When a household has an ongoing problem with tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses, it’s time to consider an upgrade to the system. Residential Electrical Contractors in Chicago Heights IL can add a second panel or upgrade a fuse system to a circuit breaker model. Installing more wiring may be necessary after a household has added more electrical devices that use a lot of power and is putting extra demand on the system.
System Overloads
Circuit breakers trip and fuses blow out when one particular part of the electrical system is overloaded. Both devices cut current when too much demand is placed on one circuit. This is a safety measure that stops wiring from overheating, which is a fire hazard. Electrical Contractors in Chicago Heights IL should be called when these problems start happening relatively frequently. The wiring can be deteriorating due to age, or the electrical demand may simply have grown too large.
Sufficient, Fully Functional Wiring
A circuit breaker panel is the standard now, although many older houses still have fuse boxes. Fuse systems generally are acceptable as long as the wiring is sufficient and in good working order. When the household runs power-hungry appliances at the same time, this is one of the risk factors for current being automatically shut off.
Appliances and Power Demands
Larger appliances require their own circuit without any other electrical devices being connected with that particular circuit. However, not all homeowners realize that this also applies to some portable or semi-portable appliances. An electric space heater should not share power with any other device, for example. That includes low-wattage devices like table lamps, even though running the two on the same circuit may not cause it to trip. Plugging in a curling iron, however, may result in the current being shut off.
A More Robust System
A more robust electrical system can be installed by a contractor such as Bates Electric Inc if this is advisable. Sometimes an older home is sold to a family that puts much greater demand on the system than was the case with the previous residents. It’s time now to upgrade the wiring.