200 amp services all electric houses

[junkhound]

other was undersized?

Couple points of reference:

Own house, 5300 sq feet, 200A service.
Have not tripped the 200A in 45 years (QO breakers). Have had a 48A electric pressure washer in use, 2 clothes dryers (about 25 A each), 25 A electric water heater, a 25A oven, and 5T heat pump (40A) all running at same time. Still under 200 A. Could maybe have one of the grandkids over using the pressure washer and start using the 280A stick welder? - maybe exceed 200 A then If all the lights turned on also?

OTOH, son has an 800 sq ft studio with 200 A service, 200A panel was cheaper than a 100 A panel, plus poco won't hook up anything under 200A meter base. e.g.
You may install a service panel or meter base/socket that is sized less than 200 A, but the service line and meter that PSE installs will be sized as if you were installing a 200 A service. If you are installing an underground service that is less than 200 A, your meter base/socket must meet the dimensional requirements for a 200 A underground meter base/socket,..........

OTOH2. POCO installed just a 25 kVA transformer for 5 habitat townhouse units I worked on 6 years ago (gas heat and WH, but electric stove). Each unit had 200 A panel. Our habitat engineer asked them to put in a 50 kVA transformer, but Poco would not put in anything larger than 25 kVA until the 25 kVA ever failed or excess complaints of brownouts. AFAIK, the 25 kVA is still in place.

 

[Sierrasparky]

As of January the minimum service buss bar I believe in CA needs to be 200A. Due to the future installation of Solar. Does not make sense to me. You still need to reduce the main if you want more than 40 a solar, or use a panel that is made for line side tap.

 

[K8MHZ]

SCE did the same gold medallion rollout in the 60's here.

my house is one of them. someone changed out the gold medallion
doorbell for a funky one... i'm looking for an original one to replace it.

SCG sued SCE, and won, as the gold medallion program here *prohibited*
gas service from being available on the property. in the late 60's, they added
gas to the entire tract, and SCE paid for the retrofit. restraint of trade was a
compelling argument, and edison lost.

my parent's house in 1962 was gold medallion, and had an electric pool heater.
and a 400 amp service. the first month we turned on the pool heater, the
electric bill was larger than the mortgage payment. we never did that again.
i was only 7, but remember standing in front of the electric panel, listening
to the sound of the meter spinning when the pool heater was on.

you could actually hear it whirring in there.

https://www.thespruce.com/gold-medallion-home-definition-1821516

Consumers did the 'Medallion Home' thing back then, too. By the mid to late 70's, many people had electric bills higher than their house payments.

 

[kwired]

Consumers did the 'Medallion Home' thing back then, too. By the mid to late 70's, many people had electric bills higher than their house payments.

When motor fuels were $4.00 a gallon or more some people spent more on a fuel refill then their vehicle was worth

 

[K8MHZ]

When motor fuels were $4.00 a gallon or more some people spent more on a fuel refill then their vehicle was worth

And look what that got them. "Medallion" cars that are all electric. :lol:

 

[jaggedben]

As of January the minimum service buss bar I believe in CA needs to be 200A. Due to the future installation of Solar. Does not make sense to me. You still need to reduce the main if you want more than 40 a solar, or use a panel that is made for line side tap.

There are now 'solar ready' main panels that have a 225A busbar and thus allow 70A backfeed. That's what they really want. I haven't heard of the 200A requirement, there are also 'solar ready' panels at 100/125A.

And this must be just for new construction, of course.

 

[kwired]

There are now 'solar ready' main panels that have a 225A busbar and thus allow 70A backfeed. That's what they really want. I haven't heard of the 200A requirement, there are also 'solar ready' panels at 100/125A.

And this must be just for new construction, of course.

Seems logical it would be for all new services whether new construction or not.

 

[jaggedben]

Seems logical it would be for all new services whether new construction or not.

Well, the Venn diagram portion of new services that aren't new construction is very small. My point was that for existing services getting equipment upgraded, either this doesn't apply or it's not being widely enforced.

 

[Open Neutral]

BTW, that 800 Ampere Miami mansion I mentioned had six HVAC compressors in a row, back by the ATS for the generator.
Oh, and multiple many-KW "instant on" point of use water heaters. And the sauna.

Take THAT, Reddy Kilowatt....

 

[peter d]

BTW, that 800 Ampere Miami mansion I mentioned had six HVAC compressors in a row, back by the ATS for the generator.
Oh, and multiple many-KW "instant on" point of use water heaters. And the sauna.

Take THAT, Reddy Kilowatt....

The better question is what size transformer did the poco use on that service?

 

[peter d]

Some perspective: 200 amps at 240 volts is 48,000 watts. 48 kw can go an awfully long way, particularly in a residential setting.

 

[Open Neutral]

The better question is what size transformer did the poco use on that service?

I think I saw them running a new 132KV feeder to the island.......

 

[ActionDave]

Some perspective: 200 amps at 240 volts is 48,000 watts. 48 kw can go an awfully long way, particularly in a residential setting.

I have a 200A service on my house, no A/C, gas heat, electric oven, electric dryer,,, When I light up every thing possible I can't pull more than 70A no matter how hard I try.

 

[Fulthrotl]

Consumers did the 'Medallion Home' thing back then, too. By the mid to late 70's, many people had electric bills higher than their house payments.

yep. my medallion showed up. NOS.
$15 on ebay. about a quarter inch thick, brass.

and it's a nema listed thang.

 

[K8MHZ]

yep. my medallion showed up. NOS.
$15 on ebay. about a quarter inch thick, brass.

and it's a nema listed thang.

That's pretty cool!

 

[spark master]

Renovated an all electric house. 4200 sq-ft. 200 amp service. We amped it during A/C season. 8 tons A/C, Electric oven, dryer, etc. Never went over 93 amps, with everything on. LED lighting helped a lot. With the pool pump, it'll be over 100a actual draw. Maybe they'll spring for a fancy VFD pool pump.... No way it'll ever be close to 80% of 200a.

 

[electricalist]

I like to use 26 kw per sq ft. Up to 1500 sq ft.
Figuring everything is electric with 4 fixed appliances.
It's a close enough number for just wondering.


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[petersonra]

I like to use 26 kw per sq ft. Up to 1500 sq ft.
Figuring everything is electric with 4 fixed appliances.
It's a close enough number for just wondering.


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Maybe you meant 26 W/ft^2

 

[electricalist]

Ty


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[Dzboyce]

I don't do residential work my self. Just the pump end of things. But at least half the new houses I go to anymore have a twin 200 service.