Most homeowners don’t think about their electrical panel until the lights go out in a part of the house or a coffee maker won’t turn on. Usually located in the garage, basement or laundry room, the grey metal box is a vital component of your home.

The panel contains fuses and circuit breakers, which are switched on and off to send electricity to different parts of the house. A breaker is rated by the amount of current it can handle–15-amp breakers control standard outlets and lighting; 20-amp breakers often are for high-use outlets, such as kitchen appliances; and higher amperage breaker often serve large energy-hungry equipment like dryers or dishwashers.

Electricity typically comes from a power plant over long high voltage wires that travel to your town’s meter, through a local transformer (one of those big “cans” you see on telephone poles along the road) to your electric meter and then to your breaker panel. The panel cuts the massive voltage down to 120V or 240V, which powers your household appliances.

A well-maintained panel can last a good 30 years or longer. However, it’s not indestructible and you should be aware of the signs that a panel is nearing the end of its lifespan.Electrician Clearwater