Electrical Panel FAQs

It’s likely that you don’t give your electrical panels much thought unless there’s a problem. But without them connecting the electrical wires of your home to the external wires coming from the street, you wouldn’t have the convenience of electricity that you regularly rely on. Although they’re unseen, electrical panels are a major piece of the puzzle when it comes to making sure your home electricity runs smoothly and safely. Here’s what you need to know about the electrical panels in your home and how to make sure they’re in good shape.

The main breaker panel acts as the parent panel—it is the primary connection between the external wires coming from the city and the internal wires of your home. It regulates the circuit breakers and the energy consumption throughout your entire house. Fuse boxes are designed to prevent circuit overflow and will short out whenever there is excessive electricity to that circuit. For example, if you’ve ever used a hairdryer that “blew a fuse”, that was the fuse box keeping the circuit from being overloaded. Typically, these types of panels are found in homes built before the 1980s.

Main lug panels are usually installed downstream of the main breaker panel and they act as secondary electrical load bearers.

Sub-panels are used when there are multiple circuits needed in the same area. They don’t have their own disconnects, but they help to adjust the electrical flow throughout the various circuits in your home.