The DIY craze is still alive and well across America. Homeowners of all types stand ready to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty handling plumbing, painting, flooring, and other tasks. But not all home improvement jobs are good candidates for DIY. Some of them, especially those involving electrical services, are better left to the professionals.
Take the typical panel upgrade. A panel upgrade is called for when an older home’s existing electrical system is unable to keep up with demand. A new panel is installed to solve the problem. The new panel will have a higher capacity and be capable of managing more circuits. It is just what modern homes need at a time when we are using more electricity to power daily life.
1. Work Must Be Up to Code
Anyone considering a panel upgrade must understand that the work, regardless of who does it, must be up to code in order to be legal. And it’s not just local code. Federal and state codes also govern residential electric service. Work that isn’t up to code could be inherently dangerous. But it also causes other problems:
- It could make selling a home nearly impossible.
- It could lead to higher insurance premiums or dropped coverage.
- It could mean a home not passing a critical safety inspection.
License technicians offering residential electrical services are proficient in appropriate building codes. They know how to do the work in such a way as to meet all code requirements. Does the average homeowner? Probably not.
2. Electricity Is Dangerous
Most people don’t understand just how dangerous electricity is. The experts at Salt Lake City’s SameDay explain that electrical panel upgrades involve working with high voltage wiring and extensive circuits. Anyone working on the system is at risk of electric shock and personal injury. Mishandling electricity could also lead to fire.
SameDay says that licensed electricians are trained in comprehensive safety procedures that minimize harm to themselves, their customers, and customer homes. They know how to do the work safely.
3. Technical Knowledge Is Required
Modern panels are considerably more complex than previous generations. Therefore, installation requires a bit of technical knowhow. You need to calculate loads. You need to choose an adequate panel. You need to know the details of a home’s existing electrical system. How many homeowners know enough about the wiring in their homes to choose and correctly install a new panel?
4. Permits and Documentation
A panel upgrade is a home improvement project that requires a local permit. With the permit come municipal inspections and the need for proper documentation. A licensed electrician can pull the permits. He also prepares all the documentation and guarantees the work will pass inspection.
Here’s something else to consider: if it is discovered later on that a panel upgrade occurred without a proper permit and inspection, a homeowner might be required to pull it all out and start over. He ultimately ends up paying for the job twice. Why take that chance?
5. Warrantied Work
Finally, panel upgrades are generally in that group of electrical services given a warranty when done by a licensed electrician. Why would a homeowner not want such a warranty?
In addition, existing warranties on appliances, TVs, etc. could be voided by improper panel installation. So imagine that your refrigerator stops running shortly after your panel upgrade. If the manufacturer can tie the problem to your new panel, the device’s warranty may be of no value.
Panel upgrades were pretty straightforward twenty years ago. They aren’t anymore. Modern panel upgrades just are not good DIY jobs.
