Every home needs an electrical panel. Whether your home has a circuit breaker or a fuse box, it will help you by tripping or blowing a fuse when there are electrical problems in your house. However, electrical panels are always the safest when they are up to code, in good condition, and properly labeled. We’re here to help you make sure you are prepared for emergencies by helping you learn more about your electrical panel.
Getting to Know Your Electrical Panel
The more you know about your electrical panel, the more peace of mind you’ll be able to have about your electrical system. You’ll have the confidence to know when to call an electrician, and you’ll know that your panel is safe and up to code.
Types of Electrical Panels
The type of panel that you have can make a big difference to your home’s safety. Today, every home should ideally have a breaker box. This is a panel that has breakers on each circuit that trip when there is a problem in that area of the home. There are many different safe brands of electric panels, but Zinsco, Challenger, and Federal Pacific Electric panels are all considered unsafe and should be replaced with a home electrical installation.
The other type of panel that you may have is a fuse box. This type is outdated, so most people choose to invest in an
electrical panel replacement.
Components of Your Circuit Breaker Panel
If you have a circuit breaker, there will be different components that will all help to distribute electricity throughout your home. These parts include the:
- Panel Board:
This is the component of the panel that separates electricity into the different circuits.
- Breakers:
These switches on the panel board are there to protect each of your circuits from problems such as overloads.
- Panel Cover:
Every circuit breaker should be properly contained and covered by a panel cover to protect your family from exposed wiring.
If any of these parts are missing or damaged, make sure to call for an
electric panel repair.
What Is the Importance of a Panel Board?
Your electrical panel is the hub of your electrical system. Without your electrical panel board and its components, electricity would be able to flow freely through your home, damaging electrical equipment and causing fire hazards in every room. While you may forget about your panel as soon as your electrical installation is over, it will continue to work for you, protecting your home from overload and tripping when there are any problems.
Do Electrical Panels Need to Be Labeled?
While putting labels next to all of the breakers in your electric panel may seem like an arbitrary task, it’s an important step toward keeping your house safe. When one of your breakers trips, it may be easy to see which circuit is having problems because the breaker won’t be in the “on” position anymore. But what happens when you suddenly need to turn off the power in one area of your home? Having labels can protect your family from dangerous situations when you need to quickly shut off the power in a single location.
It’s also important for anyone doing electrical work in your home. Having your panel clearly labeled will help your electrician to service your house much easier. Plus, the NEC requires labeling of panel boards in homes and businesses for them to be up to code.
How to Label Your Electrical Panel
You can label your panel board by getting one other person to help you. Have one person stand by the breaker box and gently but firmly flip the switches while another person goes throughout the house to see which lights and outlets are being turned off. Once you identify the location of each circuit, write each area or appliance on the appropriate label.
Need Help? Give Shocking Difference a Call!
If you want help labeling your panel or if you need any other home electrical installation or electrical repair, you can call Shocking Difference LLC for help at
(360)754-4542 or
contact us online.
