. If anytime you feel high
temperature, turn off the primary power source
and call a professional.   
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Types of electrical panels
Main breaker panel
The electricity you get in every part of your
home, whether your bedroom, kitchen, bathroom,
living room, etc. gets controlled by the main
breaker panel. You can shut down the power of
your home by this panel. It is also known as a
distribution panel. 
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Fuse box
A Fuse box contains many small fuses and it
prevents circuit overload. In case of excess
power flow, the fuse gets cut. Fuse boxes are
widely used in homes. If your houses fuse box
doesnt allow sufficient power to run electrical
devices, consider an upgrade. 
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The main logging panels
Main lug panels make use of lugs, and the line
wires run into them. They are equipped with the
main breaker. Users can connect the main lug
panel to the breaker at the main panel, where the
main lug panel operates as a sub-panel.
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Subpanel
Subpanels work well when you want to use more
circuits in the same area. They take power from
the main panel and do not have dedicated
disconnects. Subpanels let you manage power
distribution in your home. 
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Transfer switches
Transfer switches are advantageous when you use
power generators. They use a breaker panel to
transfer the generator power to electrical power.
These switches manually start the backup
power generator in the event of a power outage. 
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Safety precautions while dealing with electrical
panels

• You can touch the panel when it is closed. You
  should always keep it covered. 
• Hire a professional in case of any electrical
  faults in the panel. Please do not touch the
  panels wires as it can cause a shock. 
• Clear your doubts about electrical panels. If you
  shut off the power from the main breaker, your
  household supply will shut off, and the power
  from electrical lines still exists in the panel.
• You know touching electrical panels with your
  hand is risky. But you also have to be careful
  while using tools to handle panels as tools can
  touch the wires inside the panel and cause a
  shock. 

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Life of an electrical panel
Electrical panels are not designed to last
forever. The life of an electrical panel depends
on maintenance. Many damages and malfunctions
occur in an electrical panel over time like
wiring inside the panel can be loose, and a
massive flow of current can create many issues.
If you live in humid regions, corrosion can
deteriorate the entire panel. 
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Your electrical panel will serve you for a long
time if you maintain it regularly. You also have
to upgrade your houses electrical panel when you
need a high power supply. For example, if you
plan to install a hot tub or any other items that
consume high power, then, in that case, you may
need to consult your electrician for an
upgrade.  Moreover, as I have already told you
that maintaining an electrical panel is not a DIY
job, please do not treat it like a light fixture
and make frequent changes whenever you want. Your
house service panel is a mini power station that
transfers power in different parts of your home.
So avoid making any changes to your panel. If you
find any issue with the panel, call a licensed
electrician to inspect the panel and make the
required changes.
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Home insurance requirements
You need to keep your electrical panel updated to
get insurance claims. Your electrical panel
should be up to date and have at least 100 amp
circuit breakers. If you use a wrong or old
electrical panel, many insurance companies may
not provide the coverage or run an electrical
inspection. So, keep your electrical panel
maintained for a successful claim process.
Hopefully, this article will help you to maintain
your electrical panel. Contact us for effective
maintenance of your electrical panel. 
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Contact Us
Good Guys Electrician Address 8427 W Glendale
Ave 55 Glendale, AZ 85305, USA Phone
602-762-8503 Email callgoodguys_at_gmail.com Web
www.goodguyselectrician.com
Thank You.