This steel box holds multiple circuit breakers wired to circuits that distribute power throughout your home. Main electrical panels go by various different names, load center, service panel, breaker box or electrical panel.
Circuit breakers turn the power to your home on and off to protect wiring from damage by “tripping” when an electrical short or overcurrent occurs.
UNITED Plumbing Heating Air & Electric recommends replacing your electrical panel or adding a sub-panel if a need for additional circuit breakers exceeds the capacity of your current breaker panel or if you want to upgrade from fuses to circuit breakers.
- MAIN BREAKERS
A main breaker is a large double-pole circuit breaker that limits the amount of electricity coming in from outside to protect the circuits it feeds. It also identifies your breaker panel’s amperage capacity. Main breakers can be installed when the meter and feeder cable are within 10 ft. of the panel. However, consult your local UNITED ELECTRICIAN to see if your panel will meet this or another requirement for proper installation.
- SUB PANELS
Also known as service or circuit breaker sub-panels, they can be a good solution when a breaker panel doesn’t have enough slots to add new circuits. A sub-panel is also ideal for situations where multiple circuits are needed in a single separate area, like a workshop or greenhouse. If there’s an increase in electricity, contact your local UNITED ELECTRICIAN for increased service.
- METER BASES
Most electrical meters are electromechanical induction meters, which use aluminum discs to measure the electricity used. The solid state meter, a newer model, uses a device called a current transformer to measure energy and displays the results on an LCD display.
UNITED carries all major brands: GE, SEIMENS & MURRAY.