"DL" wrote in message
news:AJEae.25135$B93.8014@lakeread06...

"Keith Carlson" wrote in message
news:TSCae.11155$c24.1210@attbi_s72...

"DL" wrote in message
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I guess what puzzles me with all the questions I have been getting
about
what I am planning to do will cost more or it is not necessary. I
would
understand it if I was going to do something that potentially
dangerous,
but

David, I think a lot of guys are just looking at the plan for 400A
service
and scratching their heads wondering "why". Because most of us try to
things in a safe, yet cost-effective way, I think it's natural for
people
to question it.

You make a good point, but cost effective can mean different things to
different people. The $400 I was quoted a year ago to upgrade the service
doesn't seem excessive to me. Even if it was around $1000 I would still
do
it most likely as it brings my home into spec with similar homes in my
area.

Dam that's cheep! $400 to upgrade the service is very cheep. I see that
your planning on running a second panel instead of one 400 amp panel. Still
that must be one cheep panel, breakers, wire, upgraded grounding conductor,
service laterals, conduit, heck here they get $40 for one stick of 2" emt,
etc... and the labor too wow I need to move to where ever you live!



5000 sq ft is a big house. But there are plenty of homes around me in
the
3000-3500 sq ft range, being built with 200A service. And probably a
bigger factor than the size: are there more people living in the 5000
sq.
ft. house than a 3000? More concurrent use of electrical power?

It all goes to what people do in their homes. I know people that live in
their homes and don't do anything with them, but I am not that type.

The electrician who came out to inspect my last add-on circuit told me
most of the newer houses with 200A panels will probably never even see
100A being drawn. They install a 200A service panel mainly to have more
spaces for breakers. (and I'm assuming the cost for a 200A main breaker
and the larger wire size in a new installation is relatively small).

Most people won't, but some will and for a limited cost that I am
personally
willing to pay, I would rather have the extra capacity.

But what's the cost of upgrading from 200A to 400A service? Compared to
another solution like two 200A panels to make room for more
circuits/breakers? Someone else's advice about a load calculation is
right
on the money. That's the starting point, and I'd be surprised if the
electrician hasn't done it. If it were my money, I'd want to see the
reasoning behind his recommendation.

The real cost IMO is the cost of the electrician's time to upgrade the
service to 400amps and his materials, $400. Also, I would pay around $200
for the electrician to bond a second 200amp service panel to the existing
200amp panel if I just wanted to add more capacity for breakers. The
electric company supplies and installs the new meter head, the electrician
just needs to connect the service to the panel I already installed.

Some places they will "upgrade" you to a commercial account to go to 400 amp
service. Then they do charge you more for the additional KVA capacity.
Here they will hang any transformers I want to pay for on the pole but it
bumps my base rate up rather fast if I need a larger bank of them. Also
here I get a KVA charge for any thing over 75kva draw (for more than 15
min). Do that ONE time in the month and it's an automatic $750 charge for
the month PLUS the KW charge for the amount used... YMMV


The circuit analysis plans that circuits are not always under load,
otherwise I wouldn't have close to 800amps of breakers in my existing
200amp
panel. I will be adding some higher amp usage equipment in the workshop,
garage, and moderate load equipment in my entertainment room that have a
strong potential of being under load at the same time, that along with the
other existing loads that can potentially come into play, I think the
decision for me is a good one. Remember, I only have to need 201amps for
the main to kick. Most people will never come close to that level.

Well you can pull a lot more than 200 amps before the cheep home type main
breakers pop off, but you can only do it for a short time. Like when you
try to start your 7.5 hp phase converter up (if it's a HD 7.5 made from a
15hp 3 phase motor) and it pulls 120 amps for a few seconds through a 50amp
breaker. When I start my 20 hp Air compressor it whops the line for 135amps
@ 480volts 3 phase for the 3-4 seconds it takes to spin it up, but it's only
for a short time and the $400 60 amp breaker handles it fine (The 30 didn't
like it much though:-)


As I stated before, they won't charge me for current I don't use. The
power
company has no real vested interest in doing this other than to sell me
more
electricity if I need it. Why would they go to the expense of adding a
new
400amp meter head to my home if they were saw no potential whatsoever of
selling me beyond 200amps of service at a given time? The electrician was
contacted after speaking with the power company and the county so it is
not
a situation of an electrician trying to scam some unnecessary work.

Well if they will do the upgrade for free ( the power co) and not charge you
any more, you can't beat that deal with a stick!

William....



Also, if I find out 6 months from not that I do require more capacity, it
will be much more expensive than what I am doing now.Personal experience
plays a role as well. Having lived in a home that was underpowered, I am
not willing to take the chance.

I think it is fair that people that obviously know more than I do about
electricity would question what I am doing, but it comes across as if I am
going to spend others money which I am not. Same types of discussions go
on
for equipment all the time. It goes to what a person is comfortable with.
For certain equipment I am fine with the Grizzly products, but for others
I
want a different level of quality. Its what I will be comfortable with.

I truly appreciate everyone's perspectives and insights which help me make
a
decision, but the bottom line decision is mine, and I have to be
comfortable
with it.

Thanks,

David

Just my opinion.