Should I upgrade my electrical service?”

This is a question homeowners ask frequently. There are two reasons to upgrade a service:

• Changing from fuses to a circuit breaker panel.”
• Increasing the electrical load.

Changing from fuses to circuit breakers will increase the value of the home and eliminate the hazard of oversized fuses being installed.
Increasing the electrical load by adding new loads or installing higher amperage appliances MAY require a service upgrade.

Does my electrical service have fuses or circuit breakers, and should it be changed?”

It wasn’t until the 1960’s that circuit breakers became the standard for electrical service panels. Before then, all electrical panels contained screw and cartridge type fuses. Fuses have taken a bad rap only because of the ease in which a fuse of one size can be replaced with a larger fuse. Since it is so easy to insert a 20 or even 30 amp fuse into a 15 amp circuit, fuse panels have become an electrical hazard.

What size amperage is my existing service?”

Electrical service is measured in amps with the standards in a typical home being 100, 150 and 200 amps. Generally, this does not need to be changed. However, it may be needed if you are planning on adding an addition or changing out some or all of the appliances to electric or installing electric heat or air conditioning. A calculation on the service loads for the household will have to be done to determine whether more amperage is needed.