New service panel without amperage upgrade?

I am trying decide if I can get away replacing our old service panel, but without upgrading beyond our current 100 amps.

The box is old, slightly rusty and fully used with no extra breakers. We are about to start a kitchen remodel and will need some new circuits for new dishwasher, disposal, additional lighting.

I know that most houses today have 200A service and it would normally make sense to upgrade now. However, we are also converting both our electric range and clothes dryer to gas, so we will actually reduce some major loads. We have gas furnace and hot water heater and we don't have central AC and have no plans to add it.

Occasionally, if someone uses a hairdryer while a window AC is running on the same circuit, one of the 20A breakers will flip, but I think that's just because too much is on that one breaker (not because the total load is limited.)

So, I am thinking to save money to just replace the panel without the extra expense of upgrading to 200A.

Is this reasonable or am I being shortsighted?

Reply to
revheck
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at home sale time it will be a negative.........

price it both ways.

for instance your service drop cable may be degraded from sun and time, or your meter can rusty, or the hear bad shape.

if your replacing that cable you might as well upgrade to 200 amps

Reply to
hallerb

Unless the house is large, your electric usage will be minimal. The electric dryer will give you 20 amps @240 volts and the range about 40. That will certainly lessen your usage by a far greater amount than the new appliances and lighting. You will also have four spaces in the panel to use for the new stuff. With the information you've provided I would leave it alone, unless the panel is in poor condition. Talk to your local electrician and get his advice

Reply to
RBM

If you need window units, the next owner want central air.

Go for 150, at least. 100 amp is marginal at best, and a turn-off for future buyers. Most of the cost of the swapout is labor, not the parts. Aerial service, I presume? How old is the drop? Call your power company- if the drop is old, and they know a homeowner is installing upgraded service, they will often give a break on replacing the drop, since it reduces the chances of future emergency calls to that address. A nice fresh service entrance and meter base is much more reliable than some rusty old thing with bugs living in it. If your panel is rusty, your meter base and associated parts probably are too, on the inside where it matters.

aem sends...

Reply to
<aemeijers

IMHO:

Have a service calc performed in your estimates, with the upgrades you want to add. If your calc is high enough, upgrade the full package, or you just want too. ;)

Good luck,

tom @

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Reply to
Tom The Great

Tom The Great wrote: in part .........

Short sighted? Maybe somewhat. But check it out. In our area, for example, if we replaced any part of the service entrance I suspect we would be told that now a minimum of 200 amps is required for any/all residential living unit . So unless it was just for part time use of electricity in an old shed/separate service for a &#39;small&#39; unattached garage etc. we most likely would be faced with &#39;a requirement&#39; for total replacement by a

200 amp service. Here (maritime climate near North Atlantic sea fogs and inshore/offshore winds) a not uncommon problem has been deterioration due to corrosion within the enclosed meter socket box, installed on the outside of each house, after some 20 to 40 years. There have been a very few meter box fires as a result.
Reply to
terry

How much are you going to save?

$30 on a $1200 job?

Reply to
HeyBub

The NEC requires 100amps as the min. With the trend of conservation, many electronic devices and applicanes are using less electrity with time. So, many home upgrades I&#39;ve done, were simple 60-100amp jobs. If the service calc says the house uses 45 amps, then customers opt to get what they need($), now and in the future(10+ years).

Not advice, for the OP, this is information specific to specific customers.

tom @

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Reply to
Tom The Great

The OP is converting stove and dryer to gas, removing those heavy loads I wouldnt upgrade the main panel at all till I have the bucks for a 200 amp conversion, provided the service is safe.

Reply to
hallerb

My utility will upgrade to 150 amps for free. They charge $150 for a 200 amp service upgrade.

Bob

Reply to
Bob F

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