Fuse box and electrical panel upgrades in Kitchener
A fuse box or an undersized panel was fine for the house as it was built. It is not fine for a house with air conditioning, a home office and a car charging in the garage.
What is involved
- Old fuse box or panel removed
- New breaker panel installed
- Service increased to 200 amps where required
- Subpanel added if you need circuits elsewhere
- Main breaker, meter base and service cable replaced as needed
- Grounding and bonding updated
- All circuits tested and labelled
- ESA inspection and Enova Power disconnect arranged
Signs you have outgrown your panel
- Fuses, or a main breaker marked 60
- Breakers sharing slots
- Lights dipping when appliances start
- A warm panel or a burning smell
- No space for a new circuit
Power off, power on
A panel upgrade means a planned outage. Enova Power disconnects the supply, the work is done and inspected by the ESA, and Enova reconnects. You are given the date and the expected outage window when the job is booked, so nothing catches you out.
Licensed electricians
Priority Electrician Kitchener partners with licensed electricians. Work that requires it is filed with the Electrical Safety Authority and inspected.
Questions about fuse box and panel upgrades
How do I know if I have a fuse box?
Open the panel door. Round screw-in fuses or pull-out fuse blocks mean a fuse box. Rows of switches mean a breaker panel.
Can I just replace fuses with bigger ones?
No. A fuse larger than the wire is rated for lets the wire overheat. It is one of the main reasons fuse boxes are considered a fire risk.
Is 200 amps more than I need?
Not if you plan to add an EV charger, a heat pump or a second suite. For a small gas-heated home with none of those, 100 amps can be enough, and the electrician will say so.
Other services
Book an assessment for fuse box and panel upgrades
An electrician comes to your home and gives you the price before any work starts.