It’s not uncommon for many homeowners to avoid their home’s electrical panels, as these silver boxes can be highly intimidating. Most homeowners only interact with this equipment to reset their appliances’ power.
Knowing how to maintain your electrical panel is essential, though. This equipment is responsible for lighting your house, powering appliances, and preventing future hazards.
If you’re a homeowner who wants a better understanding of how to maintain this equipment, read our guide on what to know about your home’s electrical panel.
What Does an Electrical Panel Do?
Your home’s electrical service panel holds all the power in your home. It connects external street wires with the wires of your house to compose your entire electrical system. When a utility company sends power from external street wires, this power goes into your electrical panel. Once inside your panel, this power splits into different fuses for different appliances.
What Are the Different Parts?
Depending on the type of electrical service panel in your home, the anatomy of your fuse box may differ. However, here are the main components of an electrical panel:
- Panel door
- Protective cover (do not remove)
- Main breaker
- Lug panels
- Circuit breaker
- Extra circuits (usually found in more modern panels)
How Do You Maintain an Electrical Panel?
Since your electrical panel is responsible for receiving and dividing all the power in your home, it is crucial to maintain this equipment. When there are problems with your home’s wiring or your electrical panel is outdated, your home could be susceptible to fire hazards caused by frayed or exposed wires.
The best way to take care of your electrical panel is to schedule routine inspections of this equipment. Most electricians recommend having your electrical panel checked annually. However, if you notice any signs your electrical panel has issues, contact an electrician as soon as possible.
Proactively inspecting your panel each year will help your appliances run smoother and ensure that your home remains safe.
We hope our guide on what to know about your home’s electrical panel has made this essential piece of equipment more familiar. Although these silver boxes can look intimidating, electrical panels are simple to maintain once you understand their anatomy and functions.