• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

Electrician help - Unbiased opinion on changing circuit breaker panel.

augustiron said:
Stabloc, pushmatic, zinsco, challenger, federal Pacific and fused panels were all "mandatory panel replacement" red flagged at my old solar company.


Made the salespeople angry because it killed a lot of sales, but there was good reason we didn't want to own the liability for those.
Click to expand...
Interesting story: we had solar installed on the house in 2016, by Solar City (now Tesla). The installer looked at the PushMatic panel and told us that if he couldn't find the proper breakers to complete the installation then they would include a new panel in the installation - he was able to find the needed breakers so we didn't get to find out how much more the installation would have cost!
 
Another thing to consider... It's perfectly legal to gut that panel out and make a blank cover for it (making it a big junction box) then extend the existing circuits into a new main panel.
If that panel is on an exterior wall and the meter is somewhere on the other side of that wall, it would be very easy.
 
Definitely have your new panel configured for proper attachment of a generator.

And welcome to the world of home ownership.
 
Our HOA's new insurer mandated replacement of all original panels. $2k per unit, thank you very much. I own two units, so ....... :cry:cry The main panels with PGE's meters in each building are also being replaced, and every unit is receiving a ground wire. For this, they trenched and ran a cable underground in PVC pipe. The machine shop I worked in had all machines grounded with a copper rod pounded into a drilled hole in the floor. I wonder why they didn't go this route. It seems to me that would have been cheaper. But then, as I freely admit, I am an electrical eejit. I know all those wires are filled with lots of sparky, smoky death, and there is only so much smoke in each one of them. :whistle:
 
Rtmac said:
Another thing to consider... It's perfectly legal to gut that panel out and make a blank cover for it (making it a big junction box) then extend the existing circuits into a new main panel.
If that panel is on an exterior wall and the meter is somewhere on the other side of that wall, it would be very easy.
Click to expand...
I agree with RTmac on this.
I send a few pictures of this type of approach in my next reply.
This could also utilize a sub panel located in the interior of the house.
I am dealing with rats eating unprotected wires under the house….
Unfortunately this is a real problem.
Using metal shield wiring under the house to the sub panel and eliminating where the rats were previously getting into the house.
The previous wiring was just free air romex under the house and is being replaced in wall from the sub panel.
Geez I hate rats….
🤪
PaulR
 
Last edited:
CDONA said:
Using a drone, dragging a silk thread, and a Key to ground it, Ben ?
Click to expand...

The truth is that Ben Franklin never actually flew a kite in a thunder storm. It’s a fairy tale.

Also, there is an excellent documentary on electricity. It’s called Shock and Awe, the story of electricity. I highly recommend it.
 
Replace it and upgrade to at least 200 amp service. 400 if you're feeling frisky

Why 400?
Because everything is electric these days and you're going to be there a long time. Car chargers, all your current (see what I did there?) and future hobbies need power tools. Etc etc
 
You don’t need to upgrade beyond 200 amps now. But you might put in two panels now to plan for it.
 
That's not how it works. PG&E provides the proper size service wires for the meter/main panel you install. Often when installing a 200 amp service change the existing service drop can be re-used, but it's their call, and if you go with a 400 amp panel they aren't going to "only hook up 200 to it for now".
I thought he wanted advise from electricans? :laughing
 
Well, I’m self trained with all its limitations.

But I do like to plan ahead.
 
If you knew what you were talking about, you'd know that what you're suggesting would be the opposite of "planning ahead".
Planning ahead would be to go with a 400 amp service now, although probably not necessary, so you don't have to do it all over again later.
 
It would have to be a big fuckin house to need a 400 amp service, imo.
But as @auntiebling said, who knows what kind of equipment OP will want to add in the future. Maybe if he's going to build a garage or big shop, who knows.
That's a decision you would want to make ahead of time.
 
I know dubs has hobbies that need electricity.

1960 standard house feed was 80amps or something
1980s 100 or so
1990s early 2000s 200 was getting standard.

Per my electrician when I said I wanted 400 because I wanted to never worry about it for the rest of my life, 400 isn't as unusual as y'all think even in 50 year old tract homes. Want to add an ADU in the future? If you already have the 400a drop from your utility it'll be easier to split the adu off

I have 200a for the hous and 200 on a separate breaker for the garage I might finally get to build now about 8 years after the house remodel. Any hobby I take up will not be limited by the electrical service :teeth
The cost of upgrading the drop from the utility is their time, schedule with your contractor, and downtime of your household routine. The differential cost of the 200 vs 400 amp panel and the copper cable to feed it is pretty minor
 
Totally dependent on the size of the house, the lot, and your plans . I've done a shit-ton of residential service changes. Most track houses in Concord will never exceed 200 amp... but there are exceptions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top