If you live in an older home here in the San Bernardino County area, there’s a good chance that you have a fuse box instead of a circuit breaker panel. While fuse boxes are not inherently dangerous and were once an acceptable electrical system component, they no longer meet safety criteria for homes with growing electrical demands. In fact, it could be putting your home at risk of an electrical fire.
Don’t wait for something potentially dangerous to happen before you call an electrician. Here are three reasons why you should upgrade your fuse box to a modern breaker panel ASAP.
1. Circuit Breakers Can Handle Modern Energy Demands
Homes today require significantly more power than they did two, three, four or more decades ago. Think of all the things in your home that need to be plugged in: appliances, smart phones, computers, tablets, hot tubs, flat-screen televisions, audio equipment… the list goes on. Multiply that by the number of gadget owners in your household and you have one huge energy demand.
The fact is that old electrical systems are not equipped to handle that kind of demand, particularly when they are also coupled with older wiring systems. This can cause a significant strain on a house with a fuse box. A modern electrical panel with circuit breakers can help your home draw the power it needs safely, reducing the chance of an electrical fire.
2. Upgrading to a Breaker Panel Can Fix Persistent Electrical Problems
As explained above, fuse boxes aren’t built to withstand modern energy demands. Thus, homeowners will probably experience all kinds of annoying problems in their homes that can be traced to this issue. For example, you may have noticed that your lights tend to flicker or dim when you turn on an appliance. Perhaps you’re constantly blowing fuses when there’s too much electrical demand at once. Or, scariest of all, perhaps you’ve noticed a burning odor when something is plugged in. Upgrading to a modern electrical panel will eliminate these persistent issues and keep your home and everyone in it safe.
3. Replacing an Old Fuse Box Can Increase the Resale Value of Your Home
Thinking about moving? If you’re considering listing your house for sale and it still has a fuse box, now is a really good time to consider upgrading to a breaker panel. The potential safety hazard presented by a fuse box may be enough to turn off potential buyers. Upgrading will let buyers know that your home is ready for the future and can become a nice selling point. Furthermore, it may be difficult to obtain homeowner’s insurance with fuse boxes, so this will provide a potential buyer with peace of mind that this won’t be an issue.
Is it time to upgrade your outdated electrical system? Call All Pro Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical today for more information and a project quote: (909) 500-8193.