ELECTRICAL UNLIMITED CONTRACTOR

ELC.0208559-E1

ELC.0208560-E1

Our licensed electrical contractors specialize in inspecting and enhancing the efficiency of your electrical panels. Trust us to ensure your panels are up to code and operating at their best.

Does your electrical panel look like this.

Yes, old electrical panels can be a fire hazard. Electrical panels typically last 25–40 years, but older panels, especially those installed before the 1990s, may not meet code requirements and are more likely to have problems. As panels age, wires can fray and connections can loosen, creating an open circuit that can spark and lead to fire. Other factors that can compromise the effectiveness of an electrical panel and make it a fire hazard include damage, corrosion, or faulty installation. 

  • 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit

    Provides a tax credit of up to 30% of project costs, capped at $600, for eligible electrical panels. The panel must be installed in accordance with the National Electric Code, have a load capacity of at least 200 amps, and be installed with qualified energy efficiency improvements. These improvements include heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, central air conditioners, water heaters, furnaces, hot water boilers, and biomass stoves or boilers.

  • Inflation Reduction Act Covers up to $4,000 for the installation of a new electrical breaker box for those who qualify. A new electrical panel can help outlets support more devices and reduce the risk of an overload.

  • Electric Panel or Circuit Upgrades

    Amount: This tax credit is valued at up to 30% of the cost paid by the consumer, up to $600. Subject to a cumulative, annual cap of $1,200. This rebate is valued at up to $4,000 for an electrical panel.

below are old electrical systems that must be updated.

Knob and Tube Wiring

  • Aluminum Wiring

  • Cloth Insulated Wiring

  • BX Cable

  • Fuse Boxes

Aluminum wire

Aluminum has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than copper. This means it expands more when heated – a common occurrence when electricity flows through it. Over time, this expansion and contraction can loosen connections, leading to arcing and potential fire hazards.

  • Aluminum wire by itself is not a fire hazard, but aluminum wiring in homes can be. Aluminum wiring was common in homes built in the 1960s and 1970s, but has since been mostly replaced with copper wiring. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says that homes with aluminum wiring are 55 times more likely to have at least one outlet connection reach fire hazard conditions than homes with copper wiring. These conditions include hot receptacles, electrical sparks, and charred materials.

  • Aluminum wiring can be dangerous because aluminum is softer than copper and expands and contracts more easily. When the wires are twisted together at connections, this expansion and contraction can cause heat. Aluminum wiring can also be more fragile and less flexible than copper wiring, making it more likely to break, fray, or become damaged, especially if it's been installed incorrectly. Over time, termination points can loosen and potentially arc, creating a serious fire hazard.

  • Signs of aluminum wiring hazards include:

    Flickering lights

    Hot light switch or outlet plates

    Dead circuits

    Smell of burning plastic

    Smoke or sparks from receptacles and switches

    Strange odors near receptacles and switches

    Unexplained problems with appliances and plug-in fixtures

Knob & tube

  • Knob-and-tube wiring, which is found in older homes and was phased out in the 1940s, can be dangerous for a number of reasons:

  • Exposed wires The rubber coating on the wires can break over time due to heat, exposing live wires that can start a fire or cause an electrical shock.

  • Lack of ground wire

    Knob-and-tube wiring is a two-wire system without a ground wire, making it incompatible with modern three-prong appliances and increasing the risk of shock or electrocution.

Overloaded circuits

Knob-and-tube wiring can't handle the demands of modern electronics and appliances, which can lead to overloaded circuits, overheating, and fires.

  • Improper modifications

    Adding new circuits without upgrading the system can increase the risk of electrical hazards. 

Bx-wire

Old-style BX cable, while innovative for its time, can present specific hazards. For instance, early BX versions did not include a bonding wire and relied solely on the armor for grounding. This could cause the armor to become dangerously hot during fault conditions.