If whole sections of your home suddenly lose power often, it could be a sign of an inadequate circuit breaker. ARS/Rescue Rooter electricians can diagnose and repair circuit breaker issues and install a newer and more capable circuit breaker if yours is on the fritz.
Circuit breaker panel upgrades
A circuit breaker panel distributes power to various parts of your home in discreet circuits. These are most common today, having replaced the fuse box with its circular fuses, though the terms are often used interchangeably. On a fuse box, if a circuit overloaded, then the whole fuse needed replacement. With a circuit breaker, power can restored to a circuit by turning off and turning back on the appropriate switch. If one section of your house becomes overloaded, it trips that circuit and shuts off. Flipping a circuit breaker switch restores power.
If you live in an older home, especially one with an older fuse box or less capable circuit breaker panel instead of a modern circuit breaker panel, then it could be time to consider upgrading. Modern appliances can use more power than ones made decades ago, and we have more electronics in our home today than in the past. Many older homes were only designed to handle up to 60 amps of power on relatively few circuits. A washer and dryer running at the same time can use 20 amps, add a dishwasher, an enthusiast desktop computer, even a hair dyer, and older electrical systems can become overloaded. Modern circuit breakers, however, are designed to handle hundreds of amps of electrical current.
Every home owner should know about flipping a circuit breaker switch to restore power to a tripped circuit, but if this is happening often then it may be a sign that your circuit breaker panel is outdated and can't provide the amperage necessary to power your home. ARS/Rescue Rooter electricians can give you the upgrade you need.
Signs you need to upgrade your circuit breaker
Tripped circuits
If you're losing power to particular parts of your home that regularly require you to flip a breaker switch, then it's a sign that this part of your house is not getting the power it needs. If turning on the microwave shuts off power to the kitchen, or a clothes iron turns off a bedroom, then your system may be outdated. A newer circuit breaker can provide that extra juice.
Dim or flickering lights
If lights aren't getting the power they need when you flip on an appliance or computer, the circuit that these things share may be too weak. A light flickering because you ran the dishwasher shouldn't be treated as normal. A breaker upgrade with new wiring can help give your belongings the electricity they crave.
The skilled electricians at ARS/Rescue Rooter are here to diagnose any issues with your circuit breaker and make repairs to keep your home running and safe.
