You will need the utility to be more involved. You will also be replacing the wires from the meter base to the service point (where the drop connects to the house) and they will have to cut their crimps off there. That is not a DIY job. Then they will crimp your new wires onto the drop when you are done.
In addition to fun with live unfused high capacity service wires and forgetting to replace the wires from meter to service point HeyBub forgets that the wires from the meter to the panel must be replaced - he would run the 200A service panel on wires rated 100?60?A. If the wires from the service point to the meter to the panel are in pipe that most likely has to be replaced. Then there is the meter base - rated for
200A? Grounding electrode conductor the right size? Proper grounding electrodes?Services have a lot of unique requirements. It can certainly be a do-it-yourself project, but only for someone who has a lot of previous experience and has done some reading on services. That doesn't include the OP.
Maybe. They didn't at my house. Nor my son's house. Nor two of my neighbors (all the original installations by the developer are failing about the same time!).
I lived in 77036 about 35 or 40 years ago. Out around Alief, isn't it?
Why convert to electric? 90% efficient propane and electric is a toss up in price here.
Are you still using the romex connectors the sparky spliced the service conductors with?
Are those the things that look like coat-hanger wire with a twist?
So that's what they're called!
area she's
lls me it's
propane recovery, first hour ratings generally much better than electric.
"Chris Hill" wrote
But in her prospective area, much cheaper. There's another aspect not mentioned but plausable (keep in mind she hasnt seen the unit yet). The propane is a sort of almost HVAC and she may have to heat all rooms in this aparently 8 room house with that route but with electric, she can heat just the rooms she needs (3, maybe 4) then keep the rest just above pipe freezing. I will remind her to check that though and see if she can close off the other rooms from the heat yet keep 'above freezing' in them with the existing structure.
In fact, she might be able to relocate the thermostat to one of the 'unheated rooms' and set it real low, then augment the ones she needs that
2-3 months of heating time with electric?Either way, no solid answers on what she will need, til she looks at the actual property. For now, it was just a need for a guesstimate on what it might cost to upgrade the electric if it is needed. No telling just from the picture what they have, other than they do have electricity and there seems to be a second line (phone probably).
There's other 'guesstimates' she will need, but they are far too variable to do other than get locally so have not asked here. EX: Orkin termite contract (depends on if it has an infestation or not), possibly chimney repair (depends on how they look but one seems to have a liner and might be for the propane now?), adding a laundry area with washer and dryer (may have one, who knows just now?), capacity of well and proximity to a water line if needed, status of septic tank (and possible proximity to city line there?), status of driveway and possible repair (all she knows is it's a long driveway and the end of a deadended street). None of those can be answered at all here so it would be silly to ask anything about'em.
"HeyBub" wrote
Smile, does it help to explain Mom's 78 and not really up to that sort of shennanigans? We already told her we'd come down and kick her bootie if we find her climbing ladders to paint the place. Her return volley was she has pillows ready for her nether regions ;-)
Mom's a pip but this one gets contracted.
Here in central Ohio, a few years ago a friend had a contractor replace his
100A panel with a 200A. It required a new meter pan, but not replacing the wires from the pole. Cost was about $1,200.Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
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