[jc8906]

My name is JC and I was wondering what type of electrical service I need. My circuit breaker panel only has 26 breakers in it and it is 100 AMPS. The electrician says I will need increase my service to 200 AMPS. This will give me room for 40 Breakers. I am rewiring the house and I do not have any room for growth. I have rewired all of the rooms except for the house addition. I am trying to wire all of the recepticles In series so that I can label each breaker and the location they control. I need help on what to do about the service.

[tkrussell]

You can ask the electrician to show you the calculations to prove that you need a new 200 amp service. He probably did not do the actual calculations, but I bet he has enough experience to see what you are adding to be correct.

Otherwise get back with the following info and I can do the calcs:

Total square footage of livable space, including the addition, not including unfinished basement, attic, garage, crawl spaces.
Heat
Air conditioner
All electric appliances, dryer, range, dishwasher, hot tubs, pools, etc.

Now depending on the size of home, and the list of appliances, you may find you need a service larger than 200 amp.

[jc8906]

The total living space it 2,300.00 Square feet. It has a dishwasher, dryer, Air Conditioning and electric stove top. The heat is gas and will be adding a sump pump. I hope this was enough information to do the calculations

[tkrussell]

Based on the info given, I come up with a minimum of 125 amp service.

I do see a cooktop , but no oven. Hot water is gas?

Installing a 125 amp service is not practical, thou it is available, but not very common. The panel and meter will be as costly as a 200 amp meter and panel.And since it is a minimum rating, there is no room for any added load.

200 amp is a much more common service size, so the equipment is readily available.

But to answer your original question, a 100 amp service will not be sufficient size for the home to include the addition, and a new service is in order. A 200 service will last a long time, and give you the flexibility and room for future load.

Hope this helps.

[jc8906]

We Just took the oven out and the cook top is still there until we convert to gas. We are going to need about 36 breakers to wire everything up. Do they make a 150 amp service with a 40 breaker panel.

[tkrussell]

Yes there is a 150 amp service. But price compare and I am sure you will see that a 200 amp service is a much better deal. 150 amp services are hardly ever installed.

[jc8906]

I have another question. I wired each receptacle parallel using 12-2 wire and it is a minimum of 4 devices on a 15 amp circuit is this too much? I have a ceiling fan also wired on a different circuit can I power it with the same circuit as the receptacles?

[tkrussell]

Yes the circuit you describe can handle the ceiling fan. Just so you know, the outlets are wired in parallel, not in series.

[jc8906]

Ok, if you wire the receptacles in parallel that means from the panel to the device and the next device and so on? How should a room be wired properly? What type of amperage does a computer with a 500 watt power supply draw? Should a 15 amp circuit be able to handle 2 computers, 3 printers and couple other devices?

[tkrussell]

Each question is answered:

Yes to:
if you wire the receptacles in parallel that means from the panel to the device and the next device and so on?

This is a difficult question to answer without knowing what your definition of proper is:
How should a room be wired properly?

What type of amperage does a computer with a 500 watt power supply draw?
Ohm' Law states P=EI
Power = Volts times Amps
I= 500W/120V
I= 4.17 Amps per 500 Watt computer

should a a 15 amp circuit be able to handle 2 computers, 3 printers and couple other devices?

2 computers at 4 amps each= 8 amps
A 15 amp circuit should have no more that 12 amps of continuous load.
Printers can draw 6-8 amps each, depending on type. But printers rarely run continuously, and will depend if all will be running at the same time.

PC's rarely draw what the power supply is rated for. Most of those I have measure actually draw 1.5- 2 amps.

Also need to consider what the monitors draw.
Not knowing what the printers draw, what the monitors draw, and what the "other devices" draw, and if the PC system will be used all at once, I would be installing 2- 20 amp circuits for the PC's and printers, and another general purpose 15 amp or 20 amp circuit for the other devices.

15 amp receptacle circuits are becoming obsolete, so to speak, because ot the quantity and amount of power needed for appliances and computers.

[jc8906]

I decided to divide the room and put two receptacles on 20 amp circuits using 12-2 wire and the front office I wire using 14-2 wire with 2 recepacles on each one. Hopefully this will take care of the problem. What do you think? I wired 3 receptacles on one 15 amp circuit in each room and the lights on their own circuit also 15 amps.

[tkrussell]

This layout for the loads you have sounds perfect. I am sure you will have no problems.

[jc8906]

I ran into another problem last night when the electrician came. He said that when the panel is replaced for the 200 amp service he would have to move it down and change it's original location. I do not think the sheath will be long enough to reach into the panel so I will have to run all new wire or can you you use some time of shink tubing or something?

[tkrussell]

I am not sure what you ae referring to. Also, if you have an electrician, why are you doing work?