I have to have a mast installed over my electric meter with new wires to hook to main source. I was told I have to upgrade my 60 amp breaker with 100 amp service and AFI breaker. Don't GFI work just as well? Then they spoke of bonding the ground by fastening grounding wire to the main water inlet, hot water line at the water heater, and the gas line. I read the code but I don't understand this. I remember a time when my box, at a different house, shorted when you touched the cold water I got a zap that told me something was very wrong. I don't remember the fix, but I remember removing that ground wire an ran it from the box to a rod in the ground! What's to keep this from happening? Barry ([email protected])

Typically you do not have to add AFCI breakers for a service change/upgrade/repair.

If all you have to do is install a mast you will probably have to change the meter pan to 100A. This is the minimum. Unless the breaker/fuse box is old rust or damamged you should not have to change it, but it wouldn't hurt either.

AFCI and GFCI are two totally different things. They are not nearly interchangeable.

From the tone of your post it is clear that you are not nearly experienced enough to do this job. Please consider hiring a pro to have it done correctly and safely.

Typically the electrical service is bonded to the cold water intake pipe. This would be used as the grounding electrode. Sometimes secondary ground rods are required but that would have to be determined at the site and is beyond this forum to make that call.

The bonding and grounding of the electrical system is a design against damage by lighting (in principle) and it also provides a path back to the "Grounded" conductor to facilitate the tripping of a circuit breaker in the event of a fault.

GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) is a protection for people. To keep them from getting electrocuted.

AFCI (Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter) is a fire protection device. The device senses the electrical fingerprints (so to speak) of arc.