"millinghill" wrote in message
...
Dear Readers,
I'm getting contractors' quotes on replacing my existing main
electrical panel (The subpanel for the house distribution is circuit
breakers, but the main panel is old 100amp fuse block, not circuit
breakers.). Some of them are saying that replacement of the line from
the power company to my main box must be done with such a replacement,
and that I should upgrade to 200AMP service while I'm at it.
I've been just fine with 100AMP service. My house is 1500sqft. I ran
calcs (following guidelines in an electrical load design book) that
showed even if I "finished" my basement and had window air
conditioners in most rooms, and the electric stove blaring, I would
not exceed 100AMPS. I can't imagine I will ever install central air,
and my property can't fit a pool. So, my opinion is I have no big
electric loads in the foreseeable future.

Question #1: to replace main panel, is it standard procedure to
replace service line drop?
Question #2: If #1 is NOT true, should I upgrade to 200AMP service now
just because they're doing the work right there? Is there a realistic
benefit other than looking good on a real estate listing when I sell
in 20years?

Thanks

Theodore

If you didn't have to touch it, I wouldn't even consider upgrading to 200
amp. In your situation you'll probably never need it, but since your having
most of the service replaced anyway, the cost difference between 100 and 200
really is negligible. 150 amp services are just stupid in my opinion.

On 9/13/2010 9:05 PM, RBM wrote:
wrote in message
...
Dear Readers,
I'm getting contractors' quotes on replacing my existing main
electrical panel (The subpanel for the house distribution is circuit
breakers, but the main panel is old 100amp fuse block, not circuit
breakers.). Some of them are saying that replacement of the line from
the power company to my main box must be done with such a replacement,
and that I should upgrade to 200AMP service while I'm at it.
I've been just fine with 100AMP service. My house is 1500sqft. I ran
calcs (following guidelines in an electrical load design book) that
showed even if I "finished" my basement and had window air
conditioners in most rooms, and the electric stove blaring, I would
not exceed 100AMPS. I can't imagine I will ever install central air,
and my property can't fit a pool. So, my opinion is I have no big
electric loads in the foreseeable future.

Question #1: to replace main panel, is it standard procedure to
replace service line drop?
Question #2: If #1 is NOT true, should I upgrade to 200AMP service now
just because they're doing the work right there? Is there a realistic
benefit other than looking good on a real estate listing when I sell
in 20years?

Thanks

Theodore

If you didn't have to touch it, I wouldn't even consider upgrading to 200
amp. In your situation you'll probably never need it, but since your having
most of the service replaced anyway, the cost difference between 100 and 200
really is negligible. 150 amp services are just stupid in my opinion.


Just to make it easier for your heirs to sell the place, go for the 200.
Call your power company to discuss- if your drop is old anyway, they may
cut you a price break on the upgrade. Cheap insurance for them- a lot
easier to change on a sunny September morning, than at 0200 in a January
blizzard.

--
aem sends...

On Mon, 13 Sep 2010 21:58:13 -0400, aemeijers wrote:

On 9/13/2010 9:05 PM, RBM wrote:
wrote in message
...
Dear Readers,
I'm getting contractors' quotes on replacing my existing main
electrical panel (The subpanel for the house distribution is circuit
breakers, but the main panel is old 100amp fuse block, not circuit
breakers.). Some of them are saying that replacement of the line from
the power company to my main box must be done with such a replacement,
and that I should upgrade to 200AMP service while I'm at it.
I've been just fine with 100AMP service. My house is 1500sqft. I ran
calcs (following guidelines in an electrical load design book) that
showed even if I "finished" my basement and had window air
conditioners in most rooms, and the electric stove blaring, I would
not exceed 100AMPS. I can't imagine I will ever install central air,
and my property can't fit a pool. So, my opinion is I have no big
electric loads in the foreseeable future.

Question #1: to replace main panel, is it standard procedure to
replace service line drop?
Question #2: If #1 is NOT true, should I upgrade to 200AMP service now
just because they're doing the work right there? Is there a realistic
benefit other than looking good on a real estate listing when I sell
in 20years?

Thanks

Theodore

If you didn't have to touch it, I wouldn't even consider upgrading to 200
amp. In your situation you'll probably never need it, but since your having
most of the service replaced anyway, the cost difference between 100 and 200
really is negligible. 150 amp services are just stupid in my opinion.


Just to make it easier for your heirs to sell the place, go for the 200.
Call your power company to discuss- if your drop is old anyway, they may
cut you a price break on the upgrade. Cheap insurance for them- a lot
easier to change on a sunny September morning, than at 0200 in a January
blizzard.

Some will do it free (the drop, not the panel), with the expectation of higher
bills.