Quote from: -droid- on May 27, 2016, 03:48:44 PM

slightly off topic.. whats the avg cost to upgrade from 125a to 200a box? my orig 1960's 125a is maxed out

my solar company quoted me $2800

is that avg price?

I paid my cuz $1500 for labour but the parts and everthing cost me like $800 to 900. It was a bit more becase I had him install t he four new 30 amp circuts for my PDU's a swell and I had to get
a ton of 240v indoor 30AMP cable the orange stuff and its crazy expensive.

This might be of help to you as well and also answer questions about my build. before my Cousin came over to help me he had me call an inspector from the city over and run this list of questions by them

My original plan was to add 200 amps + the existing panel I had turned into a subpanel with all the existing breaker stuff for the house on that and my new panel would be for mining stuff.

Cousin sent me this :
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Youre just going to have to let him know that youre doing this yourself and you dont have anybody helping you (cause thats not allowed) and youve been researching a lot and thats how you know to ask these questions. Dont be afraid to not know something. Youre not an electrician and you dont have to be. If he asks you something about your plan and you dont know, tell him you dont know and ask what you should do this shows youre trying to get it right. Entire plan outlined below. If you show him this plan you need to modify it slightly so everything looks like it was not written by someone else, such as my annotations and notes to you.

Notes about your plan when you're talking with him:
3/0 is pronounced three ought 4/0 is pronounced four ought
I write 3/0 3/0 3/0 so you clarify the size of all three wires
The grounding rod is the rod sticking up out of the ground near the meter
The plan to have 100A breaker in both the main panel and sub panel may be questioned but should be ok. ask about it

Main things to touch on:

· Main conductors from meter outside to the new 20A main panel:
o What size conductors and type of metal are compatible with my meter?
o Does it matter if I use copper or aluminum?
§ For copper, I would use 3/0 3/0 3/0 THHN.
§ For aluminum, I would use 4/0 4/0 4/0
o 2 conduit entire way from meter to main panel. Sealed with silicone where the conduit at the point of entry through the wall
· What are the grounding requirements for the 200A service?
o I currently have one ½ grounding rod
o What size grounding rod will be required? What type of metal?
o Are one or two grounding rods required?
o What are the requirements for connecting the rods?
§ What gauge and type of metal for the grounding wire?
o Does the ground need to be connected (or bonded is what you might say) to the water pipes, gas pipes? If so, what gauge wire
· Panel location and height ok? Will any plumbing need to move?
· Sequence of events for inspection. I think it is:
o Power company cuts power at transformer and unlocks my meter box
o I install the following
§ Remove existing main (aluminum) wires from meter
§ Remove existing gray conduit from meter to main panel
§ New main panel
§ New 2 conduit and wires from the meter through the wall and connect to the main panel
§ Convert 100A panel to a sub-panel
· Re-use existing 2AWG aluminum wires, leaving them connected to the 100A panel, but instead of running to the meter they now run to the 200A panel to a 100A breaker
· Remove green bonding screw in the 100A panel
§ 30A breakers all move to new main panel. Where wires are not long enough they will either be replaced or junction boxes will be used.
§ All other wiring from 100A panel remains untouched. Except maybe the equipment grounding conductors are removed and connected to the new main panel instead. IS this correct? All the ground wires from all the old circuits remain in place
o Inspector comes out and checks it out
o Power company comes out and turns power back on at the transformer and locks my meter box
Big question is if you make connections in meter or if power company makes connections in meter. The meter belongs to them but the wires from the meter to your main panel belong to you. Ask him what else you need to know. Write down everything he tells you or record the conversation.

After I had the city inspector come in these were the responses I got, great guy btw laid back he didn't even comment about the heat in my basement and the huge exhaust fan
poking out the lone basement window.
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Thanks for getting all the questions down on this plan it made the meeting with the inspector really easy.

so things we need/need to do

-Disconnect the power from the mains
-Dave the Inspector recommended to tape carboard over the existing meter lugs so as not to accidentally touch those.

Once power is disconnected from the mains

-Add the piping for 2/0 copper conduit
-Move the old panel to the side panel area and connect the new panel shifting it up 2"-3" inches max ass needed.
Once the new panel is installe connect conduit from one of the side holes in each panel to the other panel so we don't have to run
conduit up above to re-connect the new panel via 100a or 60a breaker to the new one.
-Upgdrade the grounding connector that goes to the water main right new to the washer with new 4" copper , all one wire with no breaks like the one that's already installed.

*** I never ended up doing this but might be doing it now. *****
For adding service 200amp to gararge

-install a lug kit for the meter to run new 2" cabling at least 18" underground to the garage and install a new panel
on the garage wall right below the stairs since the conduit entrance has to be close to the panel.

that's basically the long and short of what he told me, all in all he was in agreement with the plan. We don't Need excel since we are not installing a new
meter or new service from the pole.

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What I ended up doing was discarding the old panel and putting all the house stuff , AC,heater,lights etc on the new 200amp panel and using 4 dual slots for 30amp circuits for my mining farm.

If you look at the Excel box there is actually a third hole that can be knocked out to add that lug kit the inspector talked about and run a full 2/0 copper conduit all the way to my garage like the inspector suggested.

The current electrician thinks I need a whole new meter and crap but even the inspector did not think so at the time which is why I wonder about this electrican.

Anyways bottom line my conduit is 2/o copper , I just checked the heat on the conduit and there's no warmth at all must have been the sun, and its 8pm here.

how do I check what my PCF is ?