New electrical panel question

Zerk · Feb 28, 2016

buickanddeere said:
200 amp square D with the built in generator transfer switch. Cost very little extra when changing out the panel anyways.

Good idea getting transfer switch. What stops people from doing it legit is having to have connect it up.

Also I think some of surge arrestors are hooked up between panel and meter. I have never done one.

ultrarunner · Feb 28, 2016

Lots of panel changes around here with so many going to solar.

The original panels have a split main 125 amp service... and must be changed when a permit is pulled.

The 125 amp drops are OK for 200 amp service and the electricians all work with the live circuit.

Solar City is doing a lot of the installs... the electrician comes out the day ahead to upgrade the service and the next day the crew comes in to install the panels... two day jobs are the standard... waiting for the utility to cut and start service means lost time.

I've done about a dozen service upgrades to home pre WWII... all had single 30 amp edison fuse main with a knife switch... went to 100 amp 220 as this is the minimum now required for single family... so going from a total of 30 120v to 100 amp 220... also the service drop stays the same... about 30 years ago the utilities upgraded all the service drops street by street.

I'm all electric in Washington State and have a 400 amp service dating from 1978

newbury · Feb 28, 2016

teejk said:
Complete hack or a total cheapskate looking to save a few pennies with salvaged equipment, wire and other parts (describes my first house). Back to the OP though I think the difference in opinion was in whether to opt for 200a vs. staying with 100a. Utilities around here will now inspect the service entrance for code before they plug the meter back in. Perhaps there are some "sparkies" out there that would attempt a panel change with live wires...not for me...

Don't you live in Wisconsin?
How come the same guy that did your first house in Wisconsin did my workshops in Mississippi??

And on my first house when I had the electric upgraded by a fully licensed and inspected electrician in Fairfax County, Va the guy just put down rubber mat, wore rubber boots and gloves, and pulled and replaced the meter live. That was about 40 years ago.

2ndhalf · Feb 28, 2016

newbury said:
Don't you live in Wisconsin?
How come the same guy that did your first house in Wisconsin did my workshops in Mississippi??

And on my first house when I had the electric upgraded by a fully licensed and inspected electrician in Fairfax County, Va the guy just put down rubber mat, wore rubber boots and gloves, and pulled and replaced the meter live. That was about 40 years ago.

Pretty sure that same guy came to Ohio and did my first old farm :laughing:house too.. That guy gets around

Zerk · Feb 28, 2016

Utility workers work on energized lines all the time. You just have to know how to do it safely.

techman · Feb 28, 2016

200 amp is a small charge more, but gives you capacity of extra circuits and expand ability for the future. Unless your existing service is 100 amps, you will need a new service entrance anyway, and again the difference is not that great between 100 and 200 amps.

newbury · Feb 28, 2016

Zerk said:
Utility workers work on energized lines all the time. You just have to know how to do it safely.

I know how to do it safely, I use plastic and telephone line.
That's a credit card and phone a licensed electrician

teejk · Feb 28, 2016

Zerk said:
Utility workers work on energized lines all the time. You just have to know how to do it safely.

The guy that got the service up to code works for the utility and he had the "meter tags" to let him pull the meter and work dead (faster and safer). Apparently the meter socket is sized to the incoming service so that part was ok...was just the wire into the building that was undersized. Left over scraps used on the original build I guess (had a lot of that stuff on that Wisconsin house). Our new Wisconsin house I built...no cheating there! My inspector was cut no slack on anything (not that I would want to do that on service electrical or plumbing anyway...that's a "pay me now or pay me later" proposition involving the 2 systems that I don't want any issues with).

erda · Feb 28, 2016

Just to respond with a bit more detail.

The "old" power came into the house via an overhead line from the utility pole. We are changing that to underground to "clean things up a bit". As a result it's an easy thing to make sure that everything is upgraded to handle 200 amp service after it leaves the utility pole. There is an attached garage on the house. There is also a separate garage/workshop that was built and wired in the late '80s. It's feed comes directly off the utility pole via an overhead line that will remain-it only travels a short distance and is out of the way.

Great idea to add the generator switch. We had been thinking about that, although the generator is still just a thought.

dickfoster · Feb 28, 2016

erda said:
Just to respond with a bit more detail.

The "old" power came into the house via an overhead line from the utility pole. We are changing that to underground to "clean things up a bit". As a result it's an easy thing to make sure that everything is upgraded to handle 200 amp service after it leaves the utility pole. There is an attached garage on the house. There is also a separate garage/workshop that was built and wired in the late '80s. It's feed comes directly off the utility pole via an overhead line that will remain-it only travels a short distance and is out of the way.

Great idea to add the generator switch. We had been thinking about that, although the generator is still just a thought.

If you're changing the service to underground anyway it's a no brainer to go with the 200A service if not more if you can get it. Heck, I wish they'd run 3 phase so I could run 3 phase motors easy.