Get matched with top electricians in McLouth, KS

Upgrading your electrical panel is often worth the cost for safety, improved electrical performance, and potential long-term savings. A primary benefit is preventing electrical fires and other hazards from a malfunctioning panel, ensuring your household's safety. An upgraded panel also provides a steady flow of electricity, eliminating issues like flickering lights and frequently tripped breakers. It allows you to connect additional appliances without overloading the system, which is especially beneficial for older homes with 100-amp service that are prone to overheating. If you run large appliances like central air conditioning, heating systems, hot tubs, or saunas, you might consider upgrading to a 300- or 400-amp service to meet the higher electrical demand. Furthermore, an upgrade can lead to long-term savings on energy bills and potentially lower insurance costs.

A correctly installed 3-way switch will not trip a breaker. If using a 3-way switch trips your circuit breaker, the ground wire might be touching something it should not be, there could be a short in the wiring, a wire could be loose, or the wrong wires are connected to the wrong locations on the switch. If you cannot easily see the problem, such as a loose wire, contact an electrician to fix the issue.

How far you can run underground electric depends on the wire gauge (generally AWG) and the circuit voltage. Too much voltage drop in an electrical circuit can negatively affect performance, so the smaller the voltage drop, the better. Ideally, it shouldn't exceed 3%. The smaller the wire and the longer the run, the more significant the voltage drop. 

For example, with a 120-volt circuit, you can run 60 feet of 12 AWG cable without losing more than 3% voltage. With a 240-volt circuit, you can run 120 feet of 12 AWG wire while maintaining a voltage drop of 3% or less.

Some types of electric fireplaces use more electricity than others. Models that produce 1,500 watts will have more of an effect on your heating bill than 750-watt models. 

Electric fireplaces use an average of $1.85 of electricity every eight hours. These minimal operational costs aren’t likely to make a big difference in your electric bill—unless you’re using it as a primary heating source for your home and it’s running most of the time.