Does Your Electrical Switchboard Need an Upgrade?
We all have it in our homes; it is that minor detail in our electrical system that distributes electricity to all regions of usage – an electric switch board. Made of one or more panels, the main purpose of the switchboard is to allow electricity to be redirected to multiple centers of use. And just like any other electrical element in your home, the switchboard’s design and performance have evolved as technology moves forward. So, does your electrical switch board need an upgrade? It might do.
If you live in an older house, built somewhere long before the 2000, then you probably are the perfect candidate for the upgrade. Older switchboards are mainly ceramic, and are designed to support only few appliances, which makes them incompatible with today’s homes. Plus, if eventual problems in the electric circuit do come up, those switch boards cannot serve as a primary protection; they are not designed to do so, and have no safety switches to interrupt the circuit.
The modern electric switch board is a lot different, and a lot more effective. It is designed to offer protection against most common problems you could face: lights that flicker annoyingly, fuses that blow regularly and circuit breakers that cannot stop tripping, which can all easily turn from an annoying inconvenience to an actual problem that could cost you your entire home. Since it is not ceramic, the modern electric switch board does not pose a fire risk, and thanks to the safety switches, electric circuit can easily be cut off if problems occur. The safety switches, which were not a feature of the old models of switch boards, are the biggest advantage of the upgraded models; without them electrocutions would be very common. The worst case scenario would be people being electrocuted every time a broken cable goes undetected.
Also, if you have a new, modern switchboard but you are thinking about adding a few more appliances and devices in the house, like solar panels for instance, then you should do an upgrade on your switchboards. New suitable switching gear, as well as additional space on the existing switch board should be installed for all these additions to your home electric system, so be sure to call the electrician.
Bottom line is that if you start facing problems like the above mentioned, you will know that it is time to schedule an inspection for your switchboards. It does not cost much, and you will gain a lot from this small investment of money and time.