What Size Electic Service Do you Need In Your Home?

How big should your electric service in the panel box be? Whether you currently own, rent, or are buying; this topic should be of interest to all readers since we all use electricity in our homes. When buying a home, take the time to pay extra attention to the panel box and how big the electric service is. You may have to upgrade the service if it is too old or too small. Fortunately, in the Rochester area, it is rare that electrical services are too small since you will find that most are at least 100 amp.

I was always under the impression that bigger is better, especially with all the electrical appliances we are spoiled with. Imagine my surprise when an electrician told me 100 amps is generally sufficient and often more than necessary for most households. I did not believe him and felt 150 amp service was the minimum a household should have. That was until I researched this information myself. Once I learned how to calculate the needs of an average household, I realized I was operating with erroneous information, bigger is better.

The exception would be if the sole energy source for the house is electric and no gas. In the Rochester area, most homes use several energy sources. The most common a combination is electric and gas, or if not gas, propane. Even homes in municipal electric districts like Fairport or Spencerport often have gas heat as an option.If a home is running solely on electric, its needs are higher and often may call for more amperage than can be provided by a 100 amp service.

You can calculate your (potential) home electrical needs by using the link at the bottom of this article. I did a quick calculation for a 2000 sq. ft. home featuring the following items: 2 small appliance branch circuits (one in kitchen, the other in a bathroom), laundry branch circuit, electrical usage by the following; clothes dryer, disposal, dish washer and garage door, and the heating operations of your furnace system-not actual electric heat or air conditioner. The total needed amperage for this very typical home is a surprising 38 amps!!! So a 100 amp electric service is plenty big enough!

When deciding on updating an electric service, it pays to make the calculations to avoid being talked into a bigger service than you actually need. If you are buying a house, knowing this information will make negotiations easier and more likely successful, should the service be outdated or too small, since you know how much you need and can safely keep costs down, which hopefully makes the needed changes more palatable and agreeable to the seller. Knowledge creates a win-win for all!

To calculate your (potential) homes usage go to:

http://www.electricalknowledge.com/SFDLoadCalc.asp

If the link does not work for you, cut and paste above the link.

For your Real Estate needs call me! Gini Denninger 585-760-3880 Goodman Realty.