Upgrade electrical?

[dprimm]

So we finally found a place. The first issue is the electrical. Currently has 100A service. Need a bigger box to add the extra breakers we need (3 of them).

What I have started to wonder is Should I upgrade to 200A service?

Was told I don’t need a critical loads panel since the electrical loads are not that great (gas appliances). The critical load panel would be powered by solar or genny but seems like
I can do most of the house ins
Price is about 3k for the upgrade.

Long term I am pretty sure we will need more power for the farm side of things. Even if we go all solar, I gotta have a way to distribute the power out.

Typing this helps. Sorry it is so discombobulated but that is how my brain is working right now.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks

 

[***Ironhead***]

So we finally found a place. The first issue is the electrical. Currently has 100A service. Need a bigger box to add the extra breakers we need (3 of them).

What I have started to wonder is Should I upgrade to 200A service?

Was told I don’t need a critical loads panel since the electrical loads are not that great (gas appliances). The critical load panel would be powered by solar or genny but seems like
I can do most of the house ins
Price is about 3k for the upgrade.

Long term I am pretty sure we will need more power for the farm side of things. Even if we go all solar, I gotta have a way to distribute the power out.

Typing this helps. Sorry it is so discombobulated but that is how my brain is working right now.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks

Congratulations on the new place. For sure upgrade, I mean you just got it and already know you need three circuits, more will follow.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

You don’t have to upsize your service just to add a sub-panel. You can if you want to or need to but if the total load after your addition isn’t going to over load your 100A feed, you should be ok.

 

[edwea]

If the panel will take them, could also just snap on some tandem breakers.

 

[femurphy77]

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)

 

[cburnworth]

Tankless water heater upgrade , hot tub, pool, or whole house fan. tons of things , boils down to: better to upgrade now then later.

I have 100 amp service & have replaced half the panel with tandems. I have no room for ac or tankless upgrade or power to the shed.

 

[dprimm]

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)

Already got central AC. I can do a lot but won’t do panels etc as I am not trained and not worth risking the house. I will be a grunt pulling cables for the experts.

 

[dprimm]

If the panel will take them, could also just snap on some tandem breakers.

Zero room in the panel. Panel is a set of fuses and then breakers. If I can figure out how to do the image thing I will post one.

 

[Rookie]

Take a picture with your phone. In the reply box, click attach files

 

[edwea]

Zero room in the panel. Panel is a set of fuses and then breakers. If I can figure out how to do the image thing I will post one.

Fuses? Forget that business. Upgrade!

 

[KLB]

I'd say upgrade as well. We have a 100Amp panel in our barn alone.

 

[dprimm]

Take a picture with your phone. In the reply box, click attach files

 

[Leo]

Zero room in the panel. Panel is a set of fuses and then breakers. If I can figure out how to do the image thing I will post one.

Nothing technically wrong with fuses, as a matter of fact "fusestats" are helpful diagnosing a problem. But a fused electrical panel is probably pretty old already, Go ahead and upgrade.

 

[gregkl]

I would and did upgrade. I was in a position like you. House built in '63, had breakers but kinda funky, no more room in the box and some breakers broken, lol.

I had Duke bury my power line and the electricians installed a new meter box, main line to a new 200A panel. It has worked out well. When I was renovating the home, several circuits were added and I needed the extra space.

The only thing that I was hoping and didn't happen, is my lights will momentarily dim when the AC compressor fires up.

 

[stocknup]

I would upgrade .........You will need a future plug for your electric car .

 

[dprimm]

I would upgrade .........You will need a future plug for your electric car .

That will come from the solar setup.

 

[jdeanp]

I don't mean to imply that you haven't done your homework, but anyone wanting to lean heavily on solar should get 2nd and 3rd opinions from professionals, and not just the ones that sell the setups. The expectation vs reality is often very different, and, unfortunately, some customers don't find out till they've spent 50k to run a deep freeze and a laptop.

 

[Frosty]

I don't mean to imply that you haven't done your homework, but anyone wanting to lean heavily on solar should get 2nd and 3rd opinions from professionals, and not just the ones that sell the setups. The expectation vs reality is often very different, and, unfortunately, some customers don't find out till they've spent 50k to run a deep freeze and a laptop.

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?

 

[dprimm]

I don't mean to imply that you haven't done your homework, but anyone wanting to lean heavily on solar should get 2nd and 3rd opinions from professionals, and not just the ones that sell the setups. The expectation vs reality is often very different, and, unfortunately, some customers don't find out till they've spent 50k to run a deep freeze and a laptop.

I have a system at our currrent place. Keeps the freezers off grid. Will expand as a DIY project and will have 2 systems in the end. One for the barn and one for the house. Bring in an electrician as needed.

Last fall I did the math and if I dropped 20k I could have complete payback in 7 years. Don’t need that much $ with DIY. Change of situation may require more to be spent on bigger panels as less space is available.

I am intending to hire Engineer 775 for consulting before I build. Worth the $$.

 

[Jaybird1980]

I have a system at our currrent place. Keeps the freezers off grid. Will expand as a DIY project and will have 2 systems in the end. One for the barn and one for the house. Bring in an electrician as needed.

Last fall I did the math and if I dropped 20k I could have complete payback in 7 years. Don’t need that much $ with DIY. Change of situation may require more to be spent on bigger panels as less space is available.

I am intending to hire Engineer 775 for consulting before I build. Worth the $$.

I would upgrade, especially since you stated you need more in the future anyways.

The solar part of it would depend on if I was keeping it separate from the grid or not. If you are hooking it to the grid then there are things that need to be in place for that.