Upgrading Home's Electrical Service.

I had our rusty, water damaged Federal Pacific (yea, that one ... ) replaced under insurance not long after we moved in here. I bought a Square D 200A breaker panel and had them install it. Biggest waste of money going to 200A! The friggin wires coming off the pole are 4 gauge .... and the new 200A service has 00 gauge wires! was the point of that??? Cleaning my wallet out is about all that was accomplished there ...

Insurance company only covered half the cost ... so I had to cough up like 9 large ... then the electrician charges me $70 for 2 breakers I forgot, that I could've got and installed myself for a whopping $18! To add icing on the cake, my homeowners insurance rate shot up 30% the following year. How convenient ...

SMITTY wrote: I bought a Square D 200A breaker panel and had them install it. Biggest waste of money going to 200A! The friggin wires coming off the pole are 4 gauge .... and the new 200A service has 00 gauge wires! was the point of that??? Cleaning my wallet out is about all that was accomplished there ...

To add icing on the cake, my homeowners insurance rate shot up 30% the following year. How convenient ...

About 25 years ago I upgraded a 60 amp service to 200 amp. Same thing, big massive wiring from the weatherhead, tiny wires for the drop. The power company rep told me "all overhead lines in my county were capable for 200 amp service". The thing is, this aerial drop powered 4 houses, originally all were 60 amp and all had been upgraded. An electrician told me the reason they could get away with small aerial lines is because they are open air. If they were enclosed they would overheat.

Then again you can think of it as a fusible link. It is rather comforting to know that if a problem develops it would be outside and not endanger the house.

Don't get me started on insurance companies. I had a fire last Christmas. The company has been horrendous to deal with plus my rates went up over 40%, and they already had the highest rates around.

50 plus years ago (in my teens) I was taught that if a residential home is all electric it needs 200 amp service, but if it is heated with other than electricity 100 amps is fine. Is this still valid information, or is it antiquated?

lsayre wrote:50 plus years ago (in my teens) I was taught that if a residential home is all electric it needs 200 amp service, but if it is heated with other than electricity 100 amps is fine. Is this still valid information, or is it antiquated?

Valid more so if by whole house electric heat, you mean it has "whole house resistance heat" in the mix.
But let's not forget homes come in many shapes, sizes and constructed of various materials, then there is the Degree Day factor for local climate, so one size can't always fit all.

In view as I sit in the electric massage chair ....... Well Pump + three sump pumps + electric double oven + exhaust fans + two TV's & satellite boxes + modem & wireless router + fish tank pump + washer + ceiling fans + stream pump + stereo + two dehumidifiers + central AC + two Refrigerators + 1 freezer + lights (which it is my part time job to follow people around and turn off in un-occupied rooms) + septic tank pump + garage lights & door openers + workshop lights + power tool receptacles incl 240V table saw + various phone and iPod chargers + two coal stokers.........

I am glad to have the 200A service box even with no electric heat!! I would feel bad about my electric footprint but I compare myself to Al Gore and realize my usage is miniscule in comparison

100 amp service is fine without all the modern convieniences. Fire up an arc welder and things get sketchy fast. I see some bigger homes around here are getting 400 amp service now, licensed electrician only for that work!

Bet it has been heard often...You want 100 amp or 200 amp???
You can pay me now or you can pay me later.

I upgraded my house from overhead service drop to underground service drop with a outside duplex service panel to handle the house and the shop. I did all the digging, installed all the conduit, prepped the duplex service panel and meter base for installation on the day that the old service would be removed.
I took about 5-1/2hours to do the tie over and get it inspected.
Start of the job.
http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30214
Conduit installed.
http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/showthread.ph ... 214&page=9
Prepping the panel.
http://www.shopfloortalk.com/forums/showpost.php? ... stcount=99
All in all it was worth the effort to upgrade the service.
Dan.

Here are some photos of the terrible mess I'm dealing with. It's hard to believe that a home inspector passed this back in 2004. If I were to try selling this house now, the inspector would just laugh. It's my own fault that I bought a house with so many issues. I should have known better. Why this house hasn't burned down yet I just don't know. Fire hazard and electrocution hazard beyond words.

titleist1 wrote:Is your house wiring new or is it from 1947 also?

good question.

, is your inside wiring cloth covered or plastic--my old farm house had all cloth & when I upped to 200 amp I had to re-do the whole house--what a cluster fk that was, but well worth it--YES, had an electrician friend help--ME--I pulled wires for him:)

Sorry, I missed that question and should have given better details.

The wiring for the circuits is original. The only new wiring was the main panel. I assume that a previous owner was required to replace the panel when selling the home.

1947: Home built.
2000: Owner installed new panel which upgraded the house from 60 amp to 100 amps.
2004: I bought the house.
2014: Upgrading service drop, weather head, meter box and service panel to code and 200 amp.

We plan on selling the house in a few years. The new panel will also have a built-in generator switch.

The 1947 wiring would have me more nervous than the service drop. Mostly because of what may have been added to the original circuits over the years.

When we moved in here, in addition to the new drop and panel (from a 60A to 200A), I redid all the wiring which was original from 1961. Talk about overloaded 14 gauge wire circuits! I think the whole house was on two breakers in that panel with the other slots taken up by the dryer, well pump, stove and a 240V line he ran to the garage for his welder. I knew the electric needed an upgrade when we bought but when we gutted the house to the studs & rafters and I saw the wiring I immediately bought 4 more smoke detectors (battery operated!) and moved the re-wire to the top of the project list.

You may want to fix the missing aluminum trim piece at the peak that is missing. Probably some water getting behind your siding at that point.

You may want to fix the missing aluminum trim piece at the peak that is missing. Probably some water getting behind your siding at that point.

That trim piece came half off in a wind storm last year. I had to duct tape a hack saw to a wood pole and carefully saw off the aluminum without causing an arc.

Would a siding guy want to get anywhere near that wiring with his ladder?

EarthWindandFire wrote:

Would a siding guy want to get anywhere near that wiring with his ladder?

Only with a nonconducting ladder.