![]() ![]() This is on homes when the overhead riser needs to take lots of turns, different angles and transition to multiple planes where bending the PVC to accommodate all of this is impossible. One caveat – There are times when an SE cable is only option. The reason many electricians use SE cable for electrical services is simple: It saves them time / makes them more money! It does however involve more effort (labor) to install. Using PVC will ensure a tight seal that will never leak water. Even for professional electricians it can be hard to seal these cables for a long-term result. These cables over time will leak water into your meter socket and electrical panel if great care is not taken to seal them. The issue with SE cable installations is it’s a cable, with no other protection from the elements. The SE cable would be installed between the meter socket and overhead drop (where the electric companies street wires touch your house). Q: My electrician wants to install SE cable instead of PVC on the outside of my house, is this ok?Ī: SE Cable is code compliant but looked at as an inferior way to install the exterior part of the electrical service. You be the judge if that savings is worth it. To give some perspective, the cost difference to install a 100 amp service vs a 200 amp service is $350 for most homes. While the charger is running you would be left with 52amps to run the rest of the house. EV chargers can draw upwards of 48 amps by themselves! There is no demand factor on EV chargers so imagine having a 48 amp charger on your 100 amp service. Where it will be dicey is if you add central air and electric vehicle charging down the road. Some homes if they have all gas appliances (gas range, gas water heater) can get by just fine with a 100amp service. The only difference between the two are different size wiring. Every electrical service upgrade involves installing the same items, a panel, meter socket, wiring, breakers, ground rods etc. Q: How about a 100 amp service? Can I get by with one and how much will I save?Ī: Just like the 150amp service, a 100amp service involves the same labor. With the growing demand for electrical power in homes it’s best to go with a 200amp service for the long term. The cost savings between the two would be roughly $50.00 for most homes. The only difference will be a slightly smaller wire, and a different electrical panel. Why? The labor will be exactly the same to install the two. Today it would make zero sense to install a 150 amp service instead of a 200 amp. ![]() We run into 150amp services occasionally, they are always quite old. Q: Will it be cheaper to have a 150 amp service installed instead of a 200 amp service?Ī: First off, a 150amp is an odd size and not common at all. For really large homes with multiple central air conditioning systems a 400 amp service may be needed. This will cover all the usual electric appliances with central air and EV charging. For most customers in single family homes a 200 amp service is the largest size needed. Once every current and future electric load is added up, we come up with a total load and base the electrical service on that number. This makes sense, right? When is the last time you had every light on in your home, used every outlet, with your microwave on, your dishwasher running, washer / dryer running, fridge running, garage doors opening, every burner on your electric range on etc. Our electrical code assumes that all appliances / receptacles / lights will NEVER be used at the same time. These numbers are added up and some demand factors are applied. This takes into account the square footage of the home plus the electric appliances. Electricians calculate the needed service size using what is called a load calculation. Q: How do I know what size electrical service I need for my single family home?Ī: It really depends on what electrical loads you plan to add to your home. If you have any questions not listed here, please email them to use today and we’ll add them in. Please take a look at the common questions we get from customers during estimate appointments.
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