What is a circuit breaker panel?

A circuit panel (officially known as a distribution board) is the most important component of your electrical system. The main distribution panel separates the power with circuit breakers into individual branch circuits which provide power to your home. This allows for one area of your home’s electricity to "trip" if it’s overloaded or if there is an electrical short circuit, without jeopardizing the other areas of your home.

What is an electrical heavy up?

Heavy up or panel upgrade is when we upgrade the electrical panel to 200 amps. This is done most often when homeowners are renovating older homes with newer components or adding an appliance that requires too much for your existing system.

Common reasons for this step are:

Hot tub installation
Installing a heat pump
Home additions
Installing an EVSE (electric vehicle service equipment)

Do you need a permit to change your electrical panel?

Yes. To change an electrical panel you need to:

Have your power company turn the power off to the home.
This requires a permit.
Only a person or company that has a Masters License can acquire the appropriate permits.
In Maryland, specifically, there are lots of limitations on what a homeowner can and cannot do without a permit.

Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits

Baltimore County Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections

Circuit Panel Service Costs

Typical replacements cost anywhere from $1800-$2500, while heavy-ups can range from $2600-$4000. If you’re a homeowner, then you know how important it is to invest in long-term appliances; one of them, being circuit panels. Even if you’re not due for a circuit panel heavy-up or upgrade, it’s important to consider saving up for when the time comes. If you have any questions or concerns about the price of circuit panel services, or you want to learn more about your circuit panel, our professionals are readily available to answer any questions you may have at 443-396-2555!

When to Update Your Circuit Panel

The first step in analyzing your circuit panel's health is to call a professional, such as Haas and Sons, so we can perform an inspection to determine if it’s due for updating. An inspection of your Pasadena-area home or business will allow us to identify problem areas in your circuit panel, which will tell us if you need small improvements or a full remodel.

Other occurrences that often require a circuit panel upgrade include:

When you are selling your home
When you are remodeling or adding rooms
If your power is constantly flickering

If you relate to any of these circumstances, call our professionals today for quality inspections in a timely manner and affordable cost.

Heavy-Ups

One option for upgrading your circuit panel is to call our team of professionals to perform an electrical heavy-up. What this means is that we will enhance your circuit panel to 200 amps, which will allow for greater electrical output.

Heavy-ups are common among customers who are having hot tubs, heat pumps, and home additions installed. Essentially, any home addition that requires a significant amount of power is enough reason to consider an electrical heavy-up. You might need this if you run a business from your Pasadena area home as well.

Call us today at 443-396-3797 for heavy-up estimates, appointments, and more!

Circuit Panel Upgrades in Pasadena, MD