Thread: 70amp panel

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If I saw that in my area, I would suspect the work was not permitted - around here most if not all AHJs would require an upgrade of the service when replacing that panel.

I had a similar concern once... It was a new sub panel being pulled of an older main that I think was only 100amp. It just looked like too much all for 100amps. So, called the city insp to ask the guy if they did or required a load calculation prior to approving the new installation... I was surprised that he said no. Basically, they only look for what they are there to look at.

That's my area (Oregon) which well may be different than where you're at...

There's sure nothing like the government going the extra mile for us...

I my area, the issue would be the 70A service equipment - any major electrical upgrade requires that the service be brought into compliance with current requirements. When we gut rehabbed my current small (1440 sq ft) 2B 2-1/2BA house, the city required a 200A service "because you are installing central AC". In my apartments rehabs with individually metered units, they require 100A for each.

Would you suspect that the 70 amp is undersized for the house?

I would suspect the 70 Amp breaker was undersized if all of the load were going through it. But I have no idea what loads are there. If there was no A/C, no heat pump, no well water, no electric stove/range, no electric water heater, and if each light bulb and receptacle has its own dedicated circuit, then there may not be a problem.

Are you sure you are not looking at a split-buss panel?

RR

No.

One really can't do a service calculation just by looking. Quite often, the square footage load is by far the largest part of a residential load calc .... and the house hasn't got any bigger!

Look at the loads on the dedicated equipment circuits. If they changed from gas appliances to electric ones, then a new load calc is in order.

In the meantime, measure the amps drawn, and look for signs of overheating.

All they may have is a lot of circuits - and little actual change in load. During various remodels, it is very possible that they were required to 'break out' loads that were sharing circuits, or add new ones.

A case in point: My house. Built in 1940, it has two circuits, and had a 60 amp service. Quite "posh" at the time, that arrangement is madly inadequate by today's standards. The fact that I have had ZERO overloads is not relevant.
Were my place to be - as I plan - gutted and remodeled, it is very possible that I will need a 100 amp service (code minimum), and 20 circuits. The kitchen alone would take up 10 spaces. Yet none of this would change my electric bill one dime.

Originally Posted by John Steinke

Yet none of this would change my electric bill one dime.

Yeah it would.

You would now have all those things you have no place to plug in and use ... plugged in ... and be using them.