ServiceMax Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Electrical Panels’

Signs You’ve Got a Damaged Electrical Panel

Monday, April 17th, 2023
electrician-working-on-an-electrical-panel

Your electrical panel is like a traffic conductor. It takes all the electrical current that comes to your home and makes sure it is sent to the correct locations. These days, even though most of us have circuit breaker panels, electricity usage is rising to the point where they often need to be upgraded to accommodate a higher flow of electricity. (And if you have a fuse box instead of a circuit breaker panel, it definitely needs an upgrade!)

Sometimes, the need for electrical work doesn’t come from wanting to upgrade to a bigger or newer system. Sometimes, electrical panels are actually damaged. This requires an electrician immediately to avoid power outages and fire hazards. How can you tell if that’s what you’re dealing with? Here are some of the key signs.

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Do You Need to Upgrade Your Electrical Panel?

Monday, March 21st, 2022
electrical-panel-repairs

Your electrical panel, commonly referred to as a circuit breaker is a critical component of any household. Anything that uses electricity needs an electrical panel to work properly and safely. But how do you know when it’s time to upgrade it?

The average lifespan of an electric panel is typically 25 to 40 years. Various factors affect the lifespan, like power surges, general wear and tear, and damage caused by outside factors. Here are some warning signs that you need to update your electrical panel. Use these indicators to help determine if you need to reach out to one of our expert electricians.

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The Truth About Power Surges and Surge Protection

Monday, December 17th, 2018

lightning-boltHomes have more precision electrical equipment in them than ever before. You probably have multiple devices connected to the power supply at any time, with many power charging stations handling your portable devices. What is the best way to protect them in case of a power surge? It’s important to know this, because a voltage spike can cause irreparable damage to complex electrical equipment.

“I’m not worried! I’ve got the power strips in place at the outlets all over the house!”

If this is your answer … well, we have to talk a bit more about power surges and what you have to do protect equipment from them.

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Electrical Problems in Your Air Conditioner Can Mean Big Trouble!

Monday, June 4th, 2018

HVAC-installer-strips-small-wiringAt ServiceMax, we offer a wide range of services for our customers. We’re both an electrical and HVAC contractor for Wilmette, IL and the rest of Chicagoland. This puts us in the special position of understanding the electrical issues that may affect an air conditioning system during the summer. That’s good news—because electrical malfunctions are the most common type in air conditioners. It only takes a few wiring glitches in your home’s AC to turn a pleasant summer day indoors into a sweatbox!

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An Electrical Caution if Your Home Was Built between 1950 and 1990!

Monday, April 9th, 2018

electrical-panel-repairsWe hope we caught your attention with the headline, because if you live in a Chicagoland home built within that range, you may have a serious fire hazard in your home and not be aware of it.

The trouble is with panels installed between 1950 and 1990 by a now-defunct manufacturer called Federal Pacific Electric Company (FPE). These panels may contain Stab-Lok circuit breakers, which are defective and a serious fire hazard. Millions of these circuit breaker boxes were installed in homes throughout North America between 1950 and1990. Although these malfunctioning panels are responsible for thousands of fires every year, they were never issued a former recall after tests uncovered the defects. Professional electricians urge homeowners who live in houses built before 1990 to check if they have a FBE electrical panel with Stab-Lok breakers and call for an immediate replacement if they do.

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Electrical Problems May Be the Trouble with Your Heating, Not the Heater

Monday, March 12th, 2018

electrical-panel-repairsYou need electricity to run your heating system. That’s true even if you have a gas-powered system like a gas furnace or boiler. Modern gas heaters use electronic ignition systems to fire up their burners and they also need electrical power for other components, such as the blower fan that sends heated air from a furnace and into the ventilation system.

If you run into trouble getting your heater to run, it’s possible you have an external electrical issue rather than an issue inside the heater. Regardless of what the source of the problem is, you’ll need experts—either in HVAC or residential electrical systems—to assist you with locating, identifying, and fixing the problem. Since we’re both electricians and HVAC technicians, you can trust us to find out what’s wrong with your heater and get your house warm again.

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