Why is there more than 200 A worth of breakers inside of a 200 amp panel?!

Have you ever looked at an electrical panel and wondered how we get away with a 200 amp main breaker but theres far more than 200 amps worth of breakers inside the panel? Lets talk about it.
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I’ve had this question asked to me numerous times, why don’t we just add up all the breakers and make that our service size?
The vast majority of the time and electrical system is being underutilized. Most electrical systems barely run any loads throughout the day so there’s really no reason to calculate things at the max capacity of the system. Code allows us to derate some things to account for this.
There are two methods of coming up with service ratings, one is what we call the Standard Method and the other is the Optional Method. The National Electrical Code allows us to figure out what types of loads will be utilized and accounts for many of the other loads that are not likely to run with the rest. We’ll cover these in a later video.
#electrician #electrical #breakers

[@oddfulljobs]

The fancy term that EEs use for this is “load diversification”… 😁. Great explanation! -Erik with Square-D

[@ElectricianU]

Thanks for watching my friend! Good to know ⚡️⚡️

[@tommypartin6431]

Square-D, best in the business. 🤘

[@UnifiedInfo]

Ehh my boss is a fan of the square D line of products👍

[@dracula3811]

@@tommypartin6431 i concur. That's why i replaced my panel with a square D one.

[@Christiones]

Yerrr SqD Just wanted to say it lol

[@nicholasrussell6547]

I'm paying 750$ a semester plus books to for a training program where my instructor reads off answers from the previous weeks assignments and dictates the current weeks assignments I study labs and lectures all on my own. And here I find this guy giving out exceptional descriptions of how electrical theory and application works. I'm just going to go over my assignment and refer to this KZbin channel

[@mtlanglois]

You had me at 73 vacuum cleaners.

[@ElectricianU]

Hahahaha

[@Hawkman6788]

Hilarious xD

[@atifrajan9411]

LOL!

[@justelectricllc]

Broooo🤣the animation tho

[@davidroddini1512]

Wait you mean I am not supposed to be running 73 vacuum cleaners at the same time?! 😉

[@markmatias2407]

As a Residential Electrician for 7+ years, all of your videos help me man. Thank you for what you do

[@teammelita8613]

I'm adding a sub-panel, and this made the Sect. 220 load calcs "come to life". Appreciate you doing this video!

[@neillmcdonald4592]

Great video, love the way you explain things. I enjoy hearing other electricians explain their understanding of why things are done the way they are, as it might give me a different perspective, or I may even learn something new. I'm from Canada, and we do things a little differently, but probably end up with pretty much the same end result for the demand load to calculate the main breaker for the service. However, we are only allowed to derate the service entrance conductors by 5%, and this usually ends up with the wire having a capacity that is equal to or just over the size of the main breaker. The reason why is that the breaker is there to protect the wire, so even though currently there is not enough demand in the system to overload the conductors, at some point in the future, things may be added which would not require the main breaker to be upsized. As most main breakers are rated continuous duty, this could potentially be too much load for the conductors if they are only able to handle 83% of the main breaker (I've seen plenty of 200A services where the demand calculation is definitely over 166A).

[@recu2029]

You are so stinking helpful, i learn more through you than i ever did in the apprenticeship! Not to take anything away from you, but after a year i found out my hours weren't being logged, so kinda tells you about my "apprenticeship"! Still, almost 20 years ago i was an electrician for about 4 years total. I have learned more through your videos than in that 4 years. Does anyone else have questions about converting old spaces? I am making an appartment in the back of an OLD commercial building. I need to break circuits up for GFCI kitchen, bath, etc. And add a few dedicated circuits. 200amp main feed 2 smaller sub panels. 1 feeds another appartment space, and 1 feeds a store front. ALL the wiring is so confusing. Pretty sure the last 70 years of remodels aren't helping. The labeling in the panels is for stuff that doesn't exist, but wiring still does...

