Some of the biggest power draws from your home’s electrical system are from appliances. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new HVAC system or clothes washer. It’s important to understand if you can add on to your existing panel box to support the electrical demand of your new appliances or if you need to upgrade.
Understand Your Panel Box’s Amperage
All electrical panel boxes will have a set total capacity of amperage that they can handle. You can typically find the total capacity of your box by looking on the inside of the door for your panel box. Many older homes only have 60, 80, or 100 amps of power going to them. Modern-day homes typically have 150, 200, or even 250 amps because we use more electronics than we did decades ago.
Consider Existing Usage
Another step you’ll want to take is calculating what the existing electrical load is on your panel box. You can easily do this by making up a list of all the major appliances you have working in your home. These include things like your oven, air conditioner, and clothes dryer. You also want to include any electrical outlets, lighting fixtures, and smaller appliances you have in your home.
You can figure out the typical amperage draw of each of these by looking at the amperage rating on their circuit breaker or just doing a little research online. In general, most dishwashers and microwaves will operate between 10 and 15 amps, while most electric water heaters, dryers, and central air conditioners operate between 20 and 30 amps.
Your stove usually has a higher operating amperage up between 30 and 50 amps. Simply total up all the amperage loads that you’re currently using. Be sure to omit any appliances that you plan on replacing with new ones so you don’t account for the appliance twice.
Determine New Necessary Load
The next thing you want to do is add up the total electrical load of all the new appliances that you want to add to your home. Most of the time, you can find the required amperage for your new appliance on its spec plate or in the owner’s manual. If you’re having trouble finding the amperage, you can always take the total watts of the appliance and divide it by its total voltage to get the necessary amps. For example, if the appliance uses 3,000 watts, you divide that by the 240 volts it requires to get a total of 12.5 amps.
Calculate Your Max Electrical Load
As a general rule of thumb, your home’s total electrical load shouldn’t exceed more than 80% of the capacity rating for your panel box for a continuous load. This helps to avoid issues like drawing too much amperage through your electrical system and causing permanent damage.
To determine the maximum energy load your home should have, you’ll take the total amperage of your electrical panel box and multiply that by .8. For example, let’s say that you have a 200 amp electrical panel box in your home. The total continuous load should never exceed 160 amps.
Does It Exceed Your Box’s Capabilities?
To figure out if you need to upgrade your electrical box, you now want to take all the figures that you worked up and compare them to get a final result. You want to add together your current electrical load and the new projected electrical load that your brand-new appliances will add to your box.
Compare this total with the 80% capacity rating for your panel box. If the total load exceeds 80% of what your box is rated for, then you’ll need to upgrade to add those new appliances. However, if the total load is less than 80% of your box’s rating, then you can easily add those new appliances without upgrading.
Existing Signs You Need a Panel Upgrade
Better understanding how adding new appliances can affect your home’s electrical load and being able to locate your panel box’s total capacity are very helpful. However, if your existing panel box is showing any of the issues that we’ll go over below, it’s typically best to simply upgrade to a bigger panel box to better accommodate your new appliances and make your current electrical system safer for you and your family.
Less Than 200 Amps
If your existing panel box is less than 200 amps, it’s typically best to upgrade. Our modern-day standard of living typically includes a wide variety of appliances and electronics. Older homes simply don’t have an electrical system that’s capable of powering all these devices. It’s best to upgrade to provide more power so that you can conveniently add appliances and electronics on a whim without having to worry about overloading your electrical circuits.
Constantly Tripping Breakers
One of the biggest indicators that you’re constantly overloading your current electrical circuits is that the circuit breakers keep tripping. Every circuit breaker is specifically designed to handle a maximum electrical load. Whenever you exceed that load, it will cause the circuit breaker to trip to help protect it from issues like an electrical fire. You should upgrade your panel box instead of continually tripping those circuits as it’s likely causing internal damage to your new appliances.
No Open Breaker Spaces
All panel boxes have a set number of spaces for circuit breakers. It was pretty standard before the 1980s to only have between 10 and 15 breaker spaces because we didn’t run that many appliances. Nowadays, the modern household can have anywhere between 20 and 40 circuit breaker spots to handle all our current needs. If your existing panel box doesn’t have any spaces open to add another electrical circuit, it’s usually an indicator that it’s time to upgrade before adding new appliances to your household.
Over 30 Years Old
Most electrical panel boxes have a usable lifespan of anywhere between 20 and 40 years. If your existing box is over 30 years old, your best bet is to replace it before adding a bunch of new appliances to your household. This will help ensure that your new panel box can accommodate the different sizes of circuit breakers you need for your new appliances.
The Important of Professional Assistance
While it’s completely possible to do these calculations on your own to get an idea of how adding new appliances will affect your existing electrical system, you should always consult a professional electrician. They’ll be able to do a detailed load assessment that’s more specific to your household to ensure that your existing panel box can handle the new load from your new appliances.
One of our electricians can easily install a dedicated electrical circuit for heavy-use appliances like stoves and HVAC systems. It’s also crucial to know that most building codes require that a professional electrician file for a permit to upgrade the electrical panel box for a home. If you need to upgrade your existing outdated panel box, you’ll need to work with one of our licensed electricians to obtain proper permitting to do so.
Expert Electrical Installation Service
Bryant Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electric offers expert electrical installation services for the Louisville, KY area. We can also assist with all your electrical repair, electrical panel replacement, and inspection needs. Just call us today to schedule your next service appointment with one of our helpful electricians.
