Upgrade
Upgrade Your Electrical System
Do any of the following conditions apply to you?
- Planning a remodel or home addition
- No room to add more circuits
- Adding an electric vehicle charger
- Changing your home’s heating or cooling systems
- Changing major appliances like your stove, water heater, or dryer to run on electric
- Adding a shed, garage, or barn
If so, you may need to add a sub panel or upgrade your electrical service capacity. One of our electricians can evaluate your current usage, look at what you are planning to add, and then calculate what the required service size is based on the National Electric Code.
Residential electric service sizes can be 60, 100, 150, 200, or 400 amps. While there aren’t too many 60 amp services out there we still see plenty of 100 or 150 amp services. Most of these were put in 30 to 40 years ago and the electrical needs of the average home have increased since then. From whole house air conditioning to electric vehicle chargers, there are much different loads that require a larger electric service to carry that increased capacity. Additionally, quite a few insurance companies are looking for 200 amp services in homes.
Surge-Protective Devices
Upgrades can also include whole home surge-protective devices. These devices get wired in at your main electric panel and help to protect sensitive electronic devices by absorbing voltage spikes that travel through your home’s electrical system. Many people think about computers, TV’s, and gaming systems as needing to be protected, but modern dishwashers, stoves, and refrigerators all contain circuit panels that can be damaged by surges. The whole home surge-protective device (SPD) is installed at your main electrical panel; is one of four types of SPD’s; and acts as a first line of defense against large surges that may enter your home. Many people have power strips that have built in SPD’s, which are appropriate and protect the local equipment that is plugged into them. However, these power strips are the second line of defense against surges and do not have the same capacity as whole home SPDs.

Generator Connections
If you frequently loose power during storms, we can help by installing a generator interlock kit, transfer switch, and a generator power inlet. There are many options surrounding generators and how they connect into your electric service. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to discuss your options!