[@KenPryor]

Awesome explanation. I'm not an electrician, but I work in a "national home improvement store" in the electrical department and your videos have helped me so much to understand what my customers are talking about and asking for. I absolutely don't give electrical advice and always refer DIY'ers to an electrician when they obviously don't have a clue what they're talking about. I just had a customer a few days ago asking about the need to add up all his breakers. I told him I was sure that wasn't how it worked but that it was beyond my pay grade to know the procedure. Hoping he hasn't accidentally killed himself or burned his house down so far as it was very very clear he had no business taking on the project he was working on. It's amazing how many people come to me for free advice (which I don't give) on things. They see the dude in the store as a free alternative to spending money on an electrician and I tell them I can't do that for them. It doesn't help that stores like mine pretend that their workers are "experts" when we clearly are not.

[@danielbuckner2167]

That whole put a vest on a guy and he's an expert thing is a real problem! I am glad you recognize it as some don't.

[@j2o3sh]

I’m a Red Seal construction electrician in Nova Scotia Canada. Your channel is awesome to educate folks on our trade and how in depth it actually is. Most people think we just change light bulbs and put wires to point a to b.

[@paulrozinski1488]

Very informative video, great job dealing with a confusing subject. Keep up the great work . People, please remember that no matter how much you learn from these videos, there’s no substitute for a SKILLED trades person. 👍

[@damianmurphy-morris1941]

absolutely stoked with the direction the electrician u channel is going!

[@chevinbarghest8453]

Love this stuff. In 1986 I went to the library for 3 months to learn electric AND gas....I totally rewired my house is Da Yookay. The inspector had a 32 point checklist and my work passed 31..The other was a 20 second job to fix. Now I live in Wisconsin and its all different..but the same if you know what I mean... Love learning new concepts like this....

[@Pseudoswede]

I’ve never been able to wrap my brain around even the most basic electrical concepts, but this channel has really helped remedy that. Thank you!

[@ElectricianU]

Great to hear!

[@ipick4fun27]

Just pay an electrician and let him handle the headache.

[@chibireli]

This makes the most sense out of all the videos I’ve watched today. Thank you so much

[@michaelmassetti4068]

I am just a home owner with a bit of knowledge trying to keep my home from fry it's self and gaining some knowledge when fixing or upgrading my home. Your channel and explanations are great... and yes i understand all the terms you use. Thats why i subscribed.

[@tomthinks2089]

I’m glad you have a calc vid coming up. It will help with my studying for the master exam

[@Bradley-tx6ed]

I'm glad to see a video touching load calcs. As soon as I saw the title I knew where we were going.

[@lalosdope]

I greatly appreciate the knowledge and experience you share with all of us seeking it. Also. Explained so well. Thank you, Sir.

[@slant757]

Thanks bro! Your channel is really helping me touch up on a lots of stuff I may have forgotten. Wish I was fluent in load calculations an voltage drops.... most of what I know is hands on an not academic. You should do a vid on the "Quick Bend" Application.

[@VoidHalo]

I just found this channel, and man after less than a minute I'm already glad I did. I'm an electrical engineering hobbyist, so I'm always watching all sorts of channels about EE and maker stuff and that, which is all well and good. It's fun, but not practical. Except maybe Big Clive. But channels like this which cover actual... I'm not sure what the word is but stuff which applies to home and commercial electrical set ups. Like junction boxes, breakers, and all of that fun stuff I'd be learning in a trade school in an ideal world. I guess this is just my clumsy way of saying you've earned yourself a new sub. And I'm looking forward to the video watching binge I'm about to go on on your channel. Cheers, buddy!

[@ElectricianU]

Thanks for watching!

[@willfergusson724]

Awesome looking forward to seeing a video of the detailed service calculation !

[@justink7269]

Lighting changed a lot in 2020 code. Led eats way less of course... bra I just took my end of apprenticeship test and those load calc questions were just brutal. You never get the right answer. Thanks for all your work Dustin

[@skuttduck]

I have 100 amp service. I thought about upgrading to 150 as we have a lot of pets and heat lamps. I also have a hot tub and central air. For the heck of it I turned the hot tub on full during the summer while the central air was running as well as most all the rest of the stuff. I then clamped the mains to read the amperage draw. I got 16 amps on one and 13 on the other. So I felt a bit better knowing that.

