terry wrote:
On Oct 22, 1:02 pm, "JayB" wrote:
This came up elsewhere and I am just curious about what the answer is.

If someone has a main service panel with a 200-amp main breaker, how many
amps of service can that panel actually service?

I am probably not wording this correctly, but I thought that I remember
something about a 200-amp main breaker actually being okay for 400 amps of
service since there are two separate circuits coming in (a 240-volt service
split into two 120-volt circuits in the panel box).

The answer is obvious; 200 amps.

The answer is obvious; 400 amps.

Although one working current
recommendation is to not exceed (I guess that's at any one time) some
80% of the maximum capacity. So say 160 amps.

Don't know about Canada, but in the US 80% only applies to "continuous
loads" (over 3 hours). In a house service, if you could get a 200 amp
peak it wouldn't last long. Loads cycle on and off. It is called
"diversity". Because of diversity the service wires (in the US) can
usually be 'undersized' with a residential derate. Can't do that in
commercial, where you turn on lights and they are on all day long
("continuous").


The wire connections, bus bars (to which the individual circuit
breakers attach) are rated for 200 amps. Do not exceed.
BTW 200 amps at 230 volts is 230 x 200 = 46,000 watts (46
kilowatts).And 80% of that is about 37 kilowatts. That's usually
plenty for all but the biggest homes. To get maximum capability that
load should be balanced over the two 115 volt legs.

And when you balance the load over the two 115 volt legs you get - lets
see - 46,000 watts divided by 115 volts - um - 400 amps of 115 volt
load. Even in Canada. That is what the OP asked.

--
bud--