Why service upgrade after a home purchase?
You should look into a Service Upgrade after a home purchase especially if the house has been sitting on the market for a while. For instance, your electrical panel may look okay. But you really won’t know much until you start plugging your appliances in. In other words, use them in your daily living. You can check to see how many dedicated appliance circuits you have just by flicking your circuit breakers on and off. Above all, if there are no dedicated appliance circuits in your kitchen you should consider adding a few.
Grounded Receptacles
Even though you have 3 prong receptacle outlets, It doesn’t mean that they are grounded. There is a simple tester you can purchase to check all your receptacle outlets.
Grounded Switches
All your switches should also be grounded. There is no tester for your switches. Open up each switch to see if they are grounded.
Circuit Breakers
Check the wiring on your circuit breakers. If you see a #14 wire on a 20amp circuit breaker remove that wire and install it on a 15-amp circuit breaker. I see this much too often and this can turn into a fire hazard.
Electrical Service Ground
This by far is the most important part of your electrical service when considering a service upgrade after a home purchase. Check to see if you have a copper ground wire going from your circuit breaker panel grounding terminal to a copper main water ground. also, make sure you have a ground rod connected to your electrical service.
Conclusion
These are some things that will help you identify whether or not you need a service upgrade after a home purchase. If you find all these problems in your electrical service and wiring, you should consider a service wiring upgrade. This will ensure peace of mind and safety for you and your family.
