If you are upgrading or replacing your electrical panel in Pompano Beach, Florida, working with a professional electrician is a must to ensure the best results for your project. Electrical panels serve as the nerve center for your electrical system. At Mister Sparky of Pompano Beach, our skilled and knowledgeable electricians can recommend electrical panels that will provide reliable power for all your appliances and devices. We specialize in customized solutions that will meet your electrical needs now and in the future. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind when selecting an electrical panel for your home in the Pompano Beach area.
Choose the Right Type of Electrical Panel
If you are upgrading from a fuse box, your new panel will typically provide improved reliability and safety for your home. Fuse boxes do not usually have the electrical capacity to manage modern electrical needs. Upgrading to an electrical panel is usually the best option for homeowners in Pompano Beach and the surrounding areas. Electrical panels are available in several configurations:
- Main electrical panels manage power to your entire home. Electricity from the local electrical grid enters your home through the main panel and is distributed to various circuits located inside the panel box. These circuits deliver power to specific areas and systems within your Pompano Beach home.
- Subpanels are usually installed to provide power to new additions to your home. The subpanel is secondary to your main electrical panel and typically features a cutoff switch or primary breaker to stop electricity from flowing to outbuildings and other areas that are not directly connected to your main panel.
- Lug panels operate in the same way as subpanels but lack the primary breaker included with subpanel systems.
You can sometimes eliminate the need for subpanels and lug panels by upgrading your main electrical panel and incorporating empty expansion slots to allow for new additions to your Florida home.
Evaluate Your Electrical Load
The electrical load of your home is the amount of energy needed to meet your needs both normally and under peak demand conditions. Your local electrician can determine how much power is required for your daily routine. Some of the items that will be evaluated include the following:
- Heating and cooling systems typically use more energy than any other single system inside your home. If you have a heat pump or air conditioning system, making sure it is included as part of your electrical load calculations can help you avoid an installation that is too small for your ongoing needs.
- Small appliances in the kitchen or in other areas of your house can sometimes put a strain on overloaded electrical systems, circuits and panels. Your electrician will consider the impact of microwaves, air fryers, blenders and other small appliances when determining the appropriate size for your electrical panel.
- Indoor and outdoor lighting should usually be included as part of your overall electrical load inspection.
- Large appliances, including stoves, ovens, washers, dryers and refrigerators, can also represent significant drains on your electrical service. Accounting for each of these larger appliances and for EV charging stations will help you choose an electrical panel that is correctly sized for your needs.
- The size of your home will also factor into your electrician’s recommendation for panel size. Larger homes will typically require additional circuit space and greater amperage to manage the demands of lighting, cooling and other systems in your Pompano Beach home.
- Circuit requirements are usually the final piece of the puzzle when determining the right size for your new electrical panel. Laundry rooms, HVAC units and rooms usually require their own dedicated circuits to ensure the safety of your home and to make maintenance and repairs easier and less disruptive for you and your family.
Your electrician will take all of these factors into account when recommending a new electrical panel to suit your needs. This can allow you to enjoy reliable power for all your appliances and other devices now and for years into the future.
Select the Correct Size
Electrical panels are sized by the number of circuits they contain and by the amperage or wattage these systems can handle. While 60-amp service panels were once standard for homes in our area, the National Electric Code requires that all new electrical panel installations be 100 amps or more. This is to ensure that homes have adequate power for their current and future needs. For most modern homes, however, a 150 or 200-amp electrical panel is much more practical. Entertainment centers, home theaters, hot tubs, heat pumps and other appliances can often increase your need for electrical power and may require a larger panel to reduce the risk of overloaded circuits and power fluctuations. Your local electrician can provide you with accurate information on your current power use and on the best electrical panel for your home in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Leave Room for Expansion
One important key for a successful installation is to leave room for added circuits if your electrical needs change. Empty circuit spaces allow greater flexibility in adding new equipment and providing power to outdoor installations and new additions to your home. Your electrician will help you determine how many empty slots you might need and will recommend the right electrical service panel to meet your needs now and in the future.
If you need a reliable electrician in Pompano Beach, Florida, Mister Sparky can deliver the right solutions for your home or business. We can recommend an electrical panel that is correctly sized for your home and that will provide you with years of worry-free power. To learn more about our lineup of services, including electrical inspections, repairs, wiring replacements and electrical panel upgrades, give our team a call today. At Mister Sparky, we are always here to help you manage your electrical needs safely and effectively.