Have you ever plugged in too many electronics in a receptacle only to experience a power outage? I bet the first step you took was to check your home’s electrical panel and inspect the situation. Upon checking you realize that a circuit breaker had tripped, you unplugged all the electronics, turned the breaker back on and hoped to not overload the circuit again. However, you may have found yourself in the same situation three weeks later, when your family members decided to turn on every existing electronic appliance in your home. This time you decide it’s time for a professional to take a look at the situation, so you Google search for an “electrician near me” and next thing you know you are on the phone with a Made Electric team member who is suggesting you upgrade to a 200A electrical panel.
Why Upgrade your Electrical Panel?
1. Circuit Overload Protection
An overload means that a circuit experiences a greater demand for electricity than what it can handle, leading to overheating and causing the circuit breaker to trip. For example, in the City of Toronto, older homes are much more susceptible to these types of issues due to the maximum amperage draw the electric panels can handle — typically somewhere near 60 amps or more. These older homes are not equipped to handle the electrical demand that new electronic appliances create, which leads to real hazards. This can also happen in newer homes with 100 amp electrical panels, but the trend here is the demand placed on the circuit, which once saturated can cause overheating and in cases where the electrical panel malfunctions leading to fires. This is why upgrading to a 200 amps electrical panel would allow you to have more than enough room to
plug all the electronics you desire and you can rest assured that you will have overload protection.
2. Get More Power
The average homeowner in Toronto has a home with a 100 amps electrical panel, but what happens when you want to upgrade your home with a nice hot tub, or what if you want to install new electrical heating or central air conditioning? Most of the time this means that your home will need more power to sustain your new electrical appliances. If the new electrical additions run your total home power consumption up to 100 amps you are risking a circuit overload. A general rule to follow is that panels should never exceed 80% of its maximum electrical capacity, to allow you to have safe parameters in case of an overload. Therefore upgrading to 200 amps electrical panel would allow you to obtain more electrical current which would equal to more electrical power available for those new higher consumption appliances you want to install.
3. Better for Rental Properties
If your home is a rental property, upgrading your electrical panel is highly recommend. The average home is built with a 100 amps electrical panel, which to the average home could be enough amperage for the amount of power they need to sustain all their electronics. However, if your basement becomes a rental property, you are now doubling the amount of power consumed by regular household electrical appliances such as stoves, electrical heaters, air conditioners, laundry machines, etc. Having doubled the electrical load is a sure way to overload your electrical panel, running the risk of serious overheating. For this reason, upgrading to 200 amps would provide the entire home unit with ample power supply without running into the risk of overloading the electrical service.
4. Peace of Mind
It goes without saying that knowing your family is safe from potential fire risks caused by overheated electrical panels is a good reason to upgrade your electrical panel. Fires caused by electrical panels overheating are a real occurrence and unfortunately many families have had tragic accidents occur due to negligence in keeping their electrical panels up to date and within a safe capacity usage. Do not run into this risk, if you know your home is due for upgrade consider upgrading your electrical panel as soon as possible.
Made Electric – Electrical Panel Cover 
Made Electric – Electrical Panel Labels
How Do I Make the Switch?
Once you are ready to upgrade your electrical panel, the first step would be to call Made Electric and book an appointment with one of our licensed electrician. Booking times can range from 1 to 4 weeks depending on the availability of your hydro provider. On the day of the service upgrade a licensed electrician will come to your home where they would make the installation. The average time it takes from beginning to end is about a business day. Keep in mind that you will not have power in your home until the installation is completed and immediately after approved by the Electrical Safety Authority. Please contact us if you want to learn more about our services, wish to book an appointment, or speak to one of our licensed electricians about making the switch.