Electrical / Circuit Breaker Subpanels Norfolk, VA

You’ve probably at least seen the electrical panel in your office or your home, even if you’re not quite sure what it is or what it does. The panel is for managing power in the building, however, sometimes a subpanel is also a good addition. Electrical subpanels, sometimes referred to as service subpanels or circuit breaker subpanels, are used to provide a communications line between the main panel and branch circuits elsewhere. Or, in other words, it’s basically a miniature service panel that helps distribute the electricity from the main panel.

There are three typical reasons you might want to install a subpanel. The first is basic partitioning of electrical functions. If you’re living in a building with more than one occupant and separate dwelling areas for each, such as a duplex, it can be handy to have separate circuits for each of those areas, and a subpanel allows you to do this.

A second reason is that subpanels are useful when routing wires. If you’re remodeling your home or office, new electrical cables will need to be run from the service panel to the remodeled area, which can be very difficult in an older building because the walls are closed. But with a subpanel, the main wire need only be sent to one location in the remodeled area, from which other cables can be branched out.

And lastly, an electrical subpanel can add space for circuit breakers in a separate location. It’s not the most efficient solution normally, but if there are no unused breakers on your main panel and a tandem circuit breaker is out of the question, a subpanel can provide the extra space you need. However, this considered the last option for this case, so it’s best to consider all other solutions before going with it.

Whatever the reason you’re considering having a subpanel installed, you should definitely make sure that this is the best solution for your electricity flow needs. They sound like they’re the be and end all answer, but there are certainly other options that should be checked first to make sure you’re getting the most for your money. At Nipper Electric, we’re committed to making sure your electrical needs are done right from the get go, so give us a call and let us find the solution that works best for you.