Is Your Service Healthy?
How to evaluate your electrical service health
How healthy is your electrical service? While only a qualified electrician should take the cover off your panel, there are some things to look for on the surface that can give you clues to what may be going on inside.
On the exterior of you home:
- Is the main cable cracked or showing bare wires? Click for example of cracked cable
- Is everything attached firmly to the building? Are there any loose straps or is the point of attachment hanging loose? (Where the overhead wire attaches to the building)
- Is there rust on the meter box? Click for example of meter-close up
- Do you have a ground rod?
On the inside of your home:
- Is there rust on the main panel? Click for example of rusty panel
- Is there water dripping out of the panel during or after a rain storm?
- Can you hear a faint sizzling, popping, or cracking sounds coming from your panel?
- Are any breakers warm to the touch?
- Do you have breakers that trip frequently or won’t reset?
- Do you have breakers with handles that are red & black or red, blue, or green? Click for examples – Zinsco panel & Federal Pacific panel
- Is your panel a Zinsco or Federal Pacific brand?
- Do you have a fuse box?
- Is your water line and gas line grounded?
If you answered yes to any of these questions your electrical service equipment may be due for a checkup. If you answered yes to several of them, don’t hesitate to get a professional evaluation! Contact us today and we will be happy to give you a free estimate. Also be sure to ask us about whole home surge-protective devices (SPD’s) and generator inlets and transfer switches. We service Lebanon, Lancaster, Berks, Schuylkill, and Dauphin Counties.