Eric_Scantlebury wrote:
Hello All,

I realize this is a very "open ended" question - but I'm going to ask
anyway. I'm looking to upgrade my 100amp fuse box to 200 amp breakers (and
the corresponding service). This is in Rhode Island in the North East. If
anyone has had this done recently what did you pay for the upgrade? Just
trying to get an idea of the range of prices that I should be looking at.
In upgrading am I forced to correct any "out of code" stuff?


Andy writes:
I did a similar thing at a cabin I have. It was built 30 yrs ago
and wired for
about 70 amps, and I upgraded to 200.

It is in an area where the owner can do anything he/she wants, and
no
inspection by a building inspector is required.

When the power company is called to change the lines over to the
new
powerhead, the lineman checks it up thru the input to the panel.
After that,
he doesn't care, since it is breakered and won't affect the power
company....

The panel, pipes, meter box, wire, and misc ran me around $300
-350 total.
The power company gave me a diagram of what the dimensions , layout,
and clearances had to be for them to hook it up.`..... I used an
outdoor panel
from Home Depot in a "contractor pack", which had several breakers
included. I think it had something like 12 or so slots. It also had
a main
breaker of 200 amps which was a really good idea for a total
disconnect....

It was a good days, work, but actually was kind of fun. I wouldn't
reccommend
it to anyone who is unfamiliar with power wiring, tho.

Anyway, I built it up like the power company diagram said, with
the power
head on a 3inch pipe sticking about 4 feet above the roofline, and
called the
company to make the switchover. The lineman came out, checked it
over,
plugged in a meter, and changed the pole lines from the 70 amp
powerhead
to my new 200 amp powerhead, and went away...

Then, at my leisure, I pulled out the old cabin wiring a line at a
time, and
put in the new romex to my panel. Piece of cake, but dirty, thirsty
work.....

Good luck... It ain't rocket surgery, but you need to get familiar
with the
code and "standard practice".....

Andy in Eureka, Texas

"Andy" wrote in message
...
Andy writes:
I did a similar thing at a cabin I have. It was built 30 yrs ago
and wired for
about 70 amps, and I upgraded to 200.

It is in an area where the owner can do anything he/she wants, and
no
inspection by a building inspector is required.

When the power company is called to change the lines over to the
new
powerhead, the lineman checks it up thru the input to the panel.
After that,
he doesn't care, since it is breakered and won't affect the power
company....

The panel, pipes, meter box, wire, and misc ran me around $300
-350 total.
The power company gave me a diagram of what the dimensions , layout,
and clearances had to be for them to hook it up.`..... I used an
outdoor panel
from Home Depot in a "contractor pack", which had several breakers
included. I think it had something like 12 or so slots. It also had
a main
breaker of 200 amps which was a really good idea for a total
disconnect....

It was a good days, work, but actually was kind of fun. I wouldn't
reccommend
it to anyone who is unfamiliar with power wiring, tho.

Anyway, I built it up like the power company diagram said, with
the power
head on a 3inch pipe sticking about 4 feet above the roofline, and
called the
company to make the switchover. The lineman came out, checked it
over,
plugged in a meter, and changed the pole lines from the 70 amp
powerhead
to my new 200 amp powerhead, and went away...

Then, at my leisure, I pulled out the old cabin wiring a line at a
time, and
put in the new romex to my panel. Piece of cake, but dirty, thirsty
work.....

Good luck... It ain't rocket surgery, but you need to get familiar
with the
code and "standard practice".....

Andy in Eureka, Texas

thanks for the response. Man, I do admire some of you guys doing this
stuff - I don't think I could get away with this in Little Rhody though.
National Grid, I'm fairly sure, will only deal with a licensed electrician
on the "change over" at the meter. I consider myself a fairly high end
"DIY"er but I think I have hit my limit with the main and meter cut over.