[@rmcq6287]

Love your videos ! You are very informative and go into great detail. Thanks

[@DrFrige]

So weird that this would come across my feed today. Friday I was at a customer's home working on a range and went to shut off the breaker to the appliance. I was staring at the breaker box wondering how they come up with 200A service when all the numbers of breakers dont add up. Thanks for the explanation!

[@fascistpedant758]

You almost scared me off with your "800A" sum at the beginning, but I'm glad I stayed. I've always done minor work myself. I asked an "electrician" about this question a while ago and he obviously gave me the wrong answer. Thanks, and Merry Christmas!

[@Bryster51]

Very timely, always wonder how this is factored. Thanks!

[@JohnTaylorB737]

Wow. Thank you very much. Wonderful presentation. Something I wasn’t aware of and it makes great sense.

[@thoughtsofanoldSoldier]

Code book has a good example on doing load calculations. Enjoy the channel. Wished I'd found it when I was in school, lol.

[@theteenageengineer]

For a home even 200 amps is a bit much. However in some industries even 400 amps might not be enough. I work in a pretty small theater and we have a 3 phase 400 amp service, at one time we were running a lighting dimmer rack that would deliver 72kW to 96 750 watt lights, so it needs quite a bit of power, that was run on a huge 240 volt 400 amp safety switch that was fed directly from the transformer outside the building that is a 300KVA transformer. And we also have one main 3 phase panel and 3 sub panels that run everything else in the building and that is also a 400 amp service. What most people don’t realize that as you go through the system you are underrating your services, we start with 300KVA transformer that can do 600 amps, then we send that to the dimmer rack and the main service panel and both of those are rated at 400 amps, then we send feeders from the main panel to a 200 amp sub panel, and then we send feeders from that to 2 100 amp sub panels. But the other thing there is that it’s the same thing as a house we aren’t constantly using all of the power. When we are doing a show we run the dimmer rack at almost it’s max load, so about 350 amps, and then we have the power for the rest of the equipment which is probably about 40 amps, so we still aren’t using the full service rating and we probably never will.

[@TI-nf5jj]

Great video !!! I am not an electrician at all but learn a lot from your videos. Could you do a video on what inspectors are looking for when you DIY your own sub panel ? I am guessing the inspector I am dealing with does not want to pass my sub panel in the shed due to i am not license electrician and giving me a hard time. asking for " load calculation"

[@mathman0101]

Power monitoring is the way forward linked to automatic load adjustment. The code allows you to add more circuits/load in a panel especially if that is backed by actual power monitoring data that and even if the calculation may say no more.

[@KenDunnUSNA87]

I just stumbled across your page. I’m a big proponent of “common sense” explanations & you do a GREAT job. Even better, you don’t just reflexively fall back on BCSS (because code says so). WE collectively wrote NFPA 70 et al & it’s based on applied common sense of experienced people. Which is informed by modeling, analysis, and *failures.* Teaching *why* we do what we do in clear, accessible language is a great service to pros here for education as well as the public. Keep up the good work!

[@ElectricianU]

Thanks so much, that means a lot!

[@IDKThatsPerfect]

Currently studying for my test in ATX, thanks for these videos!

[@AllTrac7200]

Been asking and waiting for you to do some load calculation videos thanks man! I might just have have to make a discord, might as well use the perks of that 480v membership

[@patvereecken6929]

As an EE for 42 yes, there's a big difference between residential & commercial NFPA (NEC) codes for calculating loads on service entrance conductors and load centers vs panel boards main breakers. Great explanation but most won't understand. A little bit of knowledge (Architects) is dangerous.

[@ARIN4UK]

Thank you for the great explanation!! I’ll be sure and checkout more of your videos.

[@cbmech2563]

My understanding of it (I'm a heavy truck mechanic) is that a fuse/breaker is sized to protect the wire depending on gauge. Even when in use you are rarely anywhere close to the amperage of the breaker for most applications under most applications.

