3 Considerations When Installing Electrical Switchboards

Switchboards are the heart of your home's electrical system—without them the electricity in your home will not function. They determine the amount of power that's required for each area of your home, depending on your power consumption. As you add more electrical devices to your home, the load on the switchboard will increase.

Depending on your switchboard's limit, you may need to get in touch with an electrical company to change it at some point. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you decide to get a new switchboard installed through an electrical company.

Why Install New Switchboards?

While you may not be facing problems with your old switchboard currently, chances are with your brand new home entertainment system and your state-of-the-art refrigeration unit, you may need a new switchboard very soon.

Old switchboard technology is sure to get outdated with the introduction of sophisticated electronic devices and increased power consumption. Old switchboards have ceramic fuse boxes, which may cause a short-circuit when the electricity load increases. Newer switchboards have automatic circuit breakers, which immediately cut off electricity to save your appliances from overheating when the load increases.

When Should You Replace Your Old Switchboard?

Signs indicating it's time for a new electrical switchboard include frequent fuse changes, constant flickering of lights and consistent power outages when several devices are run simultaneously. Many homeowners want to save money by extending their old switchboards for as long as possible, but there's a time when you'll need to change it. If you come across any of these signs, you need to replace your old switchboard.

What is The Cost of Installation?

Switchboards can cost anywhere between $600 and $1500, but it is perhaps one of the wisest investments you make. If your existing switchboard gets overloaded, it may burst, cause a fire and endanger lives. As you add newer appliances, the load on the switchboard increases, especially heavy electrical appliances like heaters, air conditioners and refrigerators.

When purchasing a new electrical switchboard, keep in mind that you may increase the load every few years, so the switchboard must have the capacity to accommodate that extra load. The electrical company will help you calculate and approximate the load conditions for your new electrical switchboard.

While changing a switchboard may seem like a simple task, a single mistake can kill you. That's why it's best to hire a professional electrical company like Austec Electrical to do the job for you.