Very often, in private homes, there is a general tendency to underestimate the problem of obsolete switchboards. The latter is most of the time ignored until they completely break down.
Obsolete switchboards: What to consider
Many people decide not to replace an obsolete switchboard until it no longer works, but in reality, they do not know that it could lead to many dangers in the home. It is, therefore, appropriate to ensure family safety and to proceed with proper maintenance.
Usually, if a house was built around the 1990s, it is more likely to have an obsolete switchboard since those buildings were not built to meet today’s technological demands. Therefore, it would be a good idea to carry out controls as soon as possible and, if necessary, to solve risky situations.
The five dangers of obsolete switchboards
Although specific devices can also have a rather high cost for repairing, it is well known that an obsolete switchboard, left without maintenance, can cause several threats that can undermine the health of the inhabitants of the house.
Among the main threats, there is undoubtedly the risk of fire. Faulty switches or obsolete switchboards can explode and burn out. Usually, such systems are not located in visible areas of the house (most of the time, they may be in a basement or a garage). Therefore sparks or flames can spread very quickly, causing damage to the home and, in the most severe cases, even the death of its inhabitants.
Another prevalent problem that can be caused by an obsolete switchboard is undoubtedly the electrocution. Old, malfunctioning systems may trigger the switches too frequently, may have loose wires, or cause electrical arcs. All these circumstances could lead to an electrical discharge if you were to touch obsolete switchboards, as the latter are unable to function normally. And for the non-experts who decide to solve the fault on their own, this could cause dangerous shocks.
Nowadays, there are many electrical appliances in a house that need the energy to work. Television, washing machine, dishwasher, computers are just some of the devices that require electricity, and many of them are huge devices. Therefore, an old electrical switchboard may not be able to supply the necessary energy to all these devices, and malfunctioning may occur. This malfunctioning could damage these devices. Even in this case, the poor functioning of an appliance could trigger sparks and flames.
Moreover, those who want to sell their house and find themselves with an obsolete switchboard could be forced to lower the price of the house itself, since replacing the system would involve rather high costs. It is not unusual for people looking for a modern home to have an experienced property survey carried out by an expert and not find what they expect. Not everyone is also aware that obsolete switchboards can break regular local building regulations. Anyone who violates these laws can, therefore, be fined and punished quite severely.
For all these reasons, and above all, for personal safety, it is, therefore, necessary to find suitable solutions to update your obsolete electrical switchboard. The first thing to do is to consult an experienced electrician who can replace the obsolete electrical switchboard with a more modern one. However, one must be careful to select a competent and professional individual who will solve the problem in a “permanent” way so as not to be in danger, a few years later.