If you are here on this post, you would probably want to update your electrical panel. In this article, we provide the prime things to consider. Upgrading the solar panels will make your power system more efficient, and thus you get only benefits by upgrading the currently installed panels. If the panels are there for 25 years, by upgrading, you will be able to draw 200-amp service and may have the maximum capacity.

The circuit breaker panels need to be replaced after a particular interval of time. As they don’t last forever with constant efficiency and working conditions, they should eventually be replaced. However, there is not an ideal time to upgrade the panels. But if you see any of the following items which are listed below, you should consider the option of replacing them. Be careful. Certain things may occur, and they indicate that something is not going well with the panels or in the circuit. To make sure the fault and confirm the problem, take the services of an electrician.

Should Split Bus Electrical Panels Be Replaced?

In the recent electrical panels, one bus bar acts as an electricity supplier from the main breaker. From this point, it goes around all the other electrical breakers.

In case of an emergency, the main breaker plays an important role; in such unavoidable circumstances, the power in the whole building is cut by flipping the breaker. But the old electrical panels had two bus bars and did not carry the main breaker—for instance, the Murray electrical panels.

Although the split bus panels are not dangerous. However, they are outdated as they do not meet the current NEC safety measure policies, and they lead to higher failure rates than the modern electrical panels of today’s date. Over the last 40 years, the split bus panels have not been used. As we have just gone through that, they have a shorter lifespan than the modern ones.

Other problems related to the split bus panels include underground and aluminum wiring since they were part of the split bus panel installation. If you have installed the split bus panel in your home, you should consult the electrician and replace it. You can update the panel without requiring rewiring in your house. The NEC allows panel upgrades where the rewiring is not needed, and also, the circuit is GFCi protected.

Should an Old Fuse Box Be Upgraded?

The fuse boxes are another worth mentioning thing. The contractors install old fuse boxes that belong to the era of the 1960s. The circuit protection measure fuse looks very different compared to the breaker system. The fuse has a slot in which a thin were is placed. The physical size of that piece of wire judges the amount of current entering into the circuits. The thin wire melts and breaks the connection when there is an overflow of current in the course.

 Once the fuse breaks, you need to replace a thin wire again to complete the circuit manually. One of the disadvantages of fuses is that they need to be rated for a particular circuit. Using an overrated fuse or more thick wire as the fuse is dangerous in the case of short courses.

Are Fuse Boxes Dangerous?

Fuses are considered safe as they prevent the whole circuit from burning or damaging by high current flow. Let’s assume if the fuse is rated for 15 amps current, then for any supply more than 15amp, it will not work. However, fuses are not compatible with the current electrical energy consumption. Other fuse boxes cannot offer the same features as modern electrical panels.