400A resedential service

Rates are based on the amount of power consumed, not the size (capacity) of the service. Very large consumers get a lower cost per kwh, but pay a higher customer charge and also pay a demand charge based on the largest 15 minute amperage demand. If he increases hie service size to 400 amps, the power company will also charge him to upgrade their facilities to be able to provide that amount of service. Upgrading the transformer will cost him close to $3K (in addition to what he'll pay his electrical contractor to do the service upgrade on his equipment).

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Reply to
Erik Dillenkofer
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Believe many have established that going to 400A service isn't going to change your electric usage, consequently, your electric bill.

Just one caution running electrical service conduit. If, for any reason, you have to cross 2 service conduits at approximately perpendicular to and physically near each other, the meter may register additional power usage.

Reply to
Dioclese

Can you explain this? A cited web page, or book, would be good.

Reply to
PeterD

You sound pretty confident about what *his* utility will do. They aren't all the same, you know.

Reply to
krw

The large electric utility that serves our area would ask for the projected demand increase. If none were forecast they would simply connect whatever was installed to the existing transformer which was already satisfactory for the existing load.

Reply to
George

You can leave off the "less than or equal to 400A" part and still have a true statement. E.g., if you require 600A, you'll probably find 400A service much better than 200A, too. You'd find 600A service even better, of course. :-)

Reply to
Tim Smith

Many electric companies have an administrative or billing charges based on the size of the service. Putting in 400A service on a residence that uses less than

200A is just wasting money.
Reply to
Robert Neville

Reply to
Craig M

Could be that the well will consume more watts at 110v because of a long run from the meter to the pump resulting in a voltage drop and therefore the pump will be running less efficient than it could.

I agree however that a larger service panel will do nothing to solve this problem.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

Pump is already 220v. I gave up on this idea when so many more knowledgeable pointed out how stupid I was.

Reply to
Bill

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