Does your home have a challenger electrical panel? Have you used it for the longest time? If yes, it is important for you to know that these rare vintage panel boards come with a limited life span. You need to consider whether they are still safe to use or not.
If you are currently living in an old house, it is quite possible that your house would have a challenger electrical panel. Electrical panels are designed to keep you and your family safe in your home. However, there are a few electrical panels, like the ones from Challenger, that are not safe. To know more about why challenger electrical panels are unsafe you can refer to the sections given below.
What is a Challenger Electrical Panel?
GTE or General Telephone & Electronics Corporation, introduced their own design of panel and breaker in 1973. They named this product as Challenger. A few Challenger panels were also named as Zinsco or GTE-Sylvania. During the 1980s and 1990s, multiple Challenger panels were installed in thousands of homes. However, after prolonged use several users complained of overheating malfunction, which posed a major fire threat. Such faulty breakers were then sold to different brands and a few other models of these panels were also recalled in 1988. However, there are still a few old homes that have these Challenger electrical panels installed in them.
Electrical panels are crucial for the effective running of the devices in your home. If you want to know whether your home has a Challenger electrical panel, you will need to look for the GTE or Challenger logo. Most of the insurance companies refuse to insure your home if your home has this electrical panel. If you are still unsure about whether your home has this electrical panel or not, you can call a professional electrician to check and confirm.
Different Types of Electrical Panels
In this section, we will talk about the most common types of electrical panels, how they differ from each other, and their potential risk factors.
1. Federal Pacific Panels
The electrical panels from Federal Pacific were very popular during 1950 to 1980. However, it is considered outdated and unsafe today. Although many Federal Pacific panels work just fine, they fail to meet the important safety specifications. Since their rate of failure is very high, several insurance companies refuse to insure your home if any home has this electrical panel installed.
2. Challenger Panels
Challenger panels saw a popularity peak in the 90s. Just like the two types of panels described above, even the Challenger electrical panels have several safety issues. The panels by Challenger are known to have issues of damaged wire insulation and overheating. Although Challenger’s business is no longer running, there are still many old homes with this electrical panel installed in them.
3. Sylvania & Zinsco Panels
The electrical panels by GTE-Sylvania and Zinsco were excessively in demand during the 1970s. However, it was later found out that the circuit breakers in these electrical panels have a risk of melting. This means that, whenever there is an overload or short, the breaker does not trip. This does not indicate that every panel by Zinsco or GTE-Sylvania has this flaw, but the ones that do pose a very high safety risk.
Challenger Electrical Panels Safety Concerns
Challenger electrical panels pose serious safety risks to your homes. Here are the major red flags exhibited by the electrical panels by Challenger.
1. Old Age
This electrical brand is about 30 years old and it is no longer under production. If you have this installed in your home, it means that you have an electrical panel which is almost extinct. With such an outdated electrical panel, bad news is inevitable. If you observe such an electrical panel, you will definitely notice rusting, wear and tear, burnt marks, and plastic molds. Forget safety, this will not pass even the 4-point inspection.
Imagine relaxing at home, trying to reheat food in your microwave and you notice sparks coming out of your basement. This is a situation which is waiting to happen with such outdated electrical panels as they cannot support any appliance upgrade in your home.
2. Overheating
The primary concern that this electrical panel poses is overheating. Overheating leads to other major issues like corrosion, melting, and even breaker fire. In case of Challenger electrical panels, whenever there is an electrical issue it does not trip immediately. This time gap causes heat generation which makes the existing problem even worse.
In some cases, the breaker fails to trip even after a long time which can lead to bigger flare ups. When such a situation is neglected, it can lead to the insulation wire melting and it can also prolong the short circuit which can lead to fire.
How to Identify if Your Panel is Already Dangerous?
Your electrical panel’s performance is the primary indicator of how safe it is. There are several physical signs that you can notice in your home to determine whether the panel is already dangerous or not.
- One such indication is when you try to switch on any appliance in your home, like your air conditioner, water heater, or even a lamp, and the panel’s breaker trips constantly. If your appliances, breaker, and the wirings do not have any issue, the problem may lie with the outdated electrical panel.
- When your electrical panel is outdated, you can notice multiple hazardous signs on the breaker box itself. These signs include a burning smell, burn marks, sparks, and crackling noises. If you notice any one of the signs mentioned here, your electrical panel is the problem.
Some Other Dangerous Electric Panels
The electrical panels by Challenger are not the only ones that are dangerous. Here are a few other electrical panels that pose a similar, if not a greater safety risk.
1. Zinsco
Zinsco electrical panels had the same issues as that of Challenger electrical panels. They were prone to overheat and melt. They worked well earlier since the energy consumption needs were very less during those times. As we evolved, so did the energy consumption needs and then the Zinsco electrical panels were no longer safe to use. Although these electrical panels seem to satisfy the safety code standards, when you look closely there are several issues that you might notice. A few of them include, unsafe breaker panel connection, aluminum panels, and the bus bars get easily damaged.
2. Fuse Box
Although these are not as unsafe as the other electrical panels listed here, they still cannot regulate the increased energy consumption in many of the homes today. They cannot replace the function of the breakers in an electrical panel in any way. You might have got an electrician to add a few components or modify the fuse box to keep up with the energy consumption requirements. However, if the electrician would have installed some unlicensed modifications, it can be dangerous for you. This is why it is always a good idea to replace your fuse box with an electrical panel.
3. Split Bus Electrical Panels
Just as the name indicates, these electrical panels are split into two separate parts. One bar is for generating electricity for large appliances and the other is for smaller appliances. These panels do not shut off immediately in case there is an emergency. Electricians used to add several extra components to these panels to compensate for the high electrical consumption, leading to the panels being overworked. This posed a major safety risk for the homeowners.
4. Federal Pacific Electrical Panels (FPE)
A common electrical panel during 1950-1980, the FPE exhibited several overheating episodes. The breakers in these panels could not establish a good connection to the electrical panels which led to many fire outbreaks. Another issue with these panels is that they have a messy wiring system which causes the wires to get nicked by the cover screws. These panels were deemed defective since they do not satisfy many safety code standards.
Challenger Electrical Panels – FAQs
Ans: In a few cases, your electrician might suggest you to add a circuit breaker or a home surge protection. However, such modifications will not eliminate the risks associated with using an outdated Challenger electrical panel. This is why it is always recommended to replace these electrical panels with safer alternatives.
Ans: When you delay the replacement of a Challenger panel even after noticing issues with it, it can pose a major safety risk to you and your family. Such an electrical panel can lead to electrical fires and can even potentially damage any connected devices, increasing danger for occupants.
Ans: Since these panels have reliability issues due to their design, it is not practical and feasible to retrofit or modify a Challenger panel to meet the current safety standards. It is recommended that you replace the panel with a newer panel that is compliant with all safety code standards.
Ans: Since Challenger panels are outdated, they exhibit several issues like overheating and melting circuit breakers. These issues can potentially lead to a fire.
Ans: If you want to inspect or replace your Challenger panel, you need to contact a licensed electrician who possesses expertise in inspection and replacement of electrical panels. You can ask for referrals from your friends or relatives and can even look for online reviews.
Conclusion
From the above article it would be quite clear to you now that the Challenger electrical panels are bad and pose a major threat to you and your family’s safety. If your house was built before the year 1990, it is crucial that you have an experienced electrician inspect the electrical panel in your home. If it turns out that your electrical panel is from Challenger, it is highly recommended that you replace it immediately.
