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Need To Upgrade

1K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  BlaJoRon 
#1 ·
Hi,
I have 60amp on the outside of the house coming into a 100amp panel in my basement. The house is all knob-and-tube wiring, so I know I need to replace everything. My question is, how do I start off doing the panel upgrade first and then starting the re-wire project later. Do I need to get an inspector to come in first? Do I need permits first? I live in Pennsylvania, is this one of the weird states as far as fees and costs and red-tape? Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
ALL electrical work usually requires permits!!

Yes, you need to get rid of the K&T. Most codes do not allow it to be added to or modified.

Not sure I understand what you have, 60A outside, 100A inside does not make sense. The normal feed from the poco is usually more than you could need. After the meter, it should go to the service panel by the shortest route possible. Codes usually don't allow a panel outside, but all codes are local and can vary.
 
#3 ·
Continuing what Just Bull said....the POCO will NOT even talk to you about moving the connections unless you have permits.

Basically, the process would be something like this

Get Permits
Get a location approval from the POCO on where you want to mount the new panel
Do the work.
When the panel is ready you call your inspector who looks it over. If all is good, he puts in call to the POCO who comes out and moves the wires over.

Now the unknown part is the actual sequence of work. A chat with the inspector would be a good idea.

I am doing a 2-story addition to my house right now....not only am I adding a bunch of ckts, I am relocating my 200A panel and moving my existing ckts over to it. So what I am doing is wiring in the new stuff, and then running stubs from the new panel over to where it will connect with the old stuff. Since my inspector has known me for several years (inspected several of my projects), he does not mind if I run a temp feed from my existing panel to the new one so I can energize stuff as we go (we are still living in the house). But that might be different in your area.

60A Is kind of minimal for a house now days.....I personally would want at least a 100A outside. And since the cost from 100A to 200A is about $50....I would want to go as big as possible....especially if you have a garage and do anything in it (like power tools)
 
#4 ·
Hi,
I have 60amp on the outside of the house coming into a 100amp panel in my basement. The house is all knob-and-tube wiring, so I know I need to replace everything. My question is, how do I start off doing the panel upgrade first and then starting the re-wire project later. Do I need to get an inspector to come in first? Do I need permits first? I live in Pennsylvania, is this one of the weird states as far as fees and costs and red-tape? Thanks in advance.
I might suggest you talk to a electrician before you take on this project, your skill level may not up to this challenge. Offer to work for the education he could provide, and don't expect a break for your labor,unless you might have something to barter with. Look for a retired electrician with phsyical limitations, you learn and do at the same time!
 
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