Our Residential Learning Center is designed to answer some of the common questions homeowners may have about their electrical systems and help you better understand when an upgrade, repair, or survey may be worth considering.

Good planning can improve safety, reliability, and make future electrical upgrades easier and less expensive.

Electrical Panels & Service Upgrades

When Should an Electrical Panel Be Replaced?

Sometimes the need for a panel replacement is obvious, but not every electrical problem can be seen from the outside. The age and condition of the equipment, the environment it operates in, and the electrical load placed on it are all factors when determining whether a panel or service should be replaced.

We also look for signs of overheating or damage, available circuit capacity, and whether the existing electrical system can safely support planned additions or upgrades.

Updating older electrical equipment can improve reliability and provide an opportunity to bring the installation into compliance with current electrical code requirements. A panel upgrade can also provide additional circuit capacity for future electrical needs.

How Large Should My Electrical Service Be?

A 200-amp service is common in many homes, but the right service size depends on the electrical load of the home and what you plan to add in the future.

Large EV chargers, electric heating, electric tank-less water heaters, workshops, and other high-demand equipment can significantly increase the electrical demand of a home.

If you are planning a major electrical addition, we can evaluate your existing service and help determine whether it has enough capacity or if an upgrade should be considered.

What Affects the Cost of a Service Upgrade?

Not every electrical service upgrade involves the same amount of work. Some of the factors that can affect the cost include:

• The size of the new electrical service

• Number and condition of existing circuits

• Condition of existing wiring

• Overhead or underground utility service

• Location of the electrical equipment

• Utility requirements

• Accessibility of existing equipment

• Required electrical repairs or upgrades

Looking at these factors before beginning a project gives us a better understanding of what will be involved and allows us to provide a more accurate estimate.

Should I Add Whole-Home Surge Protection?

A service or panel upgrade is a good time to consider and is required by code to be installed for whole-home surge protection. A surge protective device is installed at the electrical service or distribution equipment and helps protect appliances and electronic equipment from damaging electrical surges. 

Surge protection does not guarantee that equipment can never be damaged, but it adds another layer of protection to the home's electrical system.

Planning for a Future Generator

If an automatic standby generator may be something you want in the future, it is worth discussing during a panel or service upgrade.

Planning ahead can influence where equipment is installed and how the electrical system is laid out. Making these decisions during an existing project can make adding a generator easier and significantly reduce the amount of electrical work required later.

Visit our Generator Resource Center to learn more about standby generators and backup power options.

Is Your Electrical Panel Properly Labeled?

Older homes and electrical systems that have been modified over the years do not always have accurate panel schedules.

If the existing labeling is incomplete or incorrect, circuits can be traced and identified. We can provide a clear, professional panel schedule showing what each circuit breaker supplies. Accurate labeling makes future troubleshooting, maintenance, and electrical work much easier.

Home Electrical Safety

Modern electrical systems have several types of protection designed to protect both people and your home. Understanding what these devices do—and why they may trip—can help you recognize when there may be an electrical problem that needs attention.

GFCI Protection

GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter) protection is designed to help protect people from electrical shock. A GFCI monitors the current going out on a circuit and compares it to the current coming back. If it sees a small difference, it assumes some of that current is going somewhere it shouldn't be and quickly shuts the circuit off. There are benchmarks that GFCI’s must function in to protect people. This testing is part of our electrical and thermal survey programs. 

GFCI protection is especially important in areas where electricity and moisture may be present, such as kitchens, bathrooms, garages, basements, and outdoor areas.

AFCI Protection

AFCI (Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter) protection is designed to recognize characteristics of electrical arcing that could lead to a fire. An arc fault can be caused by damaged wiring, loose connections, damaged cords, or other electrical problems.

An AFCI monitors the electrical circuit for characteristics associated with dangerous arcing and shuts the circuit off when a potential arc fault is detected. This provides another layer of protection by helping stop a small electrical fault before it develops into a larger problem.

Why Does My Breaker Keep Tripping?

A circuit breaker that trips should be treated as though it tripped for a reason. Simply resetting a breaker repeatedly without determining the cause can leave an electrical problem unresolved.

A breaker may trip because of an overloaded circuit, short circuit, ground fault, arc fault, a problem with connected equipment, or an issue with the breaker or electrical system itself.

