wrote in message
...
A new friend asked me.......

He has a FPE stab loc 100 amp main panel, and knows this model can
cause fires. worse his panel has many 1/2 breakers, panel is maxed out
with around 28 circuits. ABSOLUTELY JAMMED

he wonders about replacing the 100 amp panel with a 200 amp, to get 40
breakers, and swap out for now the main 200 amp breaker for a 100 amp?

he has never had a main breaker trip, his problem is FPE, and number
of circuits. h


He might not need to swap out the 200 amp main breaker. When we moved into
our house about 5 years ago I wanted to replace the 100A Federal Pacific
panel. I checked with the city (I could do the work, but a permit was
required) about the maximum size I could replace it with and was told that
the service could handle 200A without changing the wires from the pole to
the house. I only had to replace the meter base (the city provided the new
meter and base with the $30 permit fee), and the service entrance wires that
came down the side of the house (about 15 feet). This was on a house built
around 1969, with overhead wiring coming to the house.

I ended up replacing the panel with a 200A Square D "Q0" series with 40
spaces. It was physically much larger, but fortunately I was able mount it
slightly higher on the wall and all the internal circuits were able to reach
to the top breakers in the panel, so I didn't have to extend anything.

Mike O.