Service Upgrade

[NolaTigaBait]

ok, this may be a stupid question, but at what point do you upgrade from say a 200 amp service to 400 amp?....the last service i did, i looked at the meter pan and it was rated for 200 amps continuous and its lugs accept up to 250mcm....so could i have a 250 amp or even a 300 amp service with that setup?....

 

[Dennis Alwon]

ok, this may be a stupid question, but at what point do you upgrade from say a 200 amp service to 400 amp?....the last service i did, i looked at the meter pan and it was rated for 200 amps continuous and its lugs accept up to 250mcm....so could i have a 250 amp or even a 300 amp service with that setup?....

200 amp meter bases that I have seen are rate 200 amp noncontinuous and 160 continuous. In order to have a 300 amp service you would need a 400 amp meter base (320 continuous )

 

[NolaTigaBait]

200 amp meter bases that I have seen are rate 200 amp noncontinuous and 160 continuous. In order to have a 300 amp service you would need a 400 amp meter base (320 continuous )

this says that it is rated for 200 continuous....so, if this isnt a misprint, i could have at least a 250 amp service?...right?

 

[NolaTigaBait]

jusy checked it....it def. says 200 continuous

 

[Dennis Alwon]

this says that it is rated for 200 continuous....so, if this isnt a misprint, i could have at least a 250 amp service?...right?

I have never seen one but if it is rated 200 continuous then I suspect it is 250 non continuous. I would say yes.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I would check with the poco before I did anything.

 

[NolaTigaBait]

I would check with the poco before I did anything.

yeah , thats the first thing on my list.....the has is a monster...4100 sq feet pool, twp story garage, has some gas and some electric heat...and im adding some circuits for another room and another 8kw's of heat....just kinda seein what everyone else would do.....if that meter is good for 200 continuous, im gonna go that route....ive never dealt with anything over 200 amps, is there a different meter for services larger than 200?

 

[frizbeedog]

I would check with the poco before I did anything.

Right.

Nola,

Does your serving utilty provide you a manual like this?

Electric Service Requirements PDF (2.66 MB)

Obviously this will not help you in the Big Easy, but I provided it for you to browse through, as an example of what our serving utility provides for us to work from, in the chance that your utilty may have somthing similar that you may work from.

If you browse through it you can see how having something like this will get you through all the questions about what you, as customer, needs to provide in order to receive electric service to you project.

I have this on my computer for easy reference when questions come up like the ones you have.

Basically you start with a load calculation for your project and determine the size of service you need to provide and at the same time have it meet the specifications that the serving utility requires.

I hope this helps.

:smile:

 

[Buck Parrish]

this says that it is rated for 200 continuous....so, if this isnt a misprint, i could have at least a 250 amp service?...right?

It wouldn't be prudent , .
to use 250 amp.
..... You should go to 400, it's cheaper to use commom equipment...

 

[Fulthrotl]

ok, this may be a stupid question, but at what point do you upgrade from say a 200 amp service to 400 amp?....the last service i did, i looked at the meter pan and it was rated for 200 amps continuous and its lugs accept up to 250mcm....so could i have a 250 amp or even a 300 amp service with that setup?....

first, around here, the standard residential meter is good for 200 amps.
most AHJ's consider a residential service 200 amps. anything more, is a
different mother as far as permitting.

when sizing a panel, i believe you are limited to 80% of the panels capacity
with regards to connected load.

so, you need a load calculation of the dwelling, it appears.
200 amp panel is good for 160 amps connected load

 

[nolabama]

hey tigabait - you can get 320 amp meter cans all day long around here - just did one a while back - you gotta buy the lugs seperately although
and this one will help in the big easy http://entergy-neworleans.com/Global/your_business/installation_standards/CIS2008.pdf

 

[NolaTigaBait]

hey tigabait - you can get 320 amp meter cans all day long around here - just did one a while back - you gotta buy the lugs seperately although
and this one will help in the big easy http://entergy-neworleans.com/Global/your_business/installation_standards/CIS2008.pdf

thanks, nola

 

[NolaTigaBait]

It wouldn't be prudent , .
to use 250 amp.
..... You should go to 400, it's cheaper to use commom equipment...

yeah, i figured that, ive never seen it done, i was just wondering if it would work...

 

[220/221]

My rule of thumb = More than two, 4-5 ton AC's

 

[NolaTigaBait]

My rule of thumb = More than two, 4-5 ton AC's

as far as upgrading from 200 to 400?...this house has 2 4-5 ton conds and im adding a circuit for a 2 ton with a 8kw heater .....not to mention all of the other stuff this house has

 

[220/221]

I'd tell them, "In my professional opinion, you need to upgrade your service to 400 amps".

If they balked, I'd give them the name of an electrical engineer.

 

[stickboy1375]

I'd tell them, "In my professional opinion, you need to upgrade your service to 400 amps".

If they balked, I'd give them the name of an electrical engineer.

Why not just do a load calc. and show that its a violation?

 

[220/221]

Why not just do a load calc. and show that its a violation?

Because I'm a mechanic.

 

[stickboy1375]

Because I'm a mechanic.

What does that mean? How do you know it actually needs to be upgraded?

 

[220/221]

How do you know it actually needs to be upgraded?

I don't.

That's why I say "call an EE".

I'm just saying....

In MY experience, a big house with electric appliances and 2 AC's maxes out a 200 amp service.