70 amp service

[Boondox]

Our 165 year old home was wired in the 1950s with 70 amp service. After a fire we replaced the old coke bottle fuses with a modern circuit breaker box, but still have some concerns about the anemic power. My wife complains that the air cleaner and reading lights in the house vary in speed/intensity whenever I'm using my MIG welder or woodworking tools.

70 amps is low, but how much is enough? I know we're responsible for the connection from the pole to the house, but how can I tell if there's enough juice on the town's end to give me more? We're the last house on a long dirt road, and while the rich woman in the mansion 1/4 mile down the road has 400 amp service , the town did no improvements on our end.

Pete

 

[MarkV]

Pete, it would be unusual for the power company side of things not to have enough power. 70 amps is a pretty small service by today's standards. Welders, microwaves, any electric motors in the shop all draw pretty heavy loads and particularly at start up. If you upgrade your service I would go 200 amps and be done with it.

I love those old houses and have enjoyed the photo's of yours. One of these days I'd like see your place.

MarkV

 

[tc35dforme]

Like Mark said, 200 amp is the norm for houses these days. There are however, plenty running 100 amp services without much trouble. The key is the number of high amperage loads and their likely concurrent use. ( good pun huh ?? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

For example...well pump ( 30 amps )..stove ( 50 amps ) ...dryer ( 30 amps )...air conditioner ( 30 amps )...now add in lights and television, that hair dryer... etc.

It isn't likely that you will need to run everything at once, but you need to cover your maximum anticipated demand.

From a practical standpoint, the cost for you to buy a 200 amp panel as opposed to a 100 amp is minimal. The labor cost is the greater percentage of the job, and the labor is about equal for both installations. You may be looking at only $ 100 more to get the bigger panel. The number of circuits will be the same, you'll just have more future capacity with the 200 or the opportunity to split loads ( welder ).

Call the power company...most are required to provide you the power you require ( to a point ) by law. Getting a few hundred amps on a primary feed is easy for them.

 

[RobS]

Pete, I'd agree with MarkV; the town power to your location should be adequate. Two things to consider are your incoming service (yes 70 is pretty short these days) and the distance from the transformer to your house.

Call your local utility and ask for technical person to come out and evaluate your situation. They should be considering a larger transformer and perhaps closer to your meter/panel. From there you can put in a larger panel and tie all of your existing circuits into it as well as a dedicated line for that welder of yours /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

You may find that upgrading will require you to comply with current codes. Ask your building department for their take on your situation.

Like the others, I vote for 200 amp service, everything else being equal.

BTW, we have 400 amps here (individual 200 amp services for house and shop). There is nothing special about the power feed. Just the usual transformers tapped into the power company's line down the valley.

SnowRidge

 

[MossRoad]

We have 100 AMP service. It is adequate, but that's all. I have a 220 well and air conditioner in the house, a breaker for each rooms' outlets and every two rooms share a lighting circuit. The bathroom has its own circuit. There are 3 circuits in the kitchen. The major appliances are all gas. There is no room for expansion. I do have a 50AMP 220 to a sub panel in the garage, where I run a welder. But if the pool pump is on, I am running the welder and the air compressor kicks on, I might pop the breaker. I have to do manual power management(turn off breakers selectively /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif).

If you're going to spend the money to upgrade from 70, go with 200. You will be much happier and have plenty of room for expansion.

 

[cisco]

I currently have 60 amp service on my country property, cause that's all the county would allow if there are no dwellings (just have a well, and power/water outlets scattered around), and even then one has to justify the amps requested. The county apparantly leery of one setting up a cheapo trailer park or similar sans permission. I'm now taking bids for a tractor/boat garage with an efficiency apartment on the second floor (to be a future guest house). The county will only allot 120 amps for such, UNLESS one uses "key" terms on the permit form - like "welding unit" or "central air conditioning" (unusual for a garage). Your licensing authority may have similar restrictions, and it may pay to find out what they are before filling out the permit form.
So, I'm putting in a "welding unit", and will be alloted 200 amp service (when I eventually put in the main house, I'll get up to 100 amps more)

 

[rancar]

200 amp service should be more than adequate for the needs as you've described it. 400 amps is overkill.

...Bob

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I agree with the other posts. You should go with a 200 amp service. I'm not familiar with your state/county/local coding but you should at least follow the latest NEC (National Electric Code) when upgrading.

You can check with your electric utility and they can tell you how much power they can supply without an upgrade. As 1 poster said they have the burden to supply you with reasonable power but most have already upgraded over the years to keep ahead of demand.

As for your flickering, I suspect it's either your feeder or the power company's feeder size that's the culprit. You said that you changed the fuses to breakers but you didn't say if you replaced the feeder. It could also be you pole transformer size.

I would also consider dual distributions unless your situation prevents it.

 

[dummy]

This is an FYI message. On our last house, after doing some remodeling/rewiring the wife complained of the same type of things. Yes, she was right. After triple checking my work I called the power company. Seems that the wiring on the transformer was loose enough that a slight breeze would allow it to intermittently connect flickering lights, etc. inside.
I would also vote for a 200 amp upgrade.