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At
Deer Creek Electric, we are the "Service
Upgrade Specialists".
We perform more electric service upgrades than any other service
we provide! (sometimes up to 3 per week) We’ve replaced
literally hundreds of electric services since our company’s
inception in 1992. Because of our vast experience, we have witnessed
just about every circumstance and situation imaginable. With
ever-changing electrical codes, combined with challenging existing
electric service installations, it can be very difficult to design
and install the perfect system for your unique application. This
is where experience matters! You can trust D.C.E. to design and
install the right solution for your electric service upgrade.
That’s why we say at Deer Creek Electric…. “The
Buck Stops Here”.
What things should I look for in my existing service to
determine if I need my service upgraded? |
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Water Damage: This is the #1
problem we find that damages many electric services.
Many times, the UV rays from the sun will break down
the exterior service entrance cable jacket, causing it
to crack. Also, an improperly installed service head
or improperly sealed connections can cause serious damage.
These will allow rain water to enter the cable assembly.
The service entrance cable then acts like a conduit by
channeling the water into your breaker box and right
across your breakers, causing them to rust and corrode.
These corroded and rusty connections eventually will
start to arc and spark. We’ve even seen fires as
a result. Look for rust marks on the
bottom of your breaker box, hot or warm
breakers, lights flickering, partial loss
of electric, cracked or frayed exterior
service entrance cables, or
an electrical or burning smell. These
are all signs of water damage to your electrical service.
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Adding Additional Electric Load: Many times when adding additional
load to an existing system, an upgrade is necessary. Such items
include: hot tub, welder, air compressor, central A/C, solar
PV, electric heat, electric stove, home addition, etc.
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No More Breaker Spaces: A full breaker box or tandem breakers
often warrant a service replacement.
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Old and Outdated Equipment (fuses):
Fuse boxes often contain improperly sized fuses! Blowing fuse
problems are often “solved” by installing a higher
rated fuse. This practice allows more current to flow through
a wiring system that is not designed to handle these loads. (often
two times more!) The risk of fire is greatly increased when this
happens.
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“Federal Pacific” Breaker Boxes:
Federal Pacific breakers were widely installed from the 1950’s
through the 1980’s. They are no longer in business due
to numerous lawsuits. Because of a proven high defective rate,
their circuit breakers failed to trip approximately 60% of the
time when under overload or short circuit conditions. There is
no practical way to test which breakers are defective internally.
Given these facts, these panels are considered an undue fire
and injury risk. We recommend replacing this equipment on sight!
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“Zinsco” Breaker Boxes:
Zinsco stopped production of these panels in the mid-1970’s.
The aluminum connections between bus bar and breaker are often
loose. This causes arcing to occur and the aluminum bus bar is
easily deteriorated, causing even more arcing and burning. Because
of this serious design flaw, we also recommend replacing this
equipment on sight.
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Insurance Premium Discounts: Many home owners’ insurance
policies will give a discount for homes that have had their electric
service replaced or upgraded. In some cases, insurances policies
will not be written until they are upgraded!
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Home Inspection Reports: Usually this occurs when an existing
home is being bought or sold. A third party home inspection is
ordered and often the electric service is flagged for repair or
replacement. This is usually a negotiation issue at the settlement
table. D.C.E. works with many area real estate agents in the area
regarding this matter.
(Examples of existing services in need of replacement to the right)
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