Electrical Panel Free Installation Software
Electrical Panel Free Installation
Residential Electrical Panel Installation

Install the Main Service Wires. The electrician will now feed a fish tape through the main service conduit opening from inside the panel to the entry point outside the home where the main service wires are available. There are normally three main service wires: two black hot wires and a white neutral wire. The average cost to replace an electrical panel ranges from $850 to $2,500 depending on the amperage. A service panel upgrade to 100 amps costs $850 to $1,600, a 200-amp breaker box replacement costs $1,800 to $2,500, and a 400-amp electrical service upgrade costs $2,000 to $4,000.

A home’s electrical panel — what electricians call a service panel but what most people know as their 'breaker box”— serves as the switchboard for the entire house's electrical system. The panel receives power from the utility company and distributes it to the individual circuits that supply all of the fixtures, outlets and other devices in the home. Learn the basics of electrical panel wiring; it's a good first step to understanding your home’s electrical system and is essential to performing safe repairs and upgrades.

Types of Panels

It’s important to note that not all electrical panel wiring uses breakers, although that’s been the standard for over 50 years. The precursor to the breaker-type panel is the fuse panel, which uses disposable fuses (instead of breakers) to protect the circuits from shorts and overloads. To shut off the power to an individual circuit, you have to remove the fuse.

While most homes have a single service panel, or 'main' panel, it’s not uncommon to have a secondary panel, called a subpanel, that is supplied by the main panel. A subpanel essentially is a small version of a main panel and may be installed when a main panel has no room left for adding circuits or to provide power (and easy panel access) to a house addition or new garage.

Panel Anatomy

Behind your service panel door are the columns of circuit breaker switches, with the ON/OFF levers that you click over to the ON side whenever a breaker trips. The inner panel surrounding the switches conceals the guts of the electrical panel wiring.

Here’s what’s back there:

Three heavy-gauge service cables enter the panel from the electric meter. One of these is the neutral line, and it connects to the neutral bus bar — a metal strip with numerous screw terminals — inside the service panel. The two other lines are the hot lines. These connect to the two hot bus bars in the panel via a large 'main' circuit breaker. Each hot line carries 120 volts of power.

A panel must also have a heavy grounding wire (usually bare copper) that connects to the neutral bus bar on one end and to a grounding rod driven into the ground on the other end. In houses with metal water pipes, there may also be a ground wire between the panel and a nearby cold-water pipe.

All of the remaining cables going into the panel are the individual circuit cables from the house (and subpanel, if you have one). The hot wire (usually black or red) from each cable connects to a circuit breaker, while the neutral wire (usually white) connects to the neutral bus bar.

Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers are the primary safety devices in your electrical system and they are integral to electrical panel wiring. A breaker automatically 'trips' and shuts off power to a circuit if it senses an overload, which can be caused by plugging in too many appliances on one circuit, or by a short. A short can result from things like loose wires, damaged insulation or a curious kid sticking a coat hanger into an outlet (ouch).

Breakers are rated for the power draw of each circuit. Standard breakers carry 120 volts and either 15 or 20 amps (amperes). High-voltage breakers carry 240 volts and 30 or more amps. The amp rating is the number stamped on the end of each breaker switch lever. All panels should have an index label on the panel door listing the main devices on each circuit (e.g. 'kitchen plugs,' 'dryer,' 'living room lights').

Electrical Safety

Now that you know a little about electrical panel wiring, the most important rule to remember is: Always shut off the power to the area where you’ll be working. Before inspecting or removing a switch or other household device, for example, switch off the breaker serving the device’s circuit. And before doing anything with the panel — including removing the inner cover — shut off the main breaker. This cuts the power to all of the household circuits at once. However, the service cables and the points where they connect to the panel are always powered, so don’t go near them!

For electrical repair and upgrades that are beyond your comfort zone, hire a reliable, licensed electrician. Home wifi free installation.

Updated December 24, 2017.

Performing an electrical service panel upgrade is an important task that must be done on every home to ensure that your home electrical circuits are always safe. But, what are the best practices and guidelines that should be followed?

Electrical Service Panel Guidelines and Information

Do you really need a sub-contractor to do this work? Do you require any permits? What costs are involved? What problems are likely to occur? Well, here we provide all the answers to your questions and solutions, offering the best advice and guidelines that you should follow when you require this kind of work done.

The following are the most important details that you should follow to ensure that the job gets done professionally and correctly, and these items should also be included in any contracts and contractor work checklists, and tied to payments:

Before the start of any work, you should make sure that the location, layout, style and appearance of the panel, and any materials used are correct and approved with the contractor.

Ensure that all the electrical elements including connectors, fasteners, and other items used are fully compatible with the new panel.

The guidelines stipulate that the panel must be flush to the mounting surface, and that the base and trim are completely and properly attached.

Neat, uniform cut outs will be made as per the panel upgrade guidelines so that no air gaps are evident and that the panel is not visible when the cover plates are installed. Any large gaps and spaces must be insulated and sealed.

Electrical Panel Free Installation Software

The new panel must be anchored securely to its structural framing.

Make sure it will conform to manufacturer’s requirements, and will operate correctly.

According to the guidelines, all work must meet or exceed any and all code requirements.

It must be correctly grounded with proper polarity in order to deliver the correct voltage.

The correct size wiring will be used to ensure full design performance and safe operation of the panel.

FAQ’s

These are just some of the commonly asked questions relating to the upgrade of an electrical service panel:

Do You Need a Permit?

Usually some kind of permit or design approval is required from your local building office for the installation of a new panel, so you will need to find out and apply for one before you start any work. The contractor you hire for the job should organize this for you.

Can I Do the Job Myself?

No, this is not the kind of job that you can do yourself, no matter how proficient you are. The installation of an electrical service panel requires the expertise of a professional who uses the correct tools, materials and fabrication methods as set out in the upgrade guidelines. Any DIY mistakes will result in the loss of marketability of your home as well as decrease the value, plus it will be very costly to fix.

Do I Need to Hire a Professional Electrical Contractor?

Yes, you must be very thorough when it comes to selecting the professional contractor to perform this task. They must be highly experienced and know how to install the panel correctly to ensure optimal performance.