Electrical Srvice Panel Upgrade Complete

[Deleted User]

For those that read my other thread, I got my electrical service upgraded Wednesday and Thursday so I was offline during that time. The guys did a really nice job and having the 200 amp service is worth the piece of mind. I am "burning in" my new service cable with some Aerosmith as I write this. Good to be back on the forum. Cheers. :cool:

MillerLiteScott

My new service cable seemed to be fully burned in between the 3rd and 4th BG&E bill.:biggrin:

ViperZ

Congratulations!

I'm doing a complete 200A upgrade on our house as soon as it will warm up here... Already have everything ready sitting in the garage - new 2.5" steel mast, 200A panel, breakers, mounts, cables, etc etc. The panel is positioned very nicely in the house, so that I will run a dedicated line to the theater after we will finish installing all the main stuff.

BlueFox

If your experience is the same as mine you will love it. I had lights that would flicker when the washer was running, or the refrigerator cycled on,and after the upgrade they are rock solid. Also, the transformer is on the pole in my backyard, and PG&E upgraded it for more power, and since I have a very short lead to the pole the house is getting great power now.

Makes spending a couple of thousand on power cords a good investment.

Systems

MillerLiteScott wrote: »

My new service cable seemed to be fully burned in between the 3rd and 4th BG&E bill.:biggrin:

I heard that!
Did mine about 4 years ago, and it was about 100 degrees.
Sucked waiting on the Elect company to show up!

[Deleted User]

Lasareath wrote: »

How much did the job cost?

I have a 12 breaker 100 amp panel and I was thinking of doing the same. For the time being I bought (8) 15 amp tandem breakers and (3) 20 amp tandem breakers. Now I can hook up 11 more circuits. My service will still be 100amps though. The new circuits will be all convenience outlets anyways. The only load they may carry is for extra lighting circuits.

I paid $3,500. Some may say too much but let me clarify. I have an older house built in 1950. It had 100 amp service that was full. The panel was located in a kitchen cabinet (a big code no-no). So it needed to move because of that and we are going to add on to the house through the wall it was on. So the guys had to move 19 circuits to the second floor which is part of that $3,500 price tag. Where the new panel is located I built the wall out to have access for future runs and it is next to an existing attic to make pulling wires easier. Cheers. :cool:

disneyjoe7

I'm glad you got it done.

ViperZ

nap, if it's not too hard, could you please take a picture or explain what mast you used and how it was mounted to the house wall (assuming you have overhead, not underground service)? Thanks!

[Deleted User]

ViperZ wrote: »

nap, if it's not too hard, could you please take a picture or explain what mast you used and how it was mounted to the house wall (assuming you have overhead, not underground service)? Thanks!

There was no mast. The line comes in from the pole and attaches to the side of the house near the peak. This feed then goes to the service head (insert joke here) and down the house to the meter and from the meter back up and enters the panel. I tried like h*ll to get them to leave out the meter but they wouldn't go for it. Hope this helps. Cheers. :cool:

ViperZ

nap wrote: »

There was no mast. The line comes in from the pole and attaches to the side of the house near the peak. This feed then goes to the service head (insert joke here) and down the house to the meter and from the meter back up and enters the panel. I tried like h*ll to get them to leave out the meter but they wouldn't go for it. Hope this helps. Cheers. :cool:

Oh cool. Our electrical code requires 2.5" steel mast for 200A service. It's quite painful to attach that mast to the house wall, since we do not have access to the back of the wall in order to bolt the mast to the wall. We will use 4" lag screws with straps to attach the mast, but it's not as good as bolted straps .

Ron-P

I was in your same boat, a nearly overloaded 100A panel. So I did the same just a couple of years ago.

I had a 200A panel installed, all new breakers, and a new ground rod. The new panel is nice so I know exactly how you feel. I also had 3 outdoor outlets installed (2 on the front patio and 1 in the backyard), an attic fan hardwired in and some 3-way light switches fixed that I could not figure out.

Congrats on the new panel, they sure are sweet.

My house was built in the early 60's so it's not much younger then yours. I also have an overhead feed into the house.

[Deleted User]

Ron-P wrote: »

I was in your same boat, a nearly overloaded 100A panel. So I did the same just a couple of years ago.

I had a 200A panel installed, all new breakers, and a new ground rod. The new panel is nice so I know exactly how you feel. I also had 3 outdoor outlets installed (2 on the front patio and 1 in the backyard), an attic fan hardwired in and some 3-way light switches fixed that I could not figure out.

Congrats on the new panel, they sure are sweet.

My house was built in the early 60's so it's not much younger then yours. I also have an overhead feed into the house.

It is very nice having the piece of mind. The new panel is so empty compared to the spaghetti junction, pain in the butt old panel. So I was thinking I need to build an additon to house just the 2 channel stuff. I can then have a separate circuit breaker for every piece of equipment. Each on their own pure copper plug. Oh well it will have to stay as just a thought at least for now. Cheers. :cool:

heiney9

nap wrote: »

It is very nice having the piece of mind. The new panel is so empty compared to the spaghetti junction, pain in the butt old panel. So I was thinking I need to build an additon to house just the 2 channel stuff. I can then have a separate circuit breaker for every piece of equipment. Each on their own pure copper plug. Oh well it will have to stay as just a thought at least for now. Cheers. :cool:

I like your thinking..........addition for a 2 channel room.

H9

[Deleted User]

heiney9 wrote: »

I like your thinking..........addition for a 2 channel room.

H9

I am kind of envisioning the guy in the maxell tape commercial. But I guess only a few of youse guys remember that ad. Oh well cheers anyway. :cool:

Ron-P

nap wrote: »

I can then have a separate circuit breaker for every piece of equipment. Each on their own pure copper plug.

I have my HT room on two dedicated 20amp breakers. One for the lighting and misc stuff and the other is dedicated just for the gear.

nadams

nap wrote: »

I am kind of envisioning the guy in the maxell tape commercial. But I guess only a few of youse guys remember that ad. Oh well cheers anyway. :cool:

I have the poster hanging above the couch in my living room (courtesy of George Grand, if I recall correctly).

Jstas

This was the first thing I did when I moved in. Well, besides painting and finishing the floors. But that stuff was prior to moving in. I also had a whole house surge suppressor installed. Got me a discount on home owners as well because of that little doohickey.

[Deleted User]

nadams wrote: »

I have the poster hanging above the couch in my living room (courtesy of George Grand, if I recall correctly).

Please tell me its framed. :cool:

nadams

nap wrote: »

Please tell me its framed. :cool:

Actually, it's not.. I need to get a frame made for it, as it's an odd size.

disneyjoe7

nap wrote: »

I am kind of envisioning the guy in the maxell tape commercial. But I guess only a few of youse guys remember that ad. Oh well cheers anyway. :cool:

I'm young or old enough to remember that.


I prefer to re-crate that picture. :biggrin: