A home addition is, in general, an exciting time for a homeowner. There is so much hustle and bustle as the time approaches, and so many options to choose from in regards to materials that most homeowners don’t even consider what their new addition is going to do to the electrical panel. Most electrical panels are originally installed with the idea that the homeowner will add something to it at some point, but many can’t withstand the addition of more than a couple of rooms. Here are a couple of ideas to keep in mind when the time comes to add onto your home.

Expand the Electrical Panel or Add a Second Panel

Electrical panels are available in a variety of sizes. They’re available with 4 spaces for breakers or up to 80 spaces for breakers. Most small to midsized homes are built with one 20 or 30 space breaker that feeds the entire home power. Overloading the electrical panel is never a good idea, so the larger the home, the more spaces the electrical panel requires.

You should ideally be able to turn the power off to any specific room at any given time if something is going on with the electrical outlets in that particular room. On the flipside, if there are problems in any given room, it will also flip the breaker, effectively turning the power off in that room to aid in the prevention of a house fire. Adding rooms to the home may require the expansion of the electrical panel or the addition of a second electrical panel in one of the new rooms.

We will work with your contractor to decide which option will work better for your specific needs. Our goal is to make sure that each area of your home, the old and the new, receives the proper amount of power without overloading anything. You may even make special requests such as:

• Extra power outlets with USB ports in the kitchen, office, and family room.
• Room-specific electrical needs such as extra outlets or special outlets for the home theater.

We can usually create a customized electrical plan that covers all of your needs without issue. Please keep in mind that we do need to keep the entire electrical system within code, so we may not be able to install any outlets inside the kitchen cabinets unless we cut a hole in the back of the cabinet so we can install an electrical box. All outlets must be contained in an electrical box and covered with a faceplate.

Authorized Construction Group, LLC is located in Essex, Maryland and provides electrical services to all businesses and homeowners in the surrounding areas. We gladly work with homeowners to ensure that power runs smoothly and uninterrupted from area to area. Call us at 443-579-5701 to discuss your electrical needs with us.