When to Replace or Upgrade Your Electrical System

How do you know when to replace or upgrade your electrical system? If you answer yes to one or more of these questions, your home probably needs an electrical system upgrade:

• Do you frequently have circuit breakers tripping and fuses blowing?
• If you turn on any major appliance, do lights flicker?
• When you check your electrical panel, is it hot? Does it overheat?
• Speaking of electric panels, is yours a Federal Pacific, GTE/Sylvania, Zinsco or I-T-E Pushmatic? If so, you need to have an electrical panel upgrade immediately for safety reasons! (All of these models have been recalled.)
• Do you find yourself having to use a lot of extension cords or power strips to support all of your devices?
• Does your home have two-pronged electrical outlets (as opposed to the safer, more modern 3-pronged, grounded and “Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter” GFCI outlets)?
• Have you built additions to your home like a new garage, office or workshop?
• Have you recently installed any new large appliances (heat pumps, air conditioners, etc.) that suck up a lot of electricity?

The complexity of the job often depends also on whether or not the home has undergone a lot of structural layout changes over the years. If not, then usually the job is easier than if there have been a lot of changes. Whatever the situation, our prime concern is making your house safer and more able to handle the demands of modern life.

If you're due for an upgrade, call our team at (703) 494-3989. We will be there for you!