If your home has a fuse box, it means it has older wiring. This is not automatically a bad thing—the wiring put in was up to code at the time of installation—nor does it mean your home is unsafe. If the fuse box malfunctions, you can choose to have it repaired instead of replaced with an upgrade to a circuit breaker panel.

A fuse box and wiring can wear down over time like anything else in a home. If your house is old enough to have a fuse box, chances are strong that it and the wiring are starting to deteriorate and will begin to malfunction more and more often. You can expect to require a larger number of repairs, and in the long run it isn’t worth it to keep patching up a fuse box and aging circuitry.

An old fuse box will also have trouble keeping pace with growing household energy demands. When the fuse box was first put it, there were lower voltage demands on the circuits in most houses than there are today. Your home likely uses more power than it did only 10 years ago, and the fuse box may not be enough to handle this higher power load.

Finally, fuse boxes are simply less convenient than circuit breaker panels. Instead of replacing fuses when they get blown, you only have to reset the tripped breaker.

Replacing a fuse box with a circuit breaker panel does more than simply tear out one component and put in a new one. The wiring around the panel will probably also need to be replaced with upgraded wiring so that it matches the capacity of the new installation.

Keep that old wiring in mind as well. This might be a good time to schedule a whole-house re-wiring to go along with the circuit breaker. This will bring your home up to current electrical code requirements, offer more efficient power, and lessen issues from outages.

We strongly urge homeowners who still have fuse boxes to make the change to the modern electrical panel.

Electrical ballast replacements are a common project in both residential homes and commercial buildings. An electrical ballast is a device used to regulate electrical currents so that they do not reach uncontrollable levels. A common application of electrical ballasts is those found in any type of light structure such as fluorescent or neon lighting systems. Depending on the size of the replacement project, a licensed electrician isn’t always necessary; however, if you don’t have the proper tools or experience, it is a good idea to consult with a licensed electrician before attempting the replacement. To simplify the procedure, here are the answers to three common questions about electrical ballast replacement.

Similar to replacing a light bulb, if you have any type of neon or fluorescent light, you will eventually need to replace the electrical ballast in the lighting structure. Replacing the electrical ballast is a more reasonable solution than replacing the entire neon or fluorescent light structure. You will know when it’s time to replace the electrical ballast because the light will begin flickering or will stop working entirely.

Yes, you can perform a ballast replacement yourself. While ballast replacement can be a simple procedure, if not done properly you can cause damage to your replacement bulb but also the fixture. Before performing the replacement yourself, make sure you are confident and understand all the steps involved or you could end up with expensive bills you were trying to avoid. If you require assistance or have any questions about electrical ballast replacement, contact our team of licensed electricians at Expert Electric. We would be happy to help.

Thankfully, an electrical ballast replacement does not require a fully stocked tool shed in order to be completed. For most electrical ballast replacements, a few simple tools will do the trick. Depending on the type and size of your replacement, your replacement may require a simple screwdriver, nut driver, drill, pliers and wire stripper. This is in addition to the new electrical ballast which you will be replacing.

For more information on electrical ballast replacement, please contact the licensed electricians at Expert Electric. You can reach us at 604-681-8338 or you can book an appointment online through our website. For 24/7 immediate response emergency service, please fill out a form on our website so that we can get in touch with you as soon as possible. We offer various types of electrician services including electric water heaters, surge protectors, ceiling fan installation and we service all throughout the Greater Vancouver area and Lower Mainland.

Antique architecture might be beautiful, but the electrical wiring in old houses doesn’t carry the same kind of charm. If you have an older home with an electrical system that hasn’t seen updates in a long time, you could be living in dangerous conditions without realizing it.

There are warning signs that may indicate your wiring is too old, but if you’re ever in doubt, there’s a fool-proof way to get an assessment of your system: Call in a professional! An expert will perform an in-depth inspection of your home’s wiring so you can be aware of the situation and the solutions for it.

With outdated wiring, you may notice strange signs from time to time. Some of them might occur with more regularity than others, but any instances at all can be cause for concern. In general, you’re at risk for having old wiring if your house is 40 years old or more. A few warning signs include:

Although old wiring can raise insurance premiums and keep you from using as many appliances as you’d like, the most important issue is safety. Over the course of time, the insulation surrounding the wires will break down until it eventually leaves the wiring exposed. The insulation protecting older wires doesn’t last as long as it does in newer installations. This means outdated electrical systems are much more likely to feature exposed wiring than those installed more recently.

With inner wiring exposed, the likelihood of short circuits and power failures goes up. Worse, deteriorated insulation translates to a much higher risk of suffering from electrical shocks or having fires break out in your home.

If you have any doubts about the wiring in your house, don’t take unnecessary risks. Ignoring the warning signs of an outdated electrical system can put you and your loved ones in danger. Beyond that, whatever money you might hope to save by not calling a professional would only go into repairs later on.

A recent KXAN news report featured the story of a Round Rock couple who built their home specifically for energy efficiency. Beginning with a strong metal roof designed to support the weight of solar panels, they installed 24 panels which generate ample amounts of electric current.

In winter months, their electric bills are very low. However, as spring and summer months bring greater levels of heat and sunlight, their electricity bills fall into a negative zone. That’s because their photovoltaic panels are producing more electricity than their home consumes. To further reduce electrical consumption, the couple has replaced many incandescent lights with solid state lighting. Special skylights called “solar tubes” provide bright interior lighting during daylight hours, making their home even more efficient. Efficient foam insulation and a roof design which provides longer overhangs shades the walls and further reduces the electricity needed for cooling the home. In addition to this, their home’s heating and cooling unit uses a geothermal well. For more information, click on this web link: News Link