[@glee21012]

You nailed it bro

[@fritzmiller9792]

Word

[@robertahart5160]

Great timing for my MIDTERM!!! This is a great video

[@mytrant]

Good clear explanation! We all need a bit of knowledge on our house wiring and code

[@Sparky-ww5re]

Good explanation. At the farmhouse I lived in as a teen, (still go to visit one a year usually) they have a 120/208 v 3ph 600 amp service, but we have a grain dryer that had a 20 hp motor, and he had some large augers that had 3 ph motors, 5 horsepower, also we have a large pole barn that has welders, air compressors, etc, and a spot to plug in engine block heaters for the diesel equipment. There is a 150 amp 1ph panel in the house, a 250 amp 1 ph panel in the pole barn, and we have 200 amp 3 ph service running towards the area where the grain dryers and augers are located. Definitely overkill in my opinion.

[@CA-lk6fd]

Sometimes we get repair calls from home inspections. One time a home owner selling his house called me because inspector called him out on “double tapped” breakers. Inspector recommended that qualified electrician install a sub panel. I recommended a couple of “piggyback” breakers to remedy the problem. A lot cheaper, and all were lighting circuits anyway. Fast forward a few weeks, new owner takes possession of the home. She got my number somehow and DEMANDED that I come out there and install a sub panel free of charge because I didn’t do what I was supposed to do, and that she had a master electrician standing there with her and that he added up all the breakers and the service was highly overloaded. I said “he’s either not much of an electrician or he’s trying to rip you off.” She hung up and I never heard from her again.😂😂😂

[@smartchip]

A the olde I got the master electrician here, one that cannot speak for himself, how convenient, Being a E&E Engineer +a Sparky, we all know, you cannot Know or remember it all, That being said, it's obvious that people try to get one over on you, S. T. E. M is not like the arts or law (statute or common) that you can argue the point, most people that are not in the above, believe word can be used to doodle you, I am usually patient and ask for the person to be put on the phone, then get a gauge of the person, North America is really nice to work & live, as a brit,

[@andydelle4509]

In the last house I bought all branch circuits were tandem breakers. And the idiot who wired the panel ran red-black-red-black all the way down on the tandem breakers. Great way to have overheated neutrals. I rewired the tandem breakers red-red-black-black. Classic case of doing work by rote and not understanding how it works. It's these-fly by-night tech schools that are responsible for this incompetent work.

[@CA-lk6fd]

@@andydelle4509 Wow! What an idiot! That could’ve created a BIG problem. All tandem breakers too? We don’t put those things in unless absolutely necessary. Good thing you found and fixed it, a lot of inspectors wouldn’t know to write that up.

[@andydelle4509]

@@CA-lk6fd Well it's even worse. Lots of can fixtures and no Romex clamps used! And no, these cans did not have the built in clamps either. Just run the cable into the hole! House was built in 1991.

[@CA-lk6fd]

@@andydelle4509 it simply amazes me how people don’t do things the proper way. I’ve been doing electrical work for 24 years now, residential and commercial. The first guy I ever worked for always told us, “do it right, or walk away from it.” I was a young little punk kid back then, but I look back now and appreciate him being hard on me. I have always strived to do things according to code and beyond. It makes me feel good when an inspector tells me “that looks great, you guys do great work.” That’s the only way I know how to do it. If I don’t know, I’ll find out. I pride myself in being the best I can be because what we (electricians) do is important.

[@salg500]

I did a bunch of 400a services in Batavia Illinois for semi custom track homes. Under ground with a pedestal. 1/0 for GEC. Shit was nuts lol pretty fun!

[@electricalron]

Most EC’s would call this “load calculations.” Great video Dustin!

