Service Upgrades

2/15/2019

Does your home need an Electric Service Upgrade? With the growing demand for electricity, new technology and electronic devices hitting the market you might be wondering if it's time to upgrade your home's electrical service. It's a good thing that many new electronic devices draw very little power - but there are others that require a lot of power to operate such as Air Conditioning and Hot Tubs.

Your home's electric system capacity reflects when it was built, or the last time it was rewired. Houses built or rewired more than 30 years ago typically have a 60 or 100 amp service. Newer homes usually have a 150 or 200 amp service. And very large houses can have up to 400 amp service.

Amps are listed on the main circuit breaker in the panel box, they determine the maximum amount your house can safely use. Each circuit in the house is also rated by amps. When the power demand for a circuit approaches the amp limit that the circuit is rated for - the circuit breaker will trip, shutting off the electrical current.

Do you need to upgrade?

Contact Reisinger Electric if you are thinking of adding a large electric appliance such as an air conditioner, electric range, electric clothes dryer or hot tub - or if you are planning to add a new living space like a basement suite. We will determine if your house can handle the increased electric load and if you need to upgrade your system.

Reisinger Electric will calculate minimum electrical service size using demand calculation based on:

The total square meters of your home
Heating and AC (air conditioning)
Appliances

Water heaters
Vehicle charging units
Any additional loads

Amp measurements don’t necessarily correspond with house size. Always ask your electrician to do a demand calculation. This is not a DIY project!

GeTTING IT RIGHT

Reisinger Electric can find out what size service you need now, and what size you'll need in future. You may need to install a larger service panel than your home requires if the demand calculation says your home needs a 125 amp service, then a 200 amp service minimum might be recommended.

Reisinger Electric uses the Canadian Electrical Code’s minimum size service requirements to upgrade your service, greater than the one specified by your home's demand calculation. Other important considerations we use are local codes, by-laws and/or insurance company regulations. These may state a minimum size service requirement, regardless of the demand calculation. For example, if we find that the demand calculation stipulates 60 amps, but your insurance company requires a 100 amp service, we will recommend meeting your house insurance requirements.

OTHER ElectRic Panel Changes

You may also need a panel change, even if the service is in good condition, if additional circuits or specialty breakers such as GFCI or AFCI are necessary. Some panels cannot accommodate these, so we may recommend you need a panel change. Other reasons we may recommend you have your entire service panel changed include damage, old style metering and location.

Ready to Upgrade?

Contact Reisinger Electric
We are a Fully Licensed, qualified, insured, bonded Electric company,
serving the entire Lower Mainland & Vancouver area of BC