Tag: circuit breakers

Do Your Circuits Need Upgrading?

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upgrade your circuits

Do your circuits need upgrading? Does your home electrical system need a few updates? Find out from the pros at Roman Electric! It is best to upgrade your circuits sooner than later, as putting it off can cause more issues.

Why Should You Update Your Circuits?  

Before you figure out how you can tell if your circuits need to be upgraded, it is important to know why they should be upgraded. The most important reason is that updating your circuits is a safety issue. If you live in an older home, it is important to know that most old homes were designed to handle 30 to 60 amps with fewer circuits. A circuit is often operated by a single fuse or circuit breaker, which protects the wires originating from the electrical panel from catching on fire. However, some older circuit breakers might not trip or turn off, increasing the likelihood of overheating and electrical fires. Circuit breakers also won’t trip if there is a loose connection in the wire or circuit. To prevent any safety issues and electrical problems, there is no harm in checking to see if your electrical system needs to be updated.

Ways to Update Your Electrical System

You will need to hire a reliable electrician to upgrade your circuits or electrical systems. It can be potentially hazardous to update your electrical system on your own. Below are the most common ways your circuits, breaker box or electrical panel will be upgraded:

  • Upgrade your electrical panel in order to bring more power into your home.
  • Replace the circuit breaker box so it can handle more amps of electrical current.
  • Replace the circuits that are loose, frayed, damaged or not in use.
  • Add any additional circuits to power different rooms, devices or appliances.

How to Tell If Your Circuits Need Upgrading

Here are some ways you can tell if your circuits need upgrading:

  • Lights Dim or Flicker

If you turn on a major electrical appliance in your home such as the washing machine or air conditioner and your lights dim or flicker, you might need to upgrade your circuits. This can often happen because of loose, faulty or old wiring. Flickering once in a blue moon is fine, but if this happens consistently after you turn on a large appliance, you might need your electrical system inspected.

  • Circuit Breaker Trips

If your circuit breaker trips often, meaning it shuts off electrical power when it notices the circuit being overloaded, it might need to be replaced. Try resetting it on your own first—if it continues to trip after this, your home might need a larger supply of power on a single circuit. Get in touch with an electrician to discuss replacing your circuit breaker or adding any more circuits.

  • Excessive Use of Extension Cords

If you find yourself using many extension cords, in order to power additional appliances, you might need to update your circuits or electrical system. Using power strips to create additional outlets is a sign that you need more power for your home.

Upgrade Your Circuits with Roman Electric

If you want to learn more about how you can upgrade your circuits or electric system, get in touch with Roman Electric. Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule an appointment with us online!

 

Circuit Breakers vs Fuses: Which One is Safer?

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circuit breakers vs fuses

When building a new home, you’re faced with an insane amount of decision-making every step of the way. What kind of tile do you want in the bathroom? How many windows are you putting in? Is there going to be a good amount of outlets in the home?

The questions never stop coming. One you may be struggling with – or one you might not have put any thought to at all – is the choice of implementing circuit breakers or fuses in your electrical panel. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses, and deciding between one or the other can be a tough call. How do you know which is safer?

Roman Electric can help you make that choice, or at least help you weigh the pros and cons of both. We’re committed to helping our neighbors make the right choices when it comes to electrical safety, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Our electricians will work with you to develop the right solution for you, no questions asked.

The Rundown

Both circuit breakers and fuses are ways of preventing an electrical overload from occurring and potentially harming your home’s electrical grid. They each prevent this from happening through different ways: circuit breakers automatically flip, “breaking” the circuit. Fuses, on the other hand, have a filament that physically melts, preventing the current from continuing to flow.

Each one does its job, but they don’t work interchangeably for everyone. Here’s where they differ as well as where they align.

Fuses

If you’re looking for the money-saving advantage between the two, then fuses could be the right move. They’re relatively inexpensive, so they’re easily replaceable. However, the trouble for a homeowner lies in the replacement aspect of the process.

When you add fuses, you have to put in ones that are outfitted for the ideal electrical load your home has. A fuse that is too large or too small won’t operate as intended, and that could lead to trouble. A too-small fuse will overload early, while one that is too large will allow circuits to generate too much power before melting.

They can also explode, sending dangerous pieces of shrapnel everywhere in the case of an emergency.

Breakers

On the other hand, circuit breakers tend to not be as dangerous. Sure, they’re going to cost more on the front end to install, but a breaker is simply going to trip when the current gets too high. It won’t melt or explode, and you don’t have to handle live electricity when getting it back in order – like you would when replacing a fuse.

Breakers can also have additional protections like GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) safeguards – something fuses cannot add.

For those reasons, a circuit breaker is generally preferred over fuses. However, not every situation is the same. We can’t definitively recommend one over the other without taking a look at your home – so give us a call at 414-369-3798 to schedule an appointment.

Roman Electric is prepared to work with you to find the right solution, and we’ll stop at nothing until we do!