[@alenk646]

Load schedule as well

[@by7810]

I thought this was helpful for a short video! Thanks man 🤙🏻 love from Florida

[@erich1380]

I did work at a really nice house in a rich part of town and it had two parallel runs of 200 amps at his service. The lugs on the line and load side of the meter were double lugs and it split off to two 200 amp main breaker panels in the garage. Was pretty interesting to see at a house

[@Ilikeeminleggings]

Here in eastern washington that's pretty normal

[@erich1380]

@@Californians_go_home well in Florida where I've seen thousands of houses it most definitely is lol

[@UnifiedInfo]

I honestly wonder if you'll ever use 200 amps at the shed a 30 amp sub would have been suffiecent

[@ccpanel]

same at my house. 400A service is really 320 and its a meter socket with dual outpout lugs each going to a 200A panel. SOP

[@davidiannucci2138]

I just saw the video on 1phase v 3 phase wow no no no there is nopush pullin. Generators have a rotating fields of n and south poles .depnding on speed 1800 rpm u would have 4 poles connected in series to a dc exciter on back end . u have to make dc b 4 u can generate ac .the rotating magnetic fields r. Controlled by v regulator . that moves .the stator. Or stationary part of gen set is made up of individual coils of wire that r spaced 120° apart on 360 rotation .there r 6 coils .wen u series connect u get nominal network 480/277 .wen connested in parelle u get 208\120 v 3phase 3 wire u tap t4 t5 t6 for 4 th wire for 120 neutral .once the gen is running the rotating dc magnetic field is inducing voltage in statsionary windings there is no current flow outward untill a load is applied to l1 l2 l3 .the 4th wire is bonded to gen frame and u derive your egc from that and is. Not conn to neut any where else in system and shoukd have no current flow and no v potensial on conductor and runs w crckt condutors . your loops r short crkt unless u put resistance in .no push pull no xtra amps comin back to asist next phase .fig i c if this helps. Thanks 4 reading single phase transformer. In res areas r fed w 7200 v off 3 phase network of 13.800 v plus grounded conductor

[@TheBgrugbymatt]

As a homeowner I installed my own 400 amp service with two 200 amp panels. One for the house one for my garage/well house. LOL 😅 a little overboard

[@andrewdiamond2697]

I did the same. I have two car chargers in the garage and nearly 5000 sq ft of living space plus a 900 sq ft garage. 400 Amps was the right answer.

[@lgninjalo]

Glad to keep seeing these good videos drop. Always dead-on.

[@n.mcneil4066]

I took care of a large rooming house for 11 years. It was an old knob and tube house which had the wiring upgraded. It had wiring from the 40's & the 60's as well as some original knob and tube. The main breaker box had at least 30 breakers & the pony box had another 12 breakers. The main breaker was only 70amps. I asked the utility company if I could use a larger breaker & they said "No, you only have a 70amp service". I'm surprised it never tripped a main breaker.

[@andrewdiamond2697]

4:10 I have 400 amp service, and the meter base/socket looks the same to me as a 200 amp service. Essentially, I have 400 Amps at the meter, split into two 200 amp outside breakers/disconnects. They run to a 200 amp panel in my house and a separate 200 amp panel in my garage/upstairs apartment. That then makes my house and garage 200 amp panels actually sub-panels, the neutrals and grounds are required to be separated back to the outside disconnects and they are then bonded there. The reason for this is I have two electric vehicle chargers in the garage, plus a 4 ton HVAC system, washer/dryer, oven etc. in the garage apartment.

[@skykingusa]

Great video! So helpful in understanding the panel. Thanks!

[@jasonschlegel4027]

I learn so much from your channel. Thank you.

[@gregmartin1757]

Very good explanation as a longtime master electrician myself i usually just use the term demand factors to simplify the explanation to people because i don't want to unnecessarily spend 20 minutes explaining this to people.

[@junkerzn7312]

One grid-tie solar system, electric water heater, 240VAC table saw, and L2 EV charger later., and I'm really happy the original builder of my home didn't skimp and had decided on a 200A service. The original house only had the A/C system and electric oven as big-ticket items. I still have fairly comfortable margins though one of the sub-panels is closing in on 75A going full-out and probably shouldn't have anything more added to it. -Matt

[@ottoroth3066]

That's why you should do a load cal sheet to determine the size of panel...that's what I was taught back in the 70's, And that's what I still do! In general, 200 amp service is plenty for any average house, and if you think you need more, the power company will question it and send out someone to determine if you actually need more than 200 amps.

[@eguzman2884]

Great work. I’m waiting for the next one with excitement

[@wyattrobinson244]

Glad I found this. Definitely going to join!

