# Discovering hack work



## Teaspoon (Jan 10, 2009)

Went on a service call this morning. Circuit breaker tripping now and then.
Light not coming on sometimes. found bad switch replaced.
Removed panel cover from 200 amp ITE panel to check out.
found this 200 amp panel was fed by a 100 amp entrance.
Entrance wires looked to be #3.
Customer said it had been this way for 20 years.
I gave the customer the option of changeing to a 100 amp Main Breaker,
or rebuilding service entrance to 200 amp.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)




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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Teaspoon said:


> Went on a service call this morning. Circuit breaker tripping now and then.
> Light not coming on sometimes. found bad switch replaced.
> Removed panel cover from 200 amp ITE panel to check out.
> found this 200 amp panel was fed by a 100 amp entrance.
> ...


And your question is....?


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## Mr. Sparkle (Jan 27, 2009)

When I bought my house there was a brand new 200A MCB Homeline panel fed with 150A rated copper.


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## sarness (Sep 14, 2010)

Someone (theres a sticker) upgraded the panel and service entrance to 200a in my house, but the puco drop appears to be the original 60a one.

Lights are always dimming when something kicks on like the furnace, dryer, laser printer, etc. Pole pig feeds a few other houses as well.

One day I'd like to get everthing underground (everthing is going through the trees at the moment) and have a pad installed to feed the house and cottage.


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## arni19 (Nov 20, 2009)

sarness said:


> Someone (theres a sticker) upgraded the panel and service entrance to 200a in my house, but the puco drop appears to be the original 60a one.
> 
> Lights are always dimming when something kicks on like the furnace, dryer, laser printer, etc. Pole pig feeds a few other houses as well.
> 
> One day I'd like to get everthing underground (everthing is going through the trees at the moment) and have a pad installed to feed the house and cottage.


Not sure about the power companys in your area but here they run the same wire to every house i believe its a 1/0 when we are using 4/0 for 200 amp resi services... They dont play by the same rules as us and know the demand isnt that high on most houses.


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## tomthenailer (Nov 5, 2011)

Ampacity is also different in free air conductors.


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## arni19 (Nov 20, 2009)

arni19 said:


> Not sure about the power companys in your area but here they run the same wire to every house i believe its a 1/0 when we are using 4/0 for 200 amp resi services... They dont play by the same rules as us and know the demand isnt that high on most houses.


This is regarding underground wires.


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## JmanAllen (Aug 3, 2011)

arni19 said:


> This is regarding underground wires.


No he said one day he wanted it underground so it's still overhead.

Sent from my iPhone using ET Forum


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## noarcflash (Sep 14, 2011)

The demand in the average house is not much. At most, a 40 amp oven, and a 30 amp A/C unit. In my house, I have a 200amp 40/40, not because I need the 200a service, but because I need the 40 spaces. And then I added a sub panel for more spaces.

But certainly a 150amp service would have been enough.


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

arni19 said:


> Not sure about the power companys in your area but here they run the same wire to every house i believe its a 1/0 when we are using 4/0 for 200 amp resi services... They dont play by the same rules as us and know the demand isnt that high on most houses.


According to SouthWire's website, the 1/0 is more than adequate for a 200 Amp service.

Look at the chart and you'll see that it is rated for 215 Amps.


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## mbednarik (Oct 10, 2011)

i have never seen the poco upgrade anything on their side when i am doing an upgrade.


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## arni19 (Nov 20, 2009)

kbsparky said:


> According to SouthWire's website, the 1/0 is more than adequate for a 200 Amp service.
> 
> Look at the chart and you'll see that it is rated for 215 Amps.


Sorry i was referring to aluminum wiring as thats all we use for services in canada


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## noarcflash (Sep 14, 2011)

mbednarik said:


> i have never seen the poco upgrade anything on their side when i am doing an upgrade.


Do you give them a phone call?
around here, it takes them 6 months to upgrade the drop.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

noarcflash said:


> Do you give them a phone call?
> around here, it takes them 6 months to upgrade the drop.


Around here, they very seldom do it. I did three upgrades from 400 to 600 last year, and they didn't change anything.


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## mbednarik (Oct 10, 2011)

noarcflash said:


> Do you give them a phone call?
> around here, it takes them 6 months to upgrade the drop.


They always tell me its enough. This is the same utility that would not give me an underground service because he told me the VD would be too much. They always run 4/0 al for 200amp new home underground, so instead they run 4/4/4 overhead, somehow thats better with VD than 4/0 underground.:001_huh:


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## Bulldog1 (Oct 21, 2011)

mcclary's electrical said:


> Around here, they very seldom do it. I did three upgrades from 400 to 600 last year, and they didn't change anything.




I did an upgrade from 200 to 320 where poco had to trench 150 ft no charge to customer. The meter relocate we recently did poco charged the customer 400.00 to splice it in 10ft from new location.. The 320A upgrade had less calculated load than the 200A relocate did. The 320A customer didn't need a service that large. The EE who drew the plans recommended it... I said OK no problem.....:laughing:


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

arni19 said:


> Sorry i was referring to aluminum wiring as thats all we use for services in canada


Umm ... that chart* is* for aluminum wire ....


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## sarness (Sep 14, 2010)

I haven't called and asked what they may charge for upgrading. When I asked for my mom's house (she was getting central air) they said there would be an upgrade charge.

Not good at judging wire size, but doesn't look bigger then #4

I haven't done a calc on this house yet, it's 2k sq', all gas and central air. Have a 550 sq' cottage in the back on a separate service that I eventually want to come off the main meter. Wife wants a pond, waterfall, pool and a Jacuzzi someday.

Tree took out the phone lines once, wires laying on branches. So whenever it gets done underground I don't want to have to mess with it later.

Still mussing if I sent to put 2 200a panels or one 320a and sub off that.


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## sarness (Sep 14, 2010)

You want pic's? I got your pics right here hot off the aluminum ladder in the rain!


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## sureline (Jun 11, 2011)

noarcflash said:


> The demand in the average house is not much. At most, a 40 amp oven, and a 30 amp A/C unit. In my house, I have a 200amp 40/40, not because I need the 200a service, but because I need the 40 spaces. And then I added a sub panel for more spaces.
> 
> But certainly a 150amp service would have been enough.


Did you just hear that in apprentice class?:laughing:


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## noarcflash (Sep 14, 2011)

sureline said:


> Did you just hear that in apprentice class?:laughing:


more useful commentary from the black hole. did you ever think of writing something constructive, or is that above your mentality ?


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