Introduction to Electrical Panels

When you smell a burnt wire and unexpectedly experience a power failure, you'll sometimes feel lost in your own home trying to find where the electrical problem started. But if you have an electrical panel which houses all the circuit breakers, there's no way you'll get lost again.

Most of today’s houses in Sydney are upgrading and updating their electrical panels to ensure an electrically safe home. Since everything is almost dependent on electricity, the ability to operate fixtures and appliances is impossible without electrical panels.

An electrical system without the means to regulate and eliminate harmful currents can damage your appliances. Hence, understanding the basics of electrical panels can help you assess electrical faults quickly and can provide an immediate solution.

Electrical Panel in a Nutshell

An electrical panel (or breaker panel) is the core of all house circuits. The electrical panel is the link between the electrical network wire inside your home and the electrical meter outside. It has a feature of determining the total amount of current that flows to the circuits before the main circuit breaker shuts down the whole electrical system.

Main Components of an Electrical Panel

Learning the basics of the electrical panel in your home will let you feel at peace and safe. You’ll even save money to costly operation of electrical panel and electrical repairs once you know the basics. Thus, knowing first the main parts of an electrical panel will make you understand more the importance of an electrical panel in your home and how it works.

• Main Breaker – The main breaker in your electrical panel is usually the largest. It is used to shut off the power of the entire house all at once when necessary.
• Circuit Breakers – Electrical switches that automatically control and prevent an electrical circuit from the damage caused by excessive current, short circuit or a ground fault. 

• Neutral Bus – Generally, a neutral bus is connected to the primary circuit’s neutral wire. This helps electricity return to the breaker panel after flowing power to a device.
• Grounding Bus Bar – Its primary use is for grounding wires from the different circuits that are connected to itself.

Electrical Panel’s Function At Home

An electrical panel is where all breaker switches are located within your home. If you notice something unusual with your power line, this is the first thing that you may check to see if there’s a problem. Inside the panel are the circuit breakers that work to protect the circuits and electronic devices from damage. 

Furthermore, circuit breakers serve as a safety switch that signals you from potential danger. It trips or shuts off power when there’s something wrong with the circuits. The common reasons for circuit breaker tripping are short circuit, an excess current from overload, or a ground fault. If the breaker didn’t trip and shut off the power, there could be trouble. 

Each circuit breaker has a certain amount of power, so if breakers carry too much, the wires will overheat and possibly result in a fire. 

One common movement when a circuit breaker trips because it reaches its maximum amperage, the switch handle moves between the on and off location and will show a red area warning that it’s tripping. 

Depending on your electrical panel, sometimes you’re going to look closely at the switches as the “trip” only has a small movement of the handle. It’s hard to tell which one has an electrical issue. With that, it’s best if you label each breaker or might as well choose the best switch for your home to be safe.

Conclusion

When electricians are not around, being knowledgeable enough about the electrical panel is one way of saving yourself from danger. It guides you what buttons to click or wires to fix when there’s sudden tripping in the circuit breakers. Your basic knowledge will help you provide an immediate solution to the electrical issue. 

For more information about electrical panels, installation and emergency repairs, contact a reliable and trusted level 2 electrician from Sydney North Shore Electrician to ensure your home’s safety. 

With our highest quality of electrical services, expertise and mastery in all electrical works, you may leave all electrical matters in our hands and turn your attention to other things that would benefit you, your family and business.

Furthermore, wherever you are in Sydney, working with your local electricians means faster response time.

Call us at (02) 8378 2828 for an appointment or book online now.