Depending on who you ask, a historic property can be a fantastic investment, or it can be way more money than it’s worth. The latter could be true, if a historical property isn’t updated as it should be. A huge part of historical home preservation in Cincinnati, OH is making sure that it’s safe and habitable, which can be done by making sure everything is up to code. In particular, we’re talking about the electrical system.
Outdated electrical panels can cause many problems in a property, especially in an older one. If these aging panels use fuses rather than circuit breakers (which is common in building constructed before 1960) then you shouldn’t hesitate to contact us for new electrical wiring and electrical panel installations. Fuse boxes are unsafe with when met with modern electrical loads and are potential fire hazards.
Outdated Circuit Breaker Panels Are Hazardous Too
Even if you do have a circuit breaker panel rather than a fuse box, if it’s over a decade old it can still have issues keeping up with eh increased electrical demands homeowners are placing on their properties these days, presenting a problem for historical multi-family buildings.
Most homeowners or renters use twice the amount of electrical power on a daily basis than they did even ten years ago. This is thanks to the addition of more computers, charging stations, entertainment centers, etc. If circuit breakers need to be resent every month or more, the panel is overworked and needs to be upgraded.
Signs that Electrical Panels Should be Updated
Age is the biggest indicator that electrical panels should be updated, which is pretty much a given in preserving historic properties. However, there are other signs you can watch out for too, if you own or manage a historical property.
- Constantly Tripped Circuit Breakers: We mentioned this above, but when panels begin to wear down, they’ll be more susceptible to power surges through the wiring, and as a consequence will begin to disconnect circuits more often. This can also happen due to the building’s energy needs surpassing the capacity of the service panels.
- Evidence of Electrical Fires: Wires that wear down over time can create fires within the electrical panel. They typically burn themselves out, but will leave behind charring marks indicating they’ve been there. If you smell an acrid odor or see these marks, you’ve likely had an electrical fire and it’s time to give our electricians a call.
- Breakers Don’t Remain Reset: Resetting a tripped breaker should take care of a problem, under normal circumstances. But if circuit breakers won’t stay reset or don’t restore power, then you’re probably looking at a faulty service panel.
If your historical property still has old fuse boxes in lieu of modern service panels with circuit breakers, then it’s definitely time to upgrade. This is essential to the historical preservation of a property. There’s a common misconception that historic homes and buildings are not valuable. However if you have the right team conducting historical home preservation, the multi-family properties you serve can easily retain and even grow in value.
At Servall Electrical Company, we’re “Creating Sustainability through Bright Ideas.” Contact us today for reliable electrical services.
