main service panel

ptcamaro

Hi, I'm a new member and found this site very informative.

I have couple of questions. My service panel is a suquare D E7 series.
I dont know how many amp service I have and label is gone on the main breaker.

1-How to determin what is the main braker or haw many amp of service I ha
ve in the house?

2-I have 10 more empty slots and I want to put a second floor in the house with 3 bedrooms about 1000 sq feet. Does it enough to wire up the extra rooms?

3- If I have to increase the service coming to house do we have to change the panel?
Thanks in advance if you could be any help.

JGarth

A few clear pictures of your panel, and your outside meter box configuration would help.

goose134

Welcome.

1. Refer to previous post by JGarth
2. Probably
3. Yes

jrclen

Have you contacted an electrician yet to quote on wiring your addition? Ask him to take a peek and tell you about your existing service and whether it needs to be upgraded or not. He can tell just by looking.

ptcamaro

I found a label inside box says 100 amp. One of the 220v 20 amp breaker is allso will be deleted. I dont need it anymore.
My house 1000 sq feet and I like to add second floor with 3 bedroom 2 bath about 1000 sq feet.
So is that enough to wire whole house? And here are the pics.
Thanks as allways.
here is the picks.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13570486@N06/2374221967/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13570486@N06/2374215947/

goose134

First yes, it looks like a 100 amp panel. The fist thing I see that I don't like is white wire on breakers. The second thing is (I may be seeing this wrong) ground wires on the neutral. What is that big red thing in the lower left? Are the service conductors spliced there? My worry is that the conductors in the panel are sized correctly and the ones going to the meter are too small. Again, this is here in my living room, not in front of your panel.

I think if you have this panel cleaned up my a professional, it should be plenty to do what you want, but these are some issues you'll want to address.

ptcamaro

Goose123,
First of all thanks for the time to answer.
I beleive white wireson ground bar for later added on gfi outlets on the kitchen.
Red think on the lower left corner, I beleive was power cpming from the second meter for water heater which does not exist anymore.And disconnected from outside but wires are stiil there no power on them.

micromind

The white wires on breakers are 220 loads connected to 2 pole breakers. With NM cable, there's no other way to do it, it's one of the few times the code allows white to be used for a hot. Though I usually put some red tape on them at both ends, I'll bet Goose does too.

The ground wires on the neutral bus are OK, IF this is the first (maybe only) panel in the system. If you add another panel, you must run 4 wires, and separate grounds from neutrals.

It looks like your appliances are gas, not electric. If you do a load calc, you'll likely be OK adding 1000 sq. ft. onto this service, but it'll be close. If you add A/C, electric heat, electric range, dryer, etc. you'll likely be over.

Square D type QO breakers will fit this panel. Homeline will not.

Rob

goose134

Ok, I see it now. Rob, I would tag my wires if my jurisdiction allowed me to use NM. All pipe around here.

While it is allowed to put the ground wires where they are, I think it's a bad practice. I'd say when the new work is done to install a ground bar and make sure the rest of the system is grounded properly. Micro is on the money.

ptcamaro

Thanks guys for all the info.
I made a rough load calc. and I will be around 86-90 amp. I'm not adding any major amp requarement such as another a/c unit or elect. dryer.