Heavy Up If You Need More Electrical Power During Winter

Along with the joy of the holidays, the electrical load of many homes will rise due to the Christmas lights, new electronic devices, electric blankets, and space heaters that are being used. The following discusses how a heavy-up can provide more electrical power during the winter.

Symptoms of Insufficient Power

Winter means lower temperatures, and heating systems must work reliably to keep a house warm and its plumbing intact. There are several symptoms that indicate that an electrical circuit is overburdened, including frequently tripping breakers and flickering lights. Sudden drops in voltage can also damage expensive electronics, so adequate power is essential for preserving your equipment.

Two Ways to Handle an Overloaded Electrical System

1) New Appliances:  Older appliances like washing machines, dryers, and refrigerators that are more than a decade old may be ready for replacement. Outdated appliances are capable of drawing a lot of electricity even when they are not being used. Newer appliances will result in decreased utility bills that will make your holidays and winter less expensive.

2) Heavy-Up (Electrical Panel Upgrade):  When your house requires more electricity to cope with modern usage, consider getting a heavy-up or electrical panel upgrade. This procedure, which should always be handled by an experienced license electrician, will provide more amperage to your home via the service panel.

Schedule an electrical inspection for verifying the need for a heavy-up. Houses older than 20 years may be equipped with an outdated circuit that provides less than 100 amps, which may require rewiring and additional outlets to handle modern demands.

Cost of Heavy-Up

Decades ago the standard for household power was 60 amps; today’s modern homes require 200 amps to power HVAC systems, computers, HD televisions, and new large appliances. The cost of a heavy-up of an electrical service panel to 100 or 200 amps is an estimated $1,500 to $3,000.

Electrical Peace of Mind

Providing professional electricians since 1988 in Maryland, Cook Electric is the company you can rely on for all your electrical service needs. For knowledgeable, fair, honest, reliable, and conscientious service, call Cook Electric today at (410) 266-9040. We will be very glad to help you.