On Tue, 04 Mar 2014 15:35:04 -0500, dgk wrote:
I have a 1950 era rowhouse, with 100 amps and fuses. New York City. I
haven't had any issues with the power and all the fuses are 15 amps.
There is on 240 volt circut for a large AC unit which is just two of
the 15 amps combined somehow.
Is there any need to upgrade the electric before selling the house?
I've had some people tell me that 200 amps and circuit breakers are
now required.
None of the regular posters here says he is from NYC. OTOH, getting the
skinny in NYC should be easy, about what is required. The Dept. of
Buildings will know. It's probably on their webpage, but they have a
phone too. .
I wouldnt' take the word of an electrical contractor unless he was my
husband.
I've hardly ever blown a fuse but can do so by running
the toaster oven at the same time as the microwave. Not always, but I
avoid doing that. In fact I replaced that fuse with a circuit breaker
dressed up as a fuse, which screws in but doesn't need to be replaced
if it pops.
There are two 100 amp fuses in the fuse box (big guys), so perhaps
there is already 200 amps coming in and just 100 are in use?
I had a 6 or 6 1/2 room 2 1/2 bath apartment in Brooklyn with only 20
amps for the whole thing and I only blew about one fuse a year. Even
with 3 roommates.
That incuded the last couple years a small AC window unit. I never
used the toaster and the microwave at the same time, but that's because
I don't like toast.
There was a 20 amp fuse in the basement, supplying two 15-amp fuses in
my apartment. I blew one of the 15-amp fuses maybe 4 times in 10
years.
If I can get by on 20 your new owners can get by on 100. And I have
a feeling that 200 is not required, for that very reason.
Don't be like friends of mine here in Baltimore. Their house needed
some work, I agree, some painting, redoing the hardwood floors, etc.
but I told them they should put it on the market right away and if they
got the work done, it would sell quicker or maybe they could even raise
the asking price. But the real estate agent told them to fix it first.
and that took them months, and then the real estate bubble burst and
they couldnt sell it at all, let alone for the asking price. And it
needn't have taken months for the repairs, just add the time for
repairs, the advertising and finding a buyer, and it only needs one day
longer than the bubble lasted. NYC isn't in a bubble
afaik, but
other things can go wrong. A fire that makes the next two houses
vacant. Not likely, but I think one should start trying to sell the
house as soon as he's sure he's moving. Or as soon as he has another
place to live, if that will be hard to find. But not waiting to do
repairs, if indeed you do this one.
I just came across this webpage. I don't think the questions apply to
you but the address lookup gives a Property Profile Overview that will
be interesting
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dob/html/cod...rpre2011.shtml
If you move to some address in NYC, I'd defintiely look it up. Anyone
considering buying your house should do so too, if he knows about it.
And you don't want him to learn things you don't even know about.
http://www.lamorteelectric.com/elect...-new-york.html
"Existing houses are "grandfathered" for the most part. The thing is,
any changes you make are required to meet the new standard. "
That is, if you do make a change for whatever reason, your new work has
to meet the new code even though it was acceptable that it didn't meet
it before you started.
"The upside of the new change is a whole new level of safety when it
comes to fire prevention. It also requires the use of child-proof
receptacles. The new receptacles actually work really well, in fact they
work so well it is hard for me to get a tester into them. At the same
time, plugs slide in as easily as ever.
Also most of the circuit breakers in your house need to be "Arc fault
circuit interrupters". They are very high tech, and dramatically reduce
the chance of an electrical fire. They are required on all 110 volt
circuits aside from your, kitchen, bathrooms, unfinished basements, and
outdoors. [Where GFI's are still required, I assume, except maybe
unfinished basements.]
The downside of the new changes is cost. Old breakers started at $3.00,
and the new ones START at $35.00. This adds up to $600-$800 more to
wire up a whole new house. "