# Upgrading 100amps or 200amps Service



## simba (Jun 9, 2009)

Calling all electrians for advice .Currently have a 60 amps service.I am trying to decide between upgrading to 100amp or 200amp a very hard decision,also at the same time thinking of installing a whole backup generator as in previous post.It a regular house with stove ,furncae .fridge,washer air condition.Note not all are being used at once.The 5 lines of 15 amps circuit for all 20 fish tank plus a few heater in some tanks are used most time.Also there lightning all around the house and plugs and computers and some portable heater for winter.Water tanks uses gas .The 60 amp curcuit work fine at the monent for all our needs.I am having trouble deciding 100amps or 200 amps.Plus the fact during the upgrade power wiill be turn off which worries me about those 20 fish tanks .10 tanks are mostly baby clown fishes that iam breeding and rising.its like having a power outage .I was thinking of hooking the generator to the current 60 amps service have it all set up and running,when the power is disconnect i being shut off.the generator kicks in So they can the upgrade.Would that works or is there a better solution.I do have an gas generator which i can used as well,I have to run a lot of extention cord to feed diferent tanks which i really hate to do.Your feed back is much apperciated.Thanks


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Former electrician here. If the house ran on a 60 without any issues than the 100 amp panel with breaker should be plenty. The 100 amp is now required by most insurance companies. When the electricians come they should be able to do everything in one day. They will have a generator with them because when you're out of power they are as well. You might be able to piggy back onto their generator. But we never kept our running long just to use the drill and such.


I used to get a kick out of the home owners when I did a service update. Usually the woman of the house would offer to make us coffee when we go there early in the morning. We would say that would be great! Even though we always stopped at timmies for coffee before we came. 

She would go in side the house and we would pull the meter leaving the house without power. They would always come back out sheepishly telling us that they had no way of making us coffee cause they had no power.

It was always a good giggle.


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## simba (Jun 9, 2009)

Most electrian that i talk to said the thing within the day.There this one saying for some reason if the inspector does not agreed with some other issues or other wiring that they dont like such as a loose wire or not installing gfi plugs They will not turn they power back on the same day until you resoved it. Then it will allowed to turn it on the next day or until they say O.k.Is that the case?I am wondering can a 60 amps service be hooked up tp a 20 kw generator.?


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Depends are they going to put in the new service in a different location than the old one? If so yes. If not they will be removing the old 60 then putting in the new one in its place. If it's a new service I would ask them to put a box and plug right under the panel of new service and the if they are having trouble finishing on time. Then have them wire up the lines going to the fish room plugs to breakers. You plug the generator into the plug and they can wire it to the breakers to temp power. Later you can use the plug to run the house if power goes out with generator


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## simba (Jun 9, 2009)

I am thinking of leaving the 60 amp panel in the old location .have them install a 200 amp panel beside it.Once that done have them pulled the heavy things like the air cond. stove ,furnace to the new panel and used the old 60 amps for fish room and lightning the house just the way it was before.this way they dont have to pulled all the wire from the old panel just a few .what do you Think?


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

I am not an electrician. There is one feed into the house from the meter base. This feed (wire) will be a different size depending on whether the service is 100 Amp or 200 Amp. I am assuming there is 200 Amps available at the meter base. As well, there are assorted sizes of panel for each service, in terms of the number of circuits. For example, in my sub division, they used 24 circuit 100 amp panels as standard. At the time there were 32 circuit panels available. I upgraded to a 200 Amp service with 40 circuits. This meant the electrician couldn't use an aluminum cable because the required gauge wouldn't fit inside the conduit from the meter base to the panel. This was the only place they used the aluminum, the houses otherwise being all copper. So, when I moved in, there were no outlets in the basement, as the one at the box had to be removed, but 23 circuits had been used. For those [people who had the 24 circuit panels, they were full when they added a dishwasher. Anything else, such as air con, swimming pool, circuits in the basement, they had to add on additional boxes with more breakers.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Well I haven't been in that trade for years and I've never rigged up generator to a service. But I do know you can't keep a generator in the house or enclosed space it needs to be exhausted. I also know that you either have power or the generator running not both. But if the power does come back on you have to make sure it doesn't mix with the power the generator is giving.

Here is a video explaining it






I suggest you have a clear understanding of what you have to have and wired to accomplish the generator/regular electrical panel combo.

The generator is a emergency back up only situation that requires a large expense and not the light switch results that many might assume.

But the video explains it


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

simba said:


> I am thinking of leaving the 60 amp panel in the old location .have them install a 200 amp panel beside it.Once that done have them pulled the heavy things like the air cond. stove ,furnace to the new panel and used the old 60 amps for fish room and lightning the house just the way it was before.this way they dont have to pulled all the wire from the old panel just a few .what do you Think?


Bigger panel is always better

Like I said I've never done a generator so all info is not recommend to try for anyone.

Transfer switch how it works this is what you need


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

I would go with this instead of a generator

http://www.teslamotors.com/en_CA/POWERWALL


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## simba (Jun 9, 2009)

My electrician is doing it for me .I job is to buy all the equitment and part for the generator.There also some old wire that need to be replaced as well.I am hoping others can share there upgrading electric experienced .


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## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

First I would check with the insurance company to see what they say. Then I would check with the municipality to see what they say. When all have had their say I would go with 200 amp service with GFCI installed also look at a surge protector these will cover the whole house for safety especially around your tanks. With the higher amp service you can put less on each circuit and install new circuits when ever needed. I had mine done about three years ago and it cost me about $2800. well worth it.


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