Service and Panel Upgrade, Mississauga

The electrical service and panels are responsible for ensuring enough electricity reaches all your devices. A panel upgrade will increase the safety of your home.

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Service and Panel Upgrade, Mississauga

Considering the capacity of an electrical panel is an important part of home ownership that many forget to consider when looking at a home. If you plan to make home improvements or renovate one day, knowing the capacity of your electrical panel is crucial, as it will allow you to know if your home will be able to support the changes that may or may not have an impact on your electrical load. An electrical panel upgrade will provide more power to your home, opening up the possibility for further upgrades or additions.

An electrical panel of at least 200 amps is recommended for the modern home, since older breaker panels are more often than not unable to handle the sum of a home’s circuitry system today. With the continued use of outdated panels comes the increased likelihood of blackouts, which can happen when one too many devices have been plugged in. Not only is it a constant inconvenience, but it can pose a risk to your devices and even your home.

So how would you know when it’s time for a panel upgrade? If you and the people in your household tend to use a lot of electricity, you could be going over the limited capacity of what is considered safe. With today’s constant use of laptops, phones, and television screens, there has been an increased demand for electricity. The existing number of wall sockets in your home shows the current capacity of what can be held, but you may find that there aren’t enough plug-in slots to support the amount of electronics that you use. If you find yourself having to use power strips or extension cords, you may be using more electricity than the home was initially designed for.

Another time to upgrade your electrical panel is when you plan to install a new major appliance into your home (heating, air conditioning, hot tubs, etc.). This will significantly increase your electrical load (which can be calculated by a licensed electrician), so it is worth considering whether your current electrical panel has enough power to support it. Adding in appliances to a home that cannot support it will very likely cause the circuit breakers in your electrical panel to trip.

When looking to upgrade your electrical panel, consider whether you have any future plans of home improvement. If one day you would like to renovate or upgrade your home, it is important for future proofing to have a high electrical capacity. It will usually be less expensive to take future plans into consideration when upgrading once, rather than upgrading multiple times gradually. If you are having a licensed electrician come over for re-wiring your home or to conduct other repairs, consider bundling in an electrical panel upgrade to save time and cost. It may even increase your home’s value if you plan to sell it in the future.

If your home has not had a service and panel upgrade in the past 25-40 years, it’s worth looking into, as an outdated electrical panel is a dangerous one, putting your home at risk for electrical fires. The modern demand of electronic devices has created the need for a much higher capacity more than ever before. Don’t take the risk — upgrade your electrical service and panel today!

Contact MADE ELECTRIC for more information, to learn more about service and panel upgrades, and to inquire about having a service and panel upgrade installed in your home! We operate within the GTA to ensure that your home and your electronics are safe.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much is considered over-capacity and how can I check my home’s current capacity?

In general, your electrical usage should not be exceeding 80% of your current capacity. The remaining 20% will likely be taken up by lighting or the already existing appliances in your home. To check your electrical panel’s current capacity, take a look at it by opening it up. The panel should usually be situated in the garage or the laundry room of your home. There should be one circuit breaker that looks noticeably larger than the rest, marked with an amperage amount. Amps measure how much electricity can safely flow through a circuit. A load calculation can then be used to compare the capacity of the electrical panel and the current demand of your use.

How do I upgrade my electrical panel?

Electrical panel upgrades should be done by licensed electricians, since it can often be too large and overwhelming of a task for any one individual. Not only are they fully qualified in working with electricity, but they can also provide you with the necessary support in beginning and ending the process. This can involve co-ordinating with your hydro provider to shut off the power before the upgrade can begin, as well as arranging for an inspector to check the work afterwards to ensure that the upgrade has been done correctly and safely.

MADE ELECTRIC is happy to help you through the daunting task of beginning your electrical upgrades.

How are load/demand calculations done?

Amp measurements don’t always correspond with the size of a property, so having a proper load calculation done is important. Load calculations can be completed by a licensed electrician according to the standards of the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC). This code details the electrical demand requirements of a residence or a commercial business. Section 8, Circuit Loading and Demand Factors of the CEC in particular details how what size service you may need is measured based on factors including the size of a property, as well as existing appliances, air conditioning, water heaters, vehicle charging units, and etc.