I want to upgrade from a 100amp service panel to 200 amp service panel, I am hiring an electrician, however i feel im being taken advantage of (im disabled), I would like to know how to find out what the load/rating is on the existing wires from the power hub accross the street to my electrical panel really are, the wires are underground and every bid I have gotten calls for the tar road to be cut up and entire new wires installed and I dont have that kind of money. Also since the house is NOT that old I dont think the wires need to be replaced. since some of my neighbors have upgraded w/o tearing up the road etc.
Contact your utility company for the power to your panel. They will know the size of the transformer that is feeding your home. If you are at all in doubt about the electrician doing the work, get another electrician. It is your money and how you spend it and with who is your business. Contact the local BBB, also contact the local habitat for humanity group and talk with them about the contractors they use. A panel upgrade to a 200 amp is expensive even without the road issue. Have an energy survey done on your panel and service first. You may not need the additional power, just more breaker space. This is then a distribution issue, not a power issue. Talk to your local energy company.
200 amp? that's something you will need in a small factory not a house
I'm not seeing that the conduit is rated for being buried. They make a cable that can be buried or exposed outdoors without leaking electricity. You're going to want to go 12 or 10 gauge wire because you may be running some pretty high drawing tools out there. The next question is where are you hooking it into? Is it the regular breaker box and if so, can it handle the additional amps that you'll be adding? I'm not saying you can't do this, but if you do it wrong, it could kill you. Not grounded, mixed up hot wire and neutral, improper ground, etc. If, if you decide to sell and it's not up to code for your area, you may have to bring it up to code and at that point, it may cost as much or more than the original instalation.
