Service

[Mike Sawyer]

Have a 150 Amp service. 220 volt single phase split buss panal in 2 story residence. Need to wire in a 50 amp gfci for hot tub and all top breaker spaces are used up. Can I just change panal out to main breaker panal or should I go up to 200 amp service. Underground feeder. Thanks Mike

 

[LarryFine]

This sounds suspiciously like a DIY in spite of the profile, as it's a relatively simple question, and the options asked about are not very diverse.

I'd love to offer a simple suggestion if OK'ed by a moderator.

 

[haskindm]

The answer to this is simple. You will need to sit down with article 220 and do a load calculation on the dwelling to determine if the 150-amp service is adequate. There is no shortcut, there is no alternative; as much as most of us hate to do it, sometimes it is neccesary to sit down and actually do the math. As Larry said, this is not a task for a DIY. A licensed, qualified, electrician will be needed to do the work.