The electrical panel is a metal box that contains all the electric circuits for a home. Often found in the garage or basement, the panel takes the electricity purchased from the power company and distributes it throughout the home to power lights, appliances, and electronics.
Different areas in the home, or even appliances, will have their own circuit in the electrical panel. These should be clearly labeled inside the panel to help with the management of electricity in your home.
Each circuit is controlled by either a fuse or a circuit breaker. Fuses, which look like tiny light bulbs, are typically found in older panels. In a panel with fuses, If the circuit is overloaded, the small wire inside the bulb will melt and that stops the electricity to that circuit. Then the fuses will have to be replaced manually.
Circuit breakers are more common in today’s homes. These look like switches inside the electrical panel. If a circuit becomes overloaded, the switch will flip to cut the power. Before flipping the switch back to the regular position, simply reduce the load on the circuit by unplugging the electronics or appliance that caused the breaker to flip.
As a rule of thumb, it is best to have your entire electrical system inspected once a year by a professional electrician. The electrician will check your electrical panel and advise you of any issues or concerns.
Electrical Maintenance Inspection
At Central Carolina, we recommend an electrical inspection service once a year to ensure your home’s electrical system is working as expected. In a Central Carolina electrical services inspection, you can expect us to check your panel and do an infra-red scan to look for hot spots. We will tighten all electrical connections. We inspect your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are in proper working order and within their useful lifespan. We will test your outlets and provide you with any recommendations for service to keep your home running and your power on.