Home Inspection Tips: electrical panels

Home Inspection Tips, brought to you by The British Broker and Inspector, Elliott Sudwarts.

Tip: What you should know about electrical panels

“You have most likely seen one of these in both houses and apartments. Electrical panels vary in size and design. However, they all tend to run the same way—with the circuit breakers (the black on/off switches in the middle) feeding electricity to the outlets of the home (unless the apartment or house is super old and still uses Fuse Boxes), which, as a home inspector, we recommend upgrading due to the need to replace an entire fuse every time one trips.

Circuit breakers (and fuses) are a form of protection. In plain terms, when there is too much electricity flowing (i.e you have an air conditioner plugged into every outlet in the home) the 'circuit breakers' ensure that the "circuit" "breaks" and switches to the 'off'-setting, stopping the flow of electricity and reducing the chances of a spark hazard, fire hazard, and electrocution.

When you see an electrical panel, if you notice any burn marks (picture #2), this is an indication that the circuit breakers are either faulty or beyond their life expectancy and should be addressed immediately. Never touch an electric panel with burn marks or a panel door that is warm to the touch. These can suggest serious and hazardous conditions.”

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