Having the electrical panel in your home upgraded when necessary will not only allow you to get the most out of your home's electrical system, but it can also play an important role in preventing serious problems such as an electrical fire. If you are not sure whether or not your home's electrical panel requires upgrading, being on the lookout for the following five warning signs could alert you to the need for residential electrical panel upgrades. 

#1: Frequently Tripped Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers are designed to be tripped anytime a specific electrical circuit attempts to pull too much electricity at one time. While it is normal for this to happen from time to time, you should not be resetting your circuit breakers on a regular basis. If you find that your circuit breakers trip often, this can be a strong indication that your electrical panel is outdated and in need of an upgrade. 

#2: Dimming Or Flickering Lights

Do the lights in your house dim or begin to flicker when you turn on your microwave or television? If so, this typically means that your electrical circuit is not capable of supplying enough energy to run all of these electrical devices at one time. In order to correct this issue, you will need to upgrade the electrical system in your home. 

#3: Overuse Of Extension Cords

Extension cords are only meant to be used as a temporary solution. These cords should not be used to permanently make up for the fact that there are not enough outlets in your home or that the existing outlets are not in the places that you need them. If you have been using extension cords for an extended period of time, it is time for an electrical panel upgrade so that you can have additional outlets installed. 

#4: Increase In Number Of Appliances

If you have added more major appliances to your home since your last electrical panel upgrade, you will want to have your electrical system evaluated by a professional to see if any additional upgrades are required. This is especially important when adding appliances such as a swimming pool filter or central air conditioning unit since these appliances draw a lot of electricity. 

#5: Electrical Burning Smell

If you smell an electrical burning smell coming from either your electrical panel or your outlets, you will want to have your electrical system evaluated as soon as possible. If your electrical panel is outdated, it could be failing to properly control the flow of electricity through your home and could be resulting in burning wires that could cause an electrical fire if not dealt with quickly.