Your electrical panel is the heart of your home's electrical system. It receives power from the utility company and distributes it to every circuit in your house — lights, outlets, appliances, HVAC, everything. When it's working properly, you never think about it. When it's not, the consequences can range from tripped breakers and flickering lights to electrical fires.

At Cory Butts Electric & AC LLC, our licensed electricians (E TECL 35476) perform panel inspections and upgrades throughout Lampasas and the Texas Hill Country. Here's what you need to know about your electrical panel and when it might be time for an upgrade.

How Old Is Your Panel?

Most electrical panels are designed to last 25–40 years. If your home was built before 1990 and the panel has never been replaced, it may be approaching the end of its reliable service life — even if it hasn't caused any obvious problems yet.

Older panels were also designed for a different era of electrical demand. The average home today uses significantly more electricity than homes did 30 or 40 years ago — more appliances, more electronics, EV chargers, smart home devices, and high-efficiency HVAC systems all add to the load.

Warning Signs Your Panel May Need Attention

Breakers That Trip Frequently

An occasional tripped breaker is normal — that's the system working as intended. But if you're resetting breakers regularly, especially on the same circuit, it's a sign that the circuit is consistently overloaded or that the breaker itself is failing.

Breakers That Won't Reset or Stay On

If a breaker trips and won't reset, or resets but trips again immediately, there may be a fault in the wiring or a failing breaker. This is a situation that needs professional attention right away.

Flickering or Dimming Lights

Lights that flicker or dim when you run a large appliance (like a microwave, dryer, or AC unit) suggest that the circuit is being overloaded or that there's a loose connection somewhere in the system.

Burning Smell or Scorch Marks

Any burning smell near your panel, or visible scorch marks or discoloration around breakers or the panel cover, is a serious warning sign. Turn off the main breaker and call a licensed electrician immediately.

Your Panel Uses Fuses Instead of Breakers

Fuse boxes are a sign of a very old electrical system. While fuses themselves aren't inherently dangerous, fuse boxes typically indicate wiring and infrastructure that is decades old and not designed for modern electrical loads. Replacement is strongly recommended.

You're Adding Major Appliances or an EV Charger

Planning to add a hot tub, a whole-home generator, an electric vehicle charger, or a new HVAC system? These high-draw additions often require a panel upgrade to handle the additional load safely.

Common Panel Brands With Known Issues

If your home has a panel from one of these manufacturers, it's worth having it inspected regardless of age:

• Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) / Stab-Lok panels — These panels have a documented history of breakers that fail to trip during overloads, which can lead to fires. If you have one, replacement is strongly recommended.
• Zinsco / GTE-Sylvania panels — Similar issues with breakers that may not trip properly.
• Pushmatic panels — These older panels use a different breaker design that can be difficult to service and may not meet current code requirements.

Not sure what brand your panel is? We can identify it during an inspection.

What a Panel Upgrade Involves

A panel upgrade (also called a panel changeout) involves replacing your existing electrical panel with a new, properly sized unit. Here's what the process looks like:

1. Load calculation — We assess your home's current and anticipated electrical load to determine the right panel size (typically 200 amps for most modern homes)
2. Permit and inspection — All panel work in Texas requires a permit and inspection by the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). We handle this for you.
3. Utility coordination — The utility company must disconnect power to the meter before work begins. We coordinate this as part of the project.
4. Installation — We install the new panel, transfer all existing circuits, and label every breaker clearly
5. Inspection and reconnection — After the inspector approves the work, the utility restores power

The process typically takes one day for a straightforward replacement. Homes with older wiring or more complex situations may take longer.

How Much Does a Panel Upgrade Cost?

Panel upgrade costs vary based on the size of the panel, the complexity of the installation, and local permit fees. We provide free estimates so you know exactly what to expect before any work begins.

What we can tell you is that the cost of a panel upgrade is almost always far less than the cost of repairing fire or water damage caused by an electrical failure — and it comes with the peace of mind of knowing your home's electrical system is safe and up to code.

Schedule a Free Electrical Inspection

If you're not sure whether your panel needs attention, the best first step is a professional inspection. Our licensed electricians will evaluate your panel, identify any concerns, and give you an honest assessment of what — if anything — needs to be done.

Call or text us at 512-556-6818 to schedule your inspection. We serve Lampasas, Burnet, Llano, Mason, San Saba, and the surrounding Texas Hill Country.