Service upgrade without telling the power company

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Do you really think they will jail you for not having paperwork 30 years later?

[Todd H.]

UNLESS... a) the meter can't handle > 100A and starts ablaze under heavy load (unlikely, but possible I suppose) or b) the distribution transformer can't handle the number of houses it currently serves if Joe Neighbor starts using double his prior load capacity.

So, if the original poster starts noticing power sags about the same time, say, their neighbor fires up their brand new [large current device of some sort, enabled by the new service], then he'll be suffering the problems associated with electricians quietly upgrading services without the power company being notified.

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

[Vic Dura]

On Sat, 07 Oct 2006 22:17:39 -0400, [e-mail] wrote Re Re: Service upgrade without telling the power company:

My experience also.

[RBM]

[Tom The Great]

imho:

Maybe the the customer didn't want to pay for a voluntary inspection.

Business rule: The Customer Is Always Right!

My Rule: I get to choose who my customers are.

I would have moved on, especially if it was AL wiring(which I'm pretty sure it was), and no third party inspection was done. A bad client can screw you.

later,

tom @

[Bob F]

I was told once that If the service loading was increased, such as by adding a heat pump and hot tub, without notifying the power company, that the homeowner could be held financially responsible for damage caused by overloading the power companies transformer or other equipment. When they get notified of big increases, they will upgrade the transformer if needed.

Bob

[hallerb]

years ago that was true, now the poer companies dont care and in fact let transformers overheat repeatedly till they burn out....

preventive maintence isnt part of their operation anyomore...

just recently they are talking of upgrading again along with a 20% $$ power increase

[hallerb]

years ago that was true, now the poer companies dont care and in fact let transformers overheat repeatedly till they burn out....

preventive maintence isnt part of their operation anyomore...

just recently they are talking of upgrading again along with a 20% $$ power increase

[gfretwell]

Mosty people seriously overestimate what power they are using. If you averaged 60a your bill would a thousand bucks a month.

[Tater]

funny an average of 60a rating in my world comes to near a half million a month

[Speedy Jim]

No, 60Amp @ 240V, 24x7, is about 10,000KWHr per month.

So if the base rate is ~ 10cents per KWHr, that is a grand a month.

[Tater]

arg, I forgot to convert Wh to Kwh

[John Hines]

Or more likely wait until their neighbors start complaining to the power co that the lights dim periodically. (when the hot tub heat kicks in)

-- Silly sig to prevent isp ad

[Rob from NY]

My meter was upgraded by utility so that it could be read remotely, hence no more meter readers come to my house. The meter is inside and not viewable from outside. How would they notice?

[Clare Snyder]

I have changed 2 service panels without notifying the electric company and without pulling the meter or disconnecting power.

One was an "emergency" as it was the beginning of a long weekend and the main breaker failed. (at friend's cottage) I just grabbed the only available panel from the local building supply and installed it. IIRC it was the same size or slightly heavier (I think I put in a 200 to replace a 150 or 175 amp (obsolete) panel.

The other was the main panel at the car dealership where I worked. The panel was BAD and the boss decided it was time to dix it before the shop burned down as the lot lights were flickering. Like at the cottage I simply pulled the power feeds from the main breaker, taped them up REALLY well, and stripped off the old panel. I then CAREFULLY fed the cables back into the new panel and connected them to the new main breaker with the supply "hot". It was illegal - it was potentially dangerous, but I did it as safely as possible andgot away with it.

I did NOT do my own panel at home because the meter base needed to be changed and 90+% of the wiring in the panel was aluminum and the insurance company required an inspection.

Ends up I STILL had to get the ESA inspection done for the remediation done in the rest of the house - which the electrician failed to register for - and I ended up having to replace several breakers with GFCI and arcfault freakers which the electrician didn't think needed to be installed. (they didn't for the panel inspection but DID for the ESA inspection the insurance company required) The inspectors gave me a "courtesy permit" after the fact for the remediation I had done. (Technically a non-licenced electrician is not allowed to TOUCH aluminum wiring in Ontario - even to change a switch or light fixture - even in their own home)

[micky]

Clare and I don't play in the same league, but I still have a good story.

Back when I was disorganized and the banks didn't pay your bills automatically, I didn't pay my elecric bill and they disconnected me. I paid asap at a check-cashing place that also took utility payments, then I called them to say I'd paid.

Then I went home because in Baltimore or Maryland they wont' reconnect your electricity unless you're home. (even though I think they will connect it for the first time when you're not home?)

I get home and I'm waiting and he's not coming and I want to use some electricity! Radio or tv probably. I wannnt it. So I took out the meter, removed the plastic tab insulators and put the meter back.

But I had a plan for when the guy eventually showed up, which he did 30,

60 minutes later. I told him someone else came and did it.

Later I realized he was the only one who would come to my house. He had a region or that days's route and no one else was going to interfere. So he knew I was lying, but he put a new seal on the meter and left without a word. That was the end of it.

Maybe I could have replaced the panel the same way!

[gfretwell]

When I did mine FPL was one of my customers so I went in and talked to George, the head engineer. He gave me the new meter socket and can. I was putting the new 200a panel in the garage and using the house panel as a sub (adding the ground bus, lifting the MBJ, 4 wire feeder etc). I already had everything installed in the garage, meter pan and new mast with the SE connected and the feeder run to the outside where the service entrance was. I called FPL to swing the drop over and move the meter. I figured I could trip the feeder breaker and work the house panel safely at that point. They said go ahead and do it before they set the meter and they would be back after lunch. I was done when they got back, they set the meter then asked me for my permit so they could sign it.

Nope I didn't have one. The fun ensued. They ended up calling George and I guess he said it was OK because they said goodbye and drove away.

[Tekkie©]

On Sun, 12 Sep 2021 18:30:24 -0400, micky posted for all of us to digest...

When did this stop?

[Tekkie©]

On Sun, 12 Sep 2021 21:47:21 -0400, [e-mail] posted for all of us to digest...

Everybody needs a friend like George.

[gfretwell]

I did bring a box of doughnuts for the shop the next time I had a call there. I said it was just for the meter base and can but I think he understood I appreciated the huss.