I'm getting worried - electrical work

[Limp Arbor]

I'm upgrading my panel from 100A to 200A and started checking into the paperwork needed. After talking to the inspector and the utility I'm starting to get worried.

Everyone is being very cooperative!

The inspector was very helpful and told me all of my grounding requirements.

Then I called the electric company and the guy faxed me a form while I was on the phone with him. He walked me through filling it out and I faxed it back to him. Then he even called me back to see if I needed the paperwork done today!

The electric company will cut the power and hook it back up once I change the meter socket, which they provide. The inspector will work with me to time this for a short interuption since they need to sign off before the power is turned back on. And the electric company won't charge me a fee unless I want to do this on a weekend or holiday.

This is a much different experience then I had last year when all I was doing was replacing a mud sill. Hopefully the atcual turn-off, inspection, and turn on will go as smotthly as it seems it will. So it looks like I will be able to upgrade my panel to 200A for less than $300 and only a few hours of 'down time'. The only two expensive items are going to be the panel and the 65' of 4ga for grounding.

whodathunk it would be this easy...

[RBM]

Who is giving you the service entrance cable, standpipe, weatherhead, and fittings?

[gfretwell]

That sounds about like how it went for me. Since I was able to build the new service before hand, (I would be using the existing as a sub panel), it was really about a 1 hour down time. they cut the old service, swung it over and hooked it up. My new panel was already inspected and marked OK for temporary service. I was able to rework the old panel at my leisure with the feeder breaker off and still have power from the new main panel on extension cords for the fridge and work lights..

[N8N]

Aren't you going to need to upgrade the actual service entrance cable, both from the meter socket to the panel, and from the pole to the meter socket? I didn't see that mentioned in your summary above.

nate

[HeyBub]

It's even easier in some places.

Here, it just takes a telephone call to the power company - no forms to fill out.

And there's no inspections or permits.

But you're right: $300 and a few hours of your time is certainly cheaper than the (roughly) $1,300.00 that an electrical contracting company would charge.

Here's a couple of hints:

• Take several pictures of the existing set-up with your digital camera before you begin.

• Label each of the wires with a number and note to which size breaker each numbered wire belongs.

• Start early in the morning. You'll probably have to make a trip or two to the box store for some odd nut or fitting.

• You MAY need a metal hole-saw, depending on where the house wiring is supposed to enter the box. The boxes don't have knock-outs on the back.

• There's a special lubricant or anti-oxidant paste that you should probably slather on the primary wires.

• And be sure to tighten all the connecting screws double-tight - especially the primaries.

[Limp Arbor]

Underground service to my house and my town inspector said it wouldn't need to be changed.

[Limp Arbor]

That part is still a little fuzzy I'll talk to the inspector more about the exact timing since my new panel is going in the same spot as the old. Worse comes to worse I can to the socket upgrade, get it turned back on, then pull the meter to swap the panel.

What I plan on doing is getting up early that day and pulling the meter before I get shut off. Put up the new panel then if I feel safe enough run the new wires for the panel feed. That way all I should have to do is swap the meter pan/socket after they shut me off. Then call everybody back to get it inspected and turned back on.

[Limp Arbor]

Good tip. I wasn't expecting to need to drill the back.

[HeyBub]

If you do have to drill the hole (~2"), there's a big honkin' grommet that's supposed to cushion the wires that you'll need also.

[HeyBub]

Plan on a long-ass extension cord and a friendly neighbor. You may need some power while yours is down (to run a drill).

[Existential Angst]

Heh.... yeah, too good, too smoove.... watch out for city buses, now....

And, permits can be the trigger for "tax events", ie, a nice big hike, cuz you took the initiaitive to improve yer own house. Could be why they're being so nice.

[Existential Angst]

Also surprised that you weren't required to use a licensed electrician. In/about NYC, there's no mercy. But, I understand elsewhere, you can do all the plumbing/electricity yourself, from scratch.

There was a thread some time ago, where other places require work permits if yer gonna *wallpaper* yer g-d house.... you know what DATS all about, eh?

[Limp Arbor]

In the suburbs of Pittsburgh you can always do your own electric. You can also do your own plumbing if it is not new construction. If it is a new structure no plumbing work can be done w/o a certified plumber on site. Once you get a CO you can do all your own plumbing work.

Surprisingly in NJ, at least out in the country where I am, you can do your own work. It might be different in Newark or Camden but I don't ever plan on living in either one of those places.

[willshak]

Limp Arbor wrote the following:

In Rockland County, NY, on the Hudson River abutting NJ, you can do your own home improvement, after you get a temporary license to do it. That's not a building permit, but a homeowner license issued after taking a test. Pretty strong labor unions there.

[HeyBub]

I wouldn't call it living, either.

[Metspitzer]

That really surprises me. Do you know what size wire you have?

[The Daring Dufas]

Survival training perhaps? I have some relatives in NJ.

TDD

[clare]

The vast majority when the services were put underground were provisioned for 200 amps, regardless what the service installed was. They wired them all the same - why scimp, it's going to be there a LONG time, and changing it down the road is NOT going to be cheap.

Around here the electrical utility owns the wire to the meter base

[George]

No surprise in my area. If you increase a service capacity for no specific reason the electric company will just reconnect you to the existing drop. The only time they will increase cable size is if you provide them with your new load requirements that show an increase that would require the change.

[RBM]

I'm sure it varies wildly from area to area. Where I am that 's pretty much the case for overhead services. The utility companies typically own the overhead from the pole to the house, provided it's within around 125' from their pole. They run 1/0 aluminum, and use it for whatever size service you have. If it's underground, sometimes the utility company owns it, and sometimes the property owner owns it. If it's utility company owned, they'll typically use it for whatever your load, but if the property owner owns it, you need to upgrade it to meet Nec standards.