New Breaker Panels?

[Linus Sixpack]

Question #1

I have a little bungalow with a 125 amp service. I want to add a woodshop to the garage and include a few 220 volt circuits so I thought I would update the 125 amp breaker panel and move the old one to the garage woodshop.

Q: Does this sound like a reasonable, frugal thing to do?

Is it better to install a larger main board or create second (sub??) boards.


#2

I have bought a 200 amp Square-D panel completely populated with breakers from a construction worker who salvaged it. The panel appears recent, has no odor of burning, no cracks, no signs of rust or mud, and all the breakers appear to rock back and forth. The panel cost me $200 complete with 40 breakers.

Q: Is this a good deal? What should I do to make sure it is safe?

Is there a way that this will bite me in the ass If I try to resell the house or something???


#3

My wife's friend is an electrician and I hope to have him do all of the dangerous work.

Q: What can I do to make it easier for him to swap the boards & install the old board in the garage? Should I run the lines and have him connect them??

Any advice about pitfalls to look out for??


#4

My sister says that a contractor told her that there was little point in installing a breaker panel larger than 125 amps because the city only supplies that much power to each house.

Q: Is this possible? Can this be true?
Will a higher amperage board lead to brown outs for my house???
Have I just wasted my mone???



Much thanks, LS,


I'd really appreciate any response. I'm sorry if these questions have been dealt with elsewhere. I'm reading the archives now.




If you aren't good to yourself, who will be?

[HayZee518]

To begin you can salvage the 125 amp panel for use as a sub-panel. You'll need a four wire cable from the main to the sub-panel. You'll need an auxillary ground bar. You will need to remove the bonding screw or bonding connector. Your whole service cable will need upgrading to 4/0-3 SEU. You'll need a 4/0-3 weathercap. You'll need a 200 amp meter socket with a 2 inch hub and a 2" compression cable connector. You'll need two non weathertite SEU connectors, aluminum foldover clips and screws. You'll need to drive an additional ground rod in addition to your waterpipe ground. Ground wire will be #4 bare copper. If you have a water meter you'll need to bond around the meter also with #4 bare copper. Above all you'll have to get a permit for your installation. DIY? I think this above the scope of a handyman.

[Linus Sixpack]

I absolutely don't want to do this as a DIY project! A fully licensed Electrician of 12 years is going to do everything that matters. I don't think I could do it legally -- and I want to be legal for resale. He is just very busy and I want to help him wherever I can.


I'm trying to sense how big and costly the job will be to do.

For example. Is the sub in the garage worth doing to reduce the cable running across the width of my house and increase capacity? The garage is attached to my house (so its all indoors) but it seems sensible to me to have a second panel.

Assuming my elecricity consumption stays the same will the increased amperage capacity effect my electricity bill?


ls

If you aren't good to yourself, who will be?

[HayZee518]

Whatever your current draw Watts is watts. Makes no difference if you up your capacity - Whatever you draw on a per hourly kilowatt basis is what you'll pay for.