[@EldaLuna]

always wondered how those double pole breakers were set up it was bugging me for a bit now if its really just 40amp for both sides or 40x2 but now i know finally. also as for the service in this old house i am in is just 70amp its fairly low compared today's standards but also proof that not everything is ran all at same time as i never had problems since i been here in 1997 with some stuff always on 24/7 and for those in older homes should always have there wires checked over time by an electrician as i knew what i was doing so i did it my self of course is that our panels were last installed and inspected in 1983 but i was like i want to see how the wires are secured into each breaker so i tugged on each one with some reasonable force and i had my furnace wire come right out with little force so i re-seated and tightened it and rechecked screws of the others and they were fairly loose and also stopped some of weird pulsing issues ive had with my lighting.

[@astas0142]

Clear and concise. Thanks for posting!

[@ElectricianU]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Fintas23]

Love these videos!!! Keep it up!

[@dagnabit145]

This video was extremely helpful. Thank you

[@Ray-rx5wz]

Did you ever do the follow-up videos you talked about where you walk through doing the actual Standard/Optional Method calculations? I could use that info..

[@justinstewart2130]

Good content I remember asking this question of my master electrcian some years ago, which i would have watched this first.

[@a.t.7021]

Thanks for always providing great and reliable content, looking forward to the standard and option calculations. 👍💪😷

[@jodycwilliams]

I have 600A service, but I also have 3 225A boxes. I don’t think I’ll ever use all of it, but it is really nice for running lots of servers! I should send you a pic of my setup. I’m close to you. If you ever want to make a video of a crazy home setup let me know.

[@MrMopar413]

Well I can talk on this subject by my own experience. I live in a 67 year old house that had a 100amp Zinco breaker box that had to go. Well I discovered what they call 320 amp service continuous 400amp at 4 hours. After contacting the electrical company to see if the transformer and it’s capacity if I could go to a 320 continuous service, well they said no problem the transformer was at 45% capacity load for all the houses that it serviced. So I installed a 320 continuous service with a 200amp box in the basement to replace the Zinco box and another 200amp box out in the garage off one main meter base that was designed to handle 2 sub boxes. The reason they call it a 320 continuous 400amp for 4 hours is if you go to a 400amp service all the time you need engineering blueprints for your installation plus probably some extra equipment. Also while doing this installation I installed a generator cutout switch. On a Tim Allen home improvement scale of 1 to 10 , this job was a 15. I did this conversion in 2004 and I figured I spent 7,000.00 dollars on supplies and a crane truck to lower in the mast head and I did all the work myself. The city electrical inspector was impressed and said he had warehouses in his jurisdiction that didn’t have this much power and service capability in them. I figured if I paid a company to do what I did the job would of cost 15,000.00 dollars. Also I had to relocate electrical circuits and compressor air lines that where in the way, but in the end it was well worth it.

[@richgonzalez7234]

Always the best explanations. Thank you

[@chinuasolomon3553]

Good job! my bro keep them coming.

[@DanielRichards644]

we once designed an addition for a house that was already a fairly large house with an indoor pool (where the humidity and temperature of the pool room was controlled in addition to the houses AC system) and the owner had a Model X Tesla so we had to provide for a Charger in the existing garage and a Charger in the additions Garage, one of the issues we came across was the house was already pretty much maxed out on a 400 Amp service and they couldn't expand because the power company simply didn't have any more capacity on the wires supplying the street the house was on. I know we ended up installing a massive Generac generator, I think that was the final decision on how to overcome the 400 Amp service limitation

[@SandCrabNews]

My dad was a construction electrician. I did a few summer jobs with him before joining the Navy, where I was an AE. In the 1980s my brother (journeyman electrician) was working with a Fluor Corporation electrical engineer going into 1940s-70s skyscrapers and testing the feeders to design upgrades, due to all the modern office equipment. In the 1990s I worked as an electrical assembler in manufacturing and we sized conductors by what fit the component. I prefer an up-sized conductor over a minimum-size conductor. Sure you want that winning low bid that lands the job, but sell the customer on future loading resulting increased costs of material and labor to upgrade. Also, what if a solar/wind system was to back feed onto the grid?

