Shared living in the United States is becoming more and more commonplace with the rise in rent costs. Despite many affordable housing purchase options still available, even in large metropolitan areas like Denver and Boulder, young people feel like home ownership is unobtainable. This is a farce as a good salary job or 2-3 years of consistent hard work can make this dream realistic, but that is a conversation for another day.
Homes as small as 1,000 square feet are now housing four different people from different walks or periods of life. These individuals have pets and significant others that can contribute to the footprint as well. All of these living breathing organisms exist in the 21st century and require an immense amount of electricity. The grid is growing like never before. a TV, computer and lights in one room. A vanity mirror, lights and TV in another, with a hair straightener plugged in to boot. While we don’t notice or think about it, these all cost money and all drain from the houses main electrical source.
Those of us in the electrical industry need to continue to adapt with the times. Bigger load availability, more GFIs, more amperage, higher efficiency appliances and light bulbs. These are just a few of the solutions and innovations that will need to spread throughout the world to keep things running smoothly and effectively. The other solution is to embrace our ancestral roots and move back into teepees and adobes and live without electricity, but barring an environmental catastrophe that most likely won’t happen anytime soon. Once Pandora’s Box has been opened, it’s tough to close.
Electrical Panels
While they may have many different monikers- breaker panels, load centers, service panels, breaker boxes, electrical panels are generally defined as the steel box housing your homes circuit breakers. These magical devices will trip or cut power to the circuits that distribute power throughout your home or business.
Electrical Service
The electrical system inside of your home originates from your electric utility company. They are in business by sending electrical power through electrical lines or wires, generally overhead, from what’s called a power pole. Often times these wires can be routed underground through buried pipes which are called conduit.
A conduit carries conductors from power lines to the electric meter and service entrance panel described above. An electrical meter will be connected at this main panel. Power is precision distributed to sub panels and circuitry in your domicile. After it has traveled through the meter and panel, it goes directly to your receptacles, lights, appliances and more by way of different electrical circuits.
Modern Panels
Three electrical services wires come into your home from the utility company. From these three main wires branch off smaller cables into strategic areas of your home.
For safety sake, which is paramount when dealing with large amount of electricity that can be harmful to the human body, all circuits are grounded. This is done via a “continuous conductor” which is ideally made from sold copper that runs from a neutral connector in the panel to a ground area such as a water pipe or metal rod driven deep into the ground. It is designed to maintain 0 volts at all time.
Amperage
The maximum number of amps for the home will be marked on your service panel at the main breaker. As we have outlined previously, 100 amps is generally sufficient for a modern home. As we move forward into the future dominated by technology, development and new frontiers, builders often look ahead and establish more and more power capacity. It’s not uncommon to see 150 amp or 200 amp breakers.
Our Proposition
Here at Boulder Electrical we take into account your unique needs, with an eye on industry standards. While every project is different, we are dependable with the common traits linking everything together including safety and design. Smooth, uninterrupted utilities make your life easier. Your family counts on us to live the life it wants to live. Whether working from home, streaming incoming shows and movies, keeping the home cool or warm, preserving food in a fridge or freezer and far beyond, Trust Boulder Electrical to get you back online or to prepare sufficiently into the future.
If you’d like to know and learn more about this topic, read our blogs and if you have inquiries regarding our services, don’t hesitate to contact Boulder Electrical @ 720) 515 – 0933 Our support team would be happy to answer any of your concerns.