Older electrical equipment can also be affected by years of use, heat, moisture, corrosion, and other environmental conditions. When a breaker repeatedly trips or electrical equipment shows signs of overheating or damage, it may be time to have the system surveyed.

Some electrical problems begin by creating excess heat before the equipment fails. This is one reason thermal imaging can be useful when inspecting electrical equipment. Thermal imaging can help identify abnormal heating that may not be visible during a standard visual inspection.

Visit our Thermal Imaging Resource Center to learn more about how thermal imaging can help identify developing electrical problems.

Residential Lighting

LED lighting has become the standard choice for many residential lighting applications because it uses significantly less energy than traditional lighting options while offering a long service life.

There is also much more to choosing an LED light than simply selecting a wattage. Light output, color temperature, dimming performance, fixture design, and overall product quality can make a noticeable difference in how lighting looks and performs.

Choosing the Right Lighting

Lighting should be selected for what you want the space to accomplish. A workshop or kitchen may benefit from brighter task lighting, while living spaces may be more comfortable with warmer lighting.

LED lighting is available in a wide variety of color temperatures and light outputs, allowing lighting to be selected for the application rather than using the same type of light throughout the entire home.

Applications may include:

• Interior general lighting

• Kitchen and task lighting

• Garage and workshop lighting

• Exterior flood lighting

• Yard and security lighting

• Accent and decorative lighting

• Motion or occupancy-controlled lighting

Quality can vary considerably between LED products. Selecting good-quality fixtures and controls can make a difference in light quality, dimming performance, longevity, and overall reliability.

Backup Power

Power outages can range from a short inconvenience to a serious problem depending on what your home relies on electrically.

A backup power system can be designed around keeping only essential loads operating or providing power to much of the home. The right solution depends on what equipment you want to operate during an outage, the electrical demand of those loads, available fuel sources, and how automatically you want the system to operate.

Common loads homeowners may want to keep operating include:

• Refrigerators and freezers

• Well pumps

• Sump pumps

• Heating equipment

• Lighting

• Internet and communication equipment

• Selected receptacle circuits

• Other important household equipment

A generator should be selected based on the electrical loads it is expected to operate rather than simply choosing the largest unit available.

Visit our Generator Resource Center for a more detailed explanation of generator sizing, automatic standby systems, transfer equipment, fuel options, and what affects installation cost.

Planning for Future Electrical Needs

When making electrical upgrades, it is worth considering what you may want to add five or ten years from now.

A little additional planning during the original project can make future upgrades much easier and may prevent finished walls or other areas from having to be opened again later.

Depending on the project, planning ahead may include:

• Leaving room for additional circuits

• Planning for a future standby generator

• Providing capacity for an EV charger

• Installing spare conduit for future electrical wiring

• Installing pathways for Ethernet, Wi-Fi access points, cameras, TVs, or other communication wiring

• Providing electrical capacity for future additions, garages, or workshops

You don't necessarily need to install everything today. Sometimes simply providing a pathway or leaving enough capacity for a future project can make a significant difference later.

Garages & Workshops

Garages and workshops can require considerably more electrical capacity than a typical residential room.

When planning a garage or workshop, consider both the equipment you currently own and equipment you may add in the future. Welders, air compressors, vehicle lifts, power tools, heating equipment, battery chargers, and other larger loads may affect the size and layout of the electrical system.

Planning ahead allows the electrical distribution, receptacles, lighting, and equipment circuits to be laid out around how you actually intend to use the space.

Remodeling & Additions

A remodel is also a good opportunity to evaluate the electrical system in the area being worked on.

Once walls and ceilings are open, electrical improvements that would otherwise be difficult or expensive to access may become relatively straightforward. Depending on the project, this may be an opportunity to update older wiring, add receptacles, improve lighting, provide additional circuits, or plan pathways for future electrical and communication needs.

Thinking about these items before walls are closed can save considerable work later.

Have an Electrical Question?

Not every electrical project starts with knowing exactly what needs to be done.

If you're planning a remodel, adding equipment, experiencing an electrical problem, or simply aren't sure whether your existing electrical system can support what you want to do, we're happy to help evaluate the options.

As we receive more questions from homeowners, we'll continue adding them to this Learning Center so it becomes a useful resource for understanding residential electrical systems and planning future projects.