The electrical panel, also called a breaker box, is the “brain” of the electrical system in your home. It controls the power flow to each room and contains a main switch to shut off power when an emergency arises. Electrical panels are also designed to prevent circuits from being overloaded. You will need to interact with your electrical panel at some point, so you must know how to use it safely. The following are some safety tips you need to know when operating your electrical panel.
Do Not Cut the Power If You Must Stand in Water
If standing water is near your electrical panel, do not touch it to shut off the power. If you feel your breaker box while standing in water, you risk receiving an electrical shock that can cause bodily harm or death. In this case, you should contact your power company and have them shut off your power at the meter.
Keep a Safe Distance and Turn to the Side When Flipping Switches
Whether you must shut off power to a particular room or the whole house, ensure you stand a safe distance from the box, preferably within arm’s reach, and turn to the side. When you are too close to the breaker box and facing it, you risk injuring your eyes and the rest of your body if any arcing should occur.
Call an Electrician If Breakers Flip Continuously
If you notice breakers are tripping continuously, this is a sign of a serious electrical problem. Have a licensed electrician check your breaker box to understand what is wrong and make necessary repairs.
Make Sure All Breaker Switches Are Properly Labeled
Check the switches on your breaker box for labels. If you see that there are labels present that are wearing down or notice that there are no labels at all, apply labels when it is safe to do so. Hire an electrician for this task to ensure all switches are properly marked.
Leave Changes to Licensed Electricians
Many may not consider this last tip a recommended safety measure; however, this must be stated for homeowners who want to add extra circuits to the electrical panel, change the electrical load on any of the switches, or replace breakers. Suppose you fall into this category of homeowners who fancy working on your breaker box yourself. In that case, leaving any changes to your electrical panel up to the professionals is essential.
Working with the breaker box requires specialized training and experience that only licensed electricians have. Attempting to work on electrical boxes without the proper training and experience can be dangerous or even deadly because all it takes is one wrong move.
If it has been some time since you had your electrical panels inspected in Camarillo, CA, contact Economy Lighting and Electric right away. Licensed electricians recommend having your electrical panel and the rest of your home electrical system inspected annually.
