Electrical Service Upgrade

The electrical service upgrade is expressed through Amps (Amperes) and this is limited by the main breaker ampacity such as 200A or100A. All homes that are connected to the main grid have both 240 and 120 Volts. The electrical service upgrade will not alter the home’s voltage; the upgrade changes the amount of electricity coming into your house. There will be no change in your wiring or your branch circuits. The breakers will still trip in case there is an overload and what was malfunctioning will still malfunction until it is specifically addressed by our technicians. The service upgrade will give you the ability to add more circuits if you are planning on adding new appliances in your home.

What Does an Upgrade Involve?

A typical electrical service upgrade involves the following:

• The removal of the existing service equipment which include the electrical panel, meter socket, service entrance conductors, mast/riser among many others.
• Labeling of all the electrical equipment.
• Installation and furnishing of new electrical equipment.
• Upgrading of overhead conductors from the utility pole to the house. This is a responsibility of the utility company and will be done free of charge.
• Property ground and bond per code where a new ground wire to the main water line is jumped to the water meter and a new grounding wire to an eight foot grounding rod.

Most municipalities have set minimum electrical sizes in relation to upgrading and this is usually 200A. If you have a home that is larger than 3500 square feet with the inclusion of the garage and basement, you will nee a 400A electric service. In most cases, you will need to upgrade the service to 200A even if it is not a city requirement. The difference in cost between 150A and 200A is minimal and thus you can go for 200A.

Why You Need the Electrical Service Upgrade

• The system might be unsafe due to water related damages or normal wear and tear
• When you are adding and A/C unit to your house
• When you have new home additions that need electricity
• During kitchen renovations
• When adding a double oven, welder, power equipment, hot tub among other high power appliances.

Of all the reasons behind an electrical service upgrade, water damage is the most common. Corrosion might be caused by water dripping into the meter socket due to an improperly installed fork bolt, eye plate or service head. The corrosion will affect the breakers, bars and connections and this will only increase resistance and lead to heat production. The possible signs include the crackling sounds, burning smell, warm breakers, and flickering lights. All these might lead to a fire or other electrical accidents and this is the main reason why you need to call Fail Safe electric to have these risks eliminated and your home safe.

What To Expect from Fail Safe Electric?

When we send our technicians over you can expect:

• A new electrical panel with not less than 40 breaker positions and room for expansion in future.
• An installation of breakers with accordance to the size of the feeder wire and labeling all of them accordingly
• You will be without power for a period of 2-8 hours during the electrical service upgrade but our professional electricians will not leave your home until the power is restored and everything put back in place.

For a high quality electrical service upgrade that meets all the quality and safety standards in the industry, Call Fail Safe Electric today and we will send our best electricians to handle your electrical service upgrade.