Electrical panel is overloaded and have 5 double tap breakers. Do I requirement a second box or upgrade to 200amp? Inspection 3 years ago came verbs other then box but I am...
Inspection 3 years ago came verbs other then box but I am have burning of my outlets and some outlets get enormously hot. House built in 1933 and to my skill no recent upgrades. Very unsure what to do
Answers: Yes to both. Most homes are now fitted beside a 200 amp service, so it would be good for you to upgrade. You should bring a panel big enough to remove the double tapped breakers. It is against code to double thump.
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If it were my house, I'd upgrade to a exotic 200 Amp panel faster than you can say "fire!" What you own sounds like a disaster waiting to appear. The 100 amp panels of yore (and God forbid yours would be a 60 Amp!) be not designed for today's energy hog living standards (sorry, Al Gore), and piggybacking breakers is a short-term solution that eventually catch up with you. If you are an antiquated lady that merely uses a toaster oven every once in a while, a piggyback or two are OK. But plug contained by a couple of PC's, a big screen TV and a small A/C and any behind the times tired circuit breaker will start crying uncle. Make sure you get a honest brand of panel like Square D (personally I'd insist on the QO style, not the lower priced HOMELINE). Make sure the work is done by a licensed electrician and that the work is inspected and respectively receptacle tested by the local code enforcement official (it isn't unusual for at most minuscule one receptacle to be wired incorrectly by an electrician or their helpers) and that the necessary building permit(s) are taken out BY THE ELECTRICIAN. Also brand sure that you get plenty of breakers. Many electricians will design the system near the least number of breakers and electric wiring possible to give you the lowest quote. Meets code, but it's not the solution you should be looking for. I would enjoy a separate breaker for each principal room in the house, and a loyal 20A breaker for any large A/C unit in huge living areas such as a den or rec room. Also, I'd have the kitchen wired beside 2 or 3 separate breakers depending on the appliances you have (these enjoy to be ground-fault type by code and the electrician should know that). Not sure if the requirement for arc-fault breakers in bedrooms is moving