I'm helping my father and law build a house and the contractor installed a meter base rated for 100 Amps Max / 80 Amps Continuous.
We did a service calculation and it came out to a 125 Amps service required.
The inspector passed the rough in, but in my thinking the meter base is under rated. I contacted the manufacturer (T&B) and they stated it needed to be upgraded. I talked to the electrical code instructor at the college, he also said it should be upgraded.
I questioned the inspector as to why he would pass it and he said the chances of the house actually going over the 100 Amp / 80 amp would be slim.
I did the following readings on some of my father in laws equipment
Table Saw 20 Amps
Pressure SYstem 13 Amps
A/C 18 Amps
Lift Pump (sewer) 14 Amps
Air Compressor 16 Amps
We are already at 81 Amps without including the hot tub, 3 ranges, and the rest of the house load.
Does this seem right? What is the proper way to determine what size of meter base to install on a house -- other than basing it on "chance".
Any code experts out there? Even though the inspector said it's good enough -- would you leave it or change it out to the proper size?
Section 8-200 deals with services for single family dwellings. From my experience the average house only requires a 100 amp service, I've never seen a main breaker in a house trip due to an overload. Most appliances are never on all at once, they are constantly cycling on and off.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks for your reply. I agree that it probably will not go over 100 amps, but there is the possibility it can. There must be a definite answer stating when and what size of meter base to use -- not being based on chance. I think it would be better to err on the side of safety than chance? My thinking anyways?!?Originally posted by CRM:
Section 8-200 deals with services for single family dwellings. From my experience the average house only requires a 100 amp service, I've never seen a main breaker in a house trip due to an overload. Most appliances are never on all at once, they are constantly cycling on and off.
Hi Kenj,
I'm sure that if you tell us the dimensions of the house (in meters), number of floors, whether it has a basement or not, and a list of the loads (in watts or volts and amps), one of us here could check the service calculation for you.
However, your first post raises some questions for me.
1. Did the owner not consult with the electrical contractor regarding the size of service to be installed?
2. Did the contractor not perform a service calculation prior to installation?
3. Three ranges?
Ed
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