600 amp service loaded to max

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spark master

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Need ideas: I just took a quick look at a 600amp 208Y service, that was maxed out. It's parallel feeds from the trans S. But the problem is, from the meter to the equipment room is at least 100 feet. Maybe 150 feet. It's right smack in the center of the building, rather than an outside wall.

They really need another 200 amps of service.

The pad mount supplies 2 different services, so I can't even recommend going to 480. And that wouldn't make sense, because all the HVAC is 208Y.
 
If it is loaded to the max I would not even consider making it an 800 I would be thinking more like 1200 or more

The money spent to get another 200 amps will be a lot already
 
the poco will probably want you to pay for the cost of changing out the transformer and the wires coming to and from it. not real cheap.

I don't see why you can't leave what is there in place and just add to it with some parallel gear. Not cheap either.

If I were the owner I would be looking real close at what I really needed. He might find that it is cost effective to try and reduce his energy consumption over getting a bigger service.

I also agree with the poster who suggested a big jump rather than a smaller one. The cost is not likely to be much different.
 
I need to go back for a close inspection, with my gear. But they added 30 tons of refrigeration & rows of T5 Lighting, where there was only empty warehouse space. So I'm figuring ~100amps of refrigeration, and another ~100 amps of lighting. So 200amps of additions, on a 600amp main.

The main is warm to the touch. Not hot, but warm. The refrigeration conduit is warm. I'll get back there to take readings.

It's a 600a LDP Challenger Panel Board.
 
Another guy stopped by for 2 minutes with a thermo imager. It's not a big A/C day, so the load is down. but the main is running at 100 degrees F. Breakers in the off position are running at 86F. It's about 80F in the equipment room.
 
spark master said:
Another guy stopped by for 2 minutes with a thermo imager. It's not a big A/C day, so the load is down. but the main is running at 100 degrees F. Breakers in the off position are running at 86F. It's about 80F in the equipment room.
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a reading like that is not real meaningful, nor does it seem real hot to me. if you can comfortably touch a CB, it is not too hot.

you need to determine what the actual load is.
 
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