electrical panel swap

5 years ago

Hi y’all hoping you can….help.
We closed last month on a house, and the buyer had the old electrical panel swapped out for us because the it was faulty. It turns out the new panel just put in is 100amp. (Just found this out today…I know I know, due diligence. But it’s our first house and we just had a baby the same week we closed, so we didn’t check out the work well enough before trying to do work on it today…) but back to the main story. The electrician that put in the new one is telling me that the old panel wasn’t 200amp. Here’s pictures of it from the inspection report, where it was listed as a 200amp panel. Am I missing something? Was the old panel really not 200?

Featured Answer

outpaientzero

5 years ago

The load center certainly states it is 200 amps from the picture. Your old panel was made by federal pacific and used from the 50's to 80's and were the cause of over two thousand documented home fires and are considered dangerous. Your lucky it was replaced but your wondering why a new 200 amp center wasn't installed.

You'll need to find out what wire service size and meter size you have to know it the electrician shorted you a 100 amps. Go to the meter outside with a measuring tape, measure the conduit the service wire comes in to the meter. If the outside diameter of the conduit is less than 2" your service feed is 100 amps or less. You can also examine the meter for an amp value but many time they're not listed. I would hope to think the electrician would size the load center to the service rating. A conduit bigger than 2" doesn't mean you have a 200 amp service but you can't get the bigger wires for 200 amps in a small 1 1/4 conduit.

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Comments (7)

Dave
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
What is your issue with the new 100a panel? it doesnt matter what the old panel is. when they did a service upgrade they likely ran new SER from the meter to the panel and you can only go as high as that wire is rated for.

if you have a normal sized to smaller house, theres no reason a 100a service isnt enough.
elltwo
5 years ago
If the reason for the changeout was that the old panel was faulty, then only the panel should have been changed. I suspect the electrician offered to make the installation code compliant and 100A is enough for most homes but not equal to a 200A which was existing when the deal was made. This is one for the lawyers. If the house came with a Tesla in the garage , but it was faulty and the seller said "I will replace it", no buyer would be happy to pay for the house and see a Chevrolet Bolt in the garage.
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Elmer J Fudd
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Have it looked at by a licensed electrical contractor. This isn't something for half-vast measures or an amateur's assessment. Don't consider anonymous advice on an internet forum to be correct or adequate to send you on your way. .
mtvhike
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
If the service is 100A and the load center 200A, can't you simply replace the main breaker with a 100A one? I'm assuming 100A is enough, since that's what you've been living with.
salamandaark 5
Original Author
5 years ago
Update-service wires to the house are 100 amp
worthy
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
On my first home purchase, the real estate agent saw a 100 AMP panel and assured me it meant I had a 100 AMP service. It turned out to be 60AMPS. I see the same confusion exists 50 years later.