Electrical Subpanels

You’re most likely familiar with the electrical panel and
what it controls in your home or office. If you’ve ever had a power outage, a
breaker tripped, or been around for a home inspection you’ve laid eyes on the
panel. What you might not know is that there are times where having a subpanel
is also appropriate.

An electrical subpanel, which is also known as a service
subpanel or circuit breaker subpanel, is a communicator between the main
service panel and branch circuits down the line. In plain English, it’s a mini
service panel. That being said, it doesn’t add electricity to the house as it
feeds off the main panel.

There’s a few common reasons for installing a subpanel. One
reason is to separate the electrical functions of one area from the other. If you’re
living in a duplex or if there is a separate dwelling area on the property, it
could be helpful to keep those circuits separate from the circuit that feeds
into it.

Another reason is that electrical subpanels create more
space to hold more circuit breakers in a separate location. If the main panel
doesn’t have the space required for the new circuit breakers you want to
install, the subpanel can make new space for these breakers. This is a last
resort after looking for any slots in the main panel that might be held up with
unused breakers. You may even be able to use a tandem circuit breaker (this
shares one slot but delivers the same amount of output). If these options are a
“no-go,” an electrical subpanel may be right for you.

If you’re looking to remodel your home or office, an
electrical subpanel may come in handy for wire routing. New electrical cables
need to be run from the service panel to the remodeled area, and often times
older homes or offices can be difficult to reroute wires through closed walls,
floors, and ceilings. However, installing a new subpanel near the area to be
remodeled means only one main cable from the main breaker needs to be routed to
the subpanel.

If you’re looking to have a subpanel installed, you’ll first
want to make sure this is the most efficient method of electricity flow control
needed for your home or office. While at first a subpanel may seem the obvious
solution, there are a few things that could possibly be done first which will
reduce time, energy, and cost to have done. With Nipper Electric, we want to
make sure you get the perfect solution for all your electrical needs the first
time. Give us a call today and let our friendly staff help guide you to the
right solution today.