Electrical FAQ

Home Electrical Q&A for Older Homes

What does it mean to upgrade my electrical service?

Upgrading your electrical service means upgrading your electrical system to bring more power into your home. Many older homes were built with 60 to 100 amps of electrical service. When the houses were made, that was sufficient to meet the electrical needs of most homes. Adding dishwashers, flat-screen TVs, microwaves, hairdryers, toaster ovens, and all the electrical devices we've come to depend on 60 or 100 amps is no longer sufficient to support your home’s electric needs. Upgrading your service will bring enough power into your home to use modern appliances.

Why might I need to upgrade my electrical service?

There are several reasons to consider upgrading your electrical service. The first and most important is that if your home is older than 25 years, your electric panel may need to be updated. It can be difficult and costly to replace parts and repair outdated panels. More concern is that some brands of obsolete electrical panels, such as Zinsco and Federal Pacific, can be a dangerous fire hazard. For more information about Zinsco panels, click here. The other common reason to upgrade your electrical service is to give your home the electrical capacity to handle all your modern appliances.

What are the warning signs that my electrical system needs to be upgraded?

Common warning signs that your electric service is overloaded are brownouts or lights dimming when you turn something on—frequent fuse tripping. Knowing your electric service is underpowered and that you don't need trip circuits can also cause concern. A course that trips is doing its job of protecting your wires from overloads and overheating. If you still have glass fuses, it is time to update your home’s electrical system.

Is this the same thing as rewiring my house?

No! Think of your home’s electrical panel as the heart of your electrical system. That is where the power comes into your home. Upgrading the board and bringing more energy into your house is the first and most crucial step to getting your home into the 20th century.

Will this solve all of my electrical problems?

Not necessarily. The wires that run throughout your walls all originate at your electrical panel. If your wiring is still in poor condition or you need more circuits in your home, you will still experience problems such as tripping circuits. A single course can only carry a set amount of electricity to the plugs or devices along that circuit. If a circuit is overloaded, the circuit breaker will trip. Even with a brand-new electrical service, the circuit breaker will trip if you put appliances that draw 40 amps on a circuit rated for only 20 amps. That is what it is supposed to do. Space heaters are a prevalent cause of tripping circuit breakers. Even if you upgrade your service and add new circuits to some parts of your home, if you plug in a space heater on an old course, it will still cause the breaker to trip.

What is involved in upgrading my electrical panel?

Typically, we will first remove the old electrical panel from your home. A new board is installed in its place, and all of the electrical circuits are transferred to the new forum. New circuit breakers are installed as well. The new copper wire is routed up through the riser on your roof, which will also be replaced. Then PSE&G must come to your house to attach larger wires, bringing more power into your home. It is common for homeowners to add additional circuits to their homes at this time to distribute the electrical power throughout the house better.

How long does it take?

We can complete your electrical service upgrade in a single day. Additional work, such as adding more circuits or changing plugs and switches, may take more than one day, but you will only be with power overnight.

How long will I be without power?

We will shut off your power in the morning; in most cases, it will be restored by mid to late afternoon.

How much does it cost to upgrade my electrical system?

The cost to upgrade your electrical system will vary based on several factors. For example, if the location of your panel does not meet current building codes, the city and PSE&G may require the place to be moved. This can add to the cost. We have seen prices to upgrade electrical systems ranging from a low of about $1500 to over $6000. You will find our prices to be mid-range. Beware of estimates that seem very low. The parts and materials required to upgrade your electrical system are costly, and highly skilled and experienced electricians do not work for minimum wage; additionally, legitimate businesses will need to charge enough to cover the costs of insurance, workers’ compensation, and business taxes. This is for the protection of the customer. They also need to charge enough to remain in business and hopefully make a profit. Cutting corners is the only way to upgrade an electrical service at a meager price. That is something we do not do at Point Loma Electric. Electricity can be dangerous, and your home’s electrical system is not the place to cut corners. There is an old saying that you get what you pay for, and there never seems to be enough money to do something right, but there is always enough to do it over. Choose your electrical contractor carefully. If you have a problem, you want the company to still be in business in the future. Check with the BBB, the Contractors State Licence Board, and customer reviews.

My breakers keep tripping. Do you know if upgrading my electrical service will solve this problem? Yes and No.

The only permanent cure for tripping breakers is increasing the number of circuits in your home to avoid overloading or adding courses with the proper capacity for the appliances you want to run. A space heater will still trip your breaker if you run it on a lighting circuit since the wires are not sized to handle that electrical load.

Why do my breakers keep tripping?

Breakers trip when the circuit they protect has more amps of electricity than the wire is rated to carry. They are designed to trip and protect the wire from overloading and heating up, which is a common cause of house electrical fires.


How do I know if my house needs to be rewired?

Many people with older homes think their entire house needs to be rewired. That is only sometimes the case. Many older homes still have a great deal of safe, serviceable wiring intact. If you are considering having your home rewired, have a licensed residential electrical contractor take a look. They can tell you if you need to rewire your house or if a minor or significant upgrade may solve your electrical problems and cure any safety issues.

Will they need to cut open my walls if I rewire my house?

Sometimes, holes can't be avoided. However, an experienced and skilled residential electrician knows that there are many tricks to prevent cutting up your walls. Small holes are unavoidable when running new wires, but there is rarely a cause for cutting large holes in walls. Small holes are easy to patch, and we always patch any holes that can't be avoided. At Point Loma Electric, we like to say that people don't hire us to cut open their walls; they hire us because we DON” T cut empty walls. Since we specialize in older homes, we have many tricks up our sleeves to avoid making holes as much as possible, and if a spot is required, we keep it as small as possible.

How long does it take to require a house?

That will vary based on many factors, such as the size of the home and the accessibility to run wires through the attic or in the crawl space under the house. The type of building materials and the number of obstacles can also make a difference. Crowded homes with large furniture or objects that need to be moved can take considerably longer.

How much does it cost to rewire a home?

Many factors affect the cost of a home rewire. I think an experienced electrician will need to make a thorough evaluation and discuss your household electrical needs in depth. Beware a price that seems too good to be true. Rewiring an entire home is a very labor-intensive endeavor if done correctly. We have heard many horror stories of fly-by-night electricians abandoning homeowners mid‐job because they realize they underbid the work and will lose money if they complete it at a price that is too low.

We have many years of experience in rewiring homes. Our prices are competitive for the quality of artistry and service we provide. We are very much focused on your job until it is complete and finished quickly to avoid inconvenience. We can spend a whole rewire in about 1/2 to 1/3 of the time that most companies estimate it will take them. Our electricians are experienced in this type of work, and we only leave once you are finished. You will also be pleased by our thorough cleanup.

NFPA | Licensed by the New Jersey State Board of Electrical Examiners | NJ Electric LIC #16592 | OSHA™ Certified

NFPA | Licensed by the Florida State Board of Electrical Examiners | FL Electric LIC #EC13011727 | OSHA™ Certified