Should You Upgrade Your Home’s Electrical Panel in 2025?

An electrical panel box, also known as a breaker box, is a metal enclosure that houses the power diversion in your home. The main power line comes into your panel box and gets diverted into various specified circuits to power different parts of your home’s electrical system. The typical panel box can last between 20 and 50 years.

It’s Over 25 Years Old

One reason to consider an upgrade is that your current electrical panel box is over 25 years old. As it ages, an electrical box will experience numerous issues, from corrosion and loose wiring to loose breakers and similar problems. It’s best to upgrade your electrical box before it physically reaches the end of its usable lifespan.

You Need More Amperage

Another reason that you may want to upgrade your electrical panel box is because you need more amperage. It was commonplace for homes built before the 1980s only to have between 60 and 100 amps of power going to them. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to cut to run a typical household supply of modern-day electronics and appliances. Upgrading to 200 to 250 amps will require you to have a new panel box installed to handle the diversion of more power going to it.

Excessive Corrosion

While the outer layer of most panel boxes is protected with a rust-resistant coating, it will deteriorate over time, allowing the box to start rusting. This corrosion process gets accelerated when there’s excess moisture in the area. When there’s corrosion on your panel box, it can create holes in the box’s exterior. This leads to exposed wiring, which can be very dangerous. It’s best to promptly replace a rusting panel box for your and your family’s safety.

No Room For Additional Breakers

One surefire reason to upgrade your old panel box is that you don’t have any room to add more breakers. You could want to add more outlets to your home or install a new dedicated circuit for an appliance. Either way, if you don’t have an available breaker to do the job, it’s a problem. Upgrading to a new panel box can help ensure you have enough breakers to handle your current and future electrical needs.

Burnt Odor

A burnt odor is a more concerning problem that signals it’s time for an electrical panel box upgrade. This burning is typically an indication that one of the internal components of your panel box is malfunctioning. It’s best to get swift replacement service to prevent an electrical fire. This is not a problem you want to let go of, as it can be hazardous to your home.

You Have Fuses

Another reason you may want to upgrade your panel box is because it still has fuses. These fuses can be a genuine inconvenience for modern-day households. Fuses function similarly to circuit breakers, which trip when too much power goes through the circuit. However, when a fuse trips, the fuse breaks and can’t be reused. This can be annoying as you must replace the fuse whenever it trips. It’s best to consider upgrading to a panel box that uses circuit breakers. These can allow you to reset the breaker without having to replace anything.

You Want to Integrate Smart Technology

Smart technology has made its way into many different household systems. Your electrical system is no different. You can now integrate smart technology into your panel box to give you more insight and control over your electrical usage. You’ll need to upgrade your entire panel box to include new smart circuit breakers. Your box connects wirelessly to your smartphone so you can monitor the usage of each circuit and reset a tripped circuit from the convenience of your smartphone, even if you’re not physically at home.

Home Renovation

Any time you plan on doing a whole-home renovation, it only makes sense to upgrade the underlying systems. Your electrical system should be upgraded to include more modern features. From upgrading old wiring and integrating new USB outlets to upgrading your panel box and even your power amperage, an entire home electrical upgrade will ensure you increase the resale value of your home.

To Meet Local Jurisdiction Standards

As the years go by, local building codes continue to progress to include the best and safest building practices. If any component of your electrical system doesn’t meet current local building codes, it’s time to upgrade. This will ensure that your home meets local building codes and can provide you with peace of mind about your home’s electrical system.

You’re Thinking About Selling

If you’re considering selling your home, you may want to upgrade your panel box. As with any sale, it can be beneficial to do some upgrades to help make your home more enticing. The more enticing your home is, the more homebuyers will be willing to pay. A panel upgrade can help make your home feel more updated and increase its overall resale value.

Professional Installation

When performing upgrades on your home, you may opt to try them on your own. When it comes to your electrical panel box, that’s not the best idea. A panel box upgrade will require obtaining a permit from your town’s local code office. A licensed electrician is the only one capable of receiving this permit.

Doing an upgrade without a permit could render it useless when selling your home, as a potential buyer may check and find out that it wasn’t done correctly. Furthermore, it isn’t recommended that anyone without proper training do electrical upgrades, as electricity can be hazardous when incorrectly handled.

Top Things to Consider When Upgrading Your Panel Box

When you upgrade your old, outdated panel box, you’ll want to consider various things. The most obvious is the amperage coming into your home. Opt for at least 200 amps to help meet the demands of all your electronics and appliances. Whole-home surge protectors are an excellent option to choose, as they will protect delicate electronics during storm events. Next, you’ll need to consider the major appliances in your home that need a dedicated circuit, including appliances like a clothes dryer. These larger items like dryers, ovens and HVAC systems typically run on a 220V circuit, while most other standard US electrical items use a 110V circuit.

If you live in a location where the power goes out often, you can choose to add a port for a generator. This allows an external power device to connect to your electrical panel directly. While you probably won’t be able to run an entire house with a small to medium generator, you can keep your refrigerator, some lights and your Wi-Fi router running at a minimum.

Now is the perfect time to determine if you want to add more lighting or outlets to your home. It’s best to do this during a panel upgrade so that circuits can be routed correctly. Lastly, you’ll want to consider integrating smart technology into your new panel box for optimal home convenience.

Trustworthy Panel Upgrade Service

Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric offers trustworthy electrical panel upgrade service for the entire Los Angeles, CA region. We can also assist with all your plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical needs. Call us today to book a service appointment with one of our knowledgeable electricians.