[@dolphincliffs8864]

I was an AE ,62E AIMD Nas Oceana 96-99

[@santiagocontreras5889]

Just passed my WA state administrator exam so this is awesome to hear you talk about

[@ElectricianU]

Congrats!

[@Ilikeeminleggings]

That's an achievement. Insleeee hates electricians. I still haven't been able to get an apprenticeship.

[@heroknaderi]

Cool tips i enoyed it look foward for the next one

[@shooter22340]

Thank you for doing these!

[@curtisbacon7856]

Excellent info without "OVERLOADING" people's brains with technical data!

[@ElectricianU]

Glad you liked it!

[@mathman0101]

Only time I blew the service head btw this was in the UK at the time with a miniscule 60amp service was at the time of a wedding. We had guests staying over multiple electrical showers at the same time, as washing machine, dryer, dishwasher running, electric kettle, vacuum, oven, iron and lights running. It was like once in 30-50 year event in terms of power load. That gives you a sense of the load running through the house. That being said our main breaker was faulty and should have tripped faster.

[@johnbissonette124]

This dude talks so good that i lost track of tf he was talking about (not an electrical worker) but... i love these videos..

[@petermitchell5240]

Great explanation!

[@Bazza-tn5ck]

Always amazes me that in the UK we still have a lot of properties with 60amp services!! All though the average is 100amp. On some “new builds” they are now installing 3 phase 100amp supplies to allow for heat pumps, solar PV, EV charge points etc.

[@rivernet62]

Don't you use 240V circuits though? So your 60 amp service is like a 120 here, and 100 like 200.

[@dtvjho]

In Philadelphia's older rowhouse neighborhoods, many row units built in the 1930s have 60 amp service. I managed to trip the main breaker one day with a lot on (laundry, TV etc).

[@bigkirbyhj666]

Do you mean amp or volt?

[@dtvjho]

@@bigkirbyhj666 Oh, it's amps. The main breaker had "60" printed on its handle. Even in the 1980s that was deemed obsolete, most homeowners had already upgraded to 100.

[@DV-xf5yf]

Thank you so much for this!

[@mitchellbracket5960]

Thanks for the content!

[@profcah]

Great job, professor!

[@michaelbristow7494]

dude you just answered the quesrion ive been trying to get outta my j-man for months!!!

[@robprice8913]

I have an electrical question I had an electrical question that's why I came to your site. My best friend Big Mike always had tbe correct answer to aNY and all computer and electrical questions .Pure genius. So since he passed a few years back I've had no mentor I could reach out to. You may hv become my go-to from here on out. So, learn me some electrical skills please. Thanks for the lesson....Rob Price

[@burangyaffa4132]

Keep up the good work 👏 EU

[@thomastrevillian2373]

Thanks for the great vids .👍

[@Eddy63]

I had my 2020 NEC Code Book ready just in case we needed it 😂😂😂 Good vid as usual 👍👍👍🎅🤶🎄🕎 Thx for sharing ...

[@ralphriffle1126]

I want to increase my professionalism as a electrician. Thanks for the help. I'm ordering my sock hat now

[@shadowbanned69]

Hey Dustin...how about a clip on standby generator selection

[@brianmcdermott1718]

Great info. Thank you.

[@dwarden3]

I work for multiple apartment complexes in Austin/Cedar Park & I get calls for no elec everyday, mom is cooking and cleaning, dad and son are both on computers, daughter is getting ready in bathroom. Air conditioner blasting. Same people everyday same problem, way too many items used at same time. Explained to them everytime, some people are just stupid I guess. Nope it's just me. Thnx, keep the vids coming!

[@donphillips5957]

Man, it was 7 years ago that I did that for my son's house. I had forgotten about those calculations.

