ELECTRICAL
If you live in an older home anywhere around Antioch, Lindenhurst, or Fox Lake — and ‘older’ around here can mean anything from a 1920s lake cottage to a 1970s split-level — there’s a decent chance your electrical panel is due for a hard look. Panels are one of those things that work quietly in the background until they really don’t, and the warning signs are easy to miss.
Start with the age and amperage
A modern home needs 200-amp service. Many homes built before the mid-1980s started out with 100-amp service, and some older lake homes still have 60-amp service. If you can, open the panel door (don’t touch anything inside) and look for a main breaker labeled 100, 150, or 200. If you don’t see a main breaker at all, you may have an older fused service or a split-bus panel, both of which are worth having evaluated.
Anything 100 amps or less on a modern home with central AC, electric dryer, electric range, and a few TVs is stretched thin. Add an EV charger, a hot tub, or a finished basement and you’re past the limit.
Red-flag panel brands
A few specific panel brands have a well-documented history of problems, and if you have one of these, we recommend replacement even if it’s ‘working’:
Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) ‘Stab-Lok’ panels, common in homes from the 1950s through early 1980s. Independent testing has shown their breakers often fail to trip during overcurrent conditions — which is the one job a breaker actually has.
Zinsco panels, also from that era. Similar breaker-trip issues and a tendency to melt the bus bar.
Some Challenger panels with specific breaker lines.
If you see any of these names on the panel cover, call us for an evaluation.
Warning signs from the panel itself
- Breakers that trip repeatedly, especially on circuits that haven’t changed.
- Burning or melted-plastic smell near the panel. Shut the main off and call us immediately.
- Scorch marks, rust, or corrosion on the bus bar or breakers.
- A panel that feels warm to the touch in normal use.
- A buzzing or crackling sound you can hear in the room.
- Breakers that are physically loose, missing, or appear to have been ‘doubled up’ (two wires on one breaker screw) — that last one is a code violation and a fire risk.
Warning signs from the rest of the house
- Lights that dim when the AC kicks on, the microwave runs, or the laundry starts.
- Outlets or switches that are warm, discolored, or give occasional little shocks.
- A mix of two-prong outlets and three-prong outlets, which usually points to ungrounded wiring somewhere in the house.
- Reliance on extension cords because you don’t have enough outlets — that’s not a panel problem exactly, but it’s a symptom of a house that’s outgrown its electrical system.
What an upgrade typically involves
A standard upgrade in our area is to replace a 100- or 60-amp panel with a 200-amp panel. That usually includes a new meter socket, a new service entrance cable from the weather head down to the meter, a new main disconnect, a new grounding system brought up to current code, and new breakers for each existing circuit.
We coordinate with ComEd for the brief disconnect, pull permits with the Village of Antioch (or whichever municipality you’re in), and schedule the inspection — you don’t have to chase any of that.
Is it worth it?
An upgraded panel isn’t exciting, but it’s one of the highest-impact safety improvements you can make to an older home. It also sets you up for an EV charger, a heat pump, a hot tub, a finished basement, or any of the other upgrades today’s homeowners want to make. And most home inspectors flag old or problem-brand panels during a sale, so dealing with it now is easier than dealing with it on a 30-day closing clock. Give High Caliber Home a call and we’ll come look at your panel, walk you through what’s there, and give you an honest recommendation. If your existing panel is fine, we’ll tell you that too.