Upgrade electrical?

[jdeanp]

It's all about ROI, space for panels, what you plan to draw, if your utility company will let you feed back into the system, and really how much you're willing to spend on equipment that may not live long enough to pay itself off. Something like 40% of customers who inquire about solar just buy a generator.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

As everyone else has said, upgrade. When my house was redone this is similar to what they put in. I'm hoping it has enough space... When I redo the garage I'm putting in a separate 100 amp panel.

Square D Homeline 200 Amp 40-Space 80-Circuit Panel w/ 3-20 Amp Single Pole, 2-30 Amp Double Pole Breakers, Cover-Value Pack HOM4080M200PCVP - The Home Depot

The Square D by Schneider Electric Homeline Value Pack 200 Amp 40-Space 80-Circuit Indoor Convertible Main Breaker Load Center for Plug-on Neutral breakers includes a cover and a selection of breakers.

www.homedepot.com

 

[churchmouse]

If you're going to do any electrical upgrades, I'd go ahead and put in a 200A service and panel. Give yourself plenty of extra breakers for future expansion, who knows, you may decide a hot tub or central heat and air are in your future. It's also a nice feature should you decide to sell. Of course, this is coming from someone that can do it himself (and didn't listen to his own advice and have enough spare breakers)

^^^^^^This^^^^^^

 

[churchmouse]

I’d be interested to hear more about this, I, and I assume many others, was under the impression it would really wipe out your electric bill?

That is dependent on how much system you put in place. And there will always be maintenance and upgrades to contend with.

 

[gregkl]

As everyone else has said, upgrade. When my house was redone this is similar to what they put in. I'm hoping it has enough space... When I redo the garage I'm putting in a separate 100 amp panel.

I put a seperate one in my garage also. My meter was just a few few from the back of my garage so I had an electrician run a new line off the meter into the garage. Now I have a 220 and room to add if needed.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

I put a seperate one in my garage also. My meter was just a few few from the back of my garage so I had an electrician run a new line off the meter into the garage. Now I have a 220 and room to add if needed.

When they did mine the distance from the meter to the breaker box required a disconnect at the meter to be in code. The disconnect is set up to run another 100 amp line and the garage is maybe 20 feet from the disconnect. It would almost be stupid not to when I redo the garage.

 

[gregkl]

When they did mine the distance from the meter to the breaker box required a disconnect at the meter to be in code. The disconnect is set up to run another 100 amp line and the garage is maybe 20 feet from the disconnect. It would almost be stupid not to when I redo the garage.

Exactly like my set up. Except my garage is about 6' of cable from the disconnect.

 

[xwing]

Upgrade to 200A service panel itself is no problem. But you have to find out what wire the elec company has coming into the meter box, and from the meter box into the panel. If they are 2/0 copper or 4/0 aluminum, then you're good. If not, it's a pain.

100A service is too small nowadays for any mid-sized house. Maybe for a small starter home, but the elec loads needed now just overwhelm it too easily. I built a new house and installed 400A service. Even then I would've liked to do 600A to give more room to grow.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Upgrade to 200A service panel itself is no problem. But you have to find out what wire the elec company has coming into the meter box, and from the meter box into the panel. If they are 2/0 copper or 4/0 aluminum, then you're good. If not, it's a pain.

100A service is too small nowadays for any mid-sized house. Maybe for a small starter home, but the elec loads needed now just overwhelm it too easily. I built a new house and installed 400A service. Even then I would've liked to do 600A to give more room to grow.

Last year they made me hook up to the city's sanitary sewer system, which entailed them installing a grinder pump. I had a 100 A (fuse) service but they offered to upgrade me to 200 A at a discounted rate, so that's what I did.

 

[dprimm]

Upgrade to 200A service panel itself is no problem. But you have to find out what wire the elec company has coming into the meter box, and from the meter box into the panel. If they are 2/0 copper or 4/0 aluminum, then you're good. If not, it's a pain.

I know aluminum comes into the box. I am going replace that with copper.

 

[xwing]

I know aluminum comes into the box. I am going replace that with copper.

if it's 4/0 though, I wouldn't replace it. (But it's probably 2/0 if they sized it directly for 100A.) Aluminum is fine, as long as you use the right size. It is usually a pain to rewire from the meter to the service panel, so I'd only do it if you had to (e.g. the wire is too thin for 200A). I've both upgraded and installed new service panels. IMO, do what is necessary to bring it up to code for the new amperage, but anything more is just wasted effort.