[@NCLUSA]

I wired a house once that had a 400 amp service, (back in the 70's) The house had two of everything in the kitchen, 2-ovens two sub-zero fridges, (a person could live in one of those), heated driveway, pool/house. BIG HOUSE!!!. Most of our large houses built back then had a 300 amp service but we did a few really large houses. I wired the condo of the daughter-in law of Charles Kettering, (the guy that invented the electric starter for automobiles) her condo had 5 furnaces, she had 5 people that worked in her house, butler/cook so on, her condo had an Elevator (it was only a 3 story building) .While working in her condo while it was under construction she caught me one day I was drinking a Pepsi in her elevator and chewed me out ) : but she was still a very nice lady (:

[@xdrnxfg]

That’s a cool story! Should’ve been a Dr. Pepper though..

[@MrAcacio]

Well done and so helpful. Thank you and Marry Christmas ⛄🎄 and May God bless you.

[@ElectricianU]

Same to you!

[@theodoreroberts3407]

Dude! Good to see you again!

[@tmacgee1234]

Super helpful. Looking forward to example

[@mjh123crh]

I've got 2 200 amp services running off a 400 amp meter, I consolidated 2 meters into 1 because my Public Utility Chelan County PUD charges a meter fee and when I consolidated it was $7 dollars per meter, that was 22 years ago. With that being said I've saved a substantial amount of money doing that one upgrade seeings how the home was built in 1957. Just figuring on 7 dollars a month over 22 years saved me $1848 which is about the actual cost of all the stuff I did 22 years ago. I am sure the per meter cost has gone up over the past 22 years as everything has which would make those savings even more. The driving factor was to clean up my air space over my property as I took all the utilities and went underground so I wouldn't have wires running all across my property and I was able to relocate the meter head off the back of my home to the alley side of my shop. Not only did this give me a cleaner skyline it made my property safer for moving ladders and bringing dump trucks in without the worry of the utility lines along with making reading my meter easier as my property is completely fenced.

[@spelunkerd]

These days, with wireless meters that can plot usage on an hourly basis, I'm surprised they don't use that data when planning a renovation. Plotting actual usage has to be more accurate than guesses based on floor surface area, etc. Of course you have to allow for peak usage when everything happens to occur on at the same time, but that's another story.

[@jfbeam]

That only works if you have such a system -- few people have them. And it all rests on the ability to determine what the loads are. My house usage is a nearly constant 1kW. So constant, in fact, the power company cannot begin to guess what the loads are. (they claim 60% of my power is "Water Heater"... they know for a fact this house has _never_ had electric water heat.) I know what's what, because I can hang a meter on each circuit.

[@rupe53]

Prime example of using the electric meter for planning is industrial settings where a demand meter can supply data on actual use at peak times. After working at a generator company for near 25 years we've used a utility bill to determine the proper sizing of a gen set. In this case it was a double check after the usual calculations. The reason being is a gen set is seldom required to power the whole building at max service capacity and it can save thousands on an installation.

[@kylestan2250]

"In the old days" a paper wheel graph would be used to determine use and time to plan/plot appliance use and energy savings, goes to pot when things are done outside the parameters set aside. You can collect all the data you want , but usage can vary on weather or whim.

[@twn5858]

Then when a new person moves into the house and has different uses for the house you're fucked. Square footage is the way to go I think.

[@twn5858]

I think the number one factor that's going to change the amount of power being used in a house is the amount of people living in the house. A house with a family and 3 kids is going to consume way more power than a house with only one grandma living in it.

[@Mr.Schitzengigglez]

Awesome! This was well made, well explained, and, easy to understand. I'm currently converting a bus, to an RV. Running a Victron 12/3000/120 inverter, and plan to buy another, to run it in its split phase mode. But, I was a bit lost on how to set up a panel, that would allow for that, in the future. Super helpful. Thanks.

[@michaelallen6266]

I lived in and grew up in Austin. As an Electrician. They go crazy with their codes.

[@brianrooney4465]

400amp is generally when the CT comes in play. Would love to see the house that calls for that 😂. Love the content btw, you da man!

[@carultch]

Usually 320A meter sockets are used with 400A services, because the when the 125% safety factor is applied to continuous loads, it applies to the breaker, but not the continuous-duty rated meter socket. Why meter socket manufacturers can't simply "speak the same language" as breaker manufacturers, and call it a 400A meter socket, I do not understand. That would make it a lot easier to select a meter socket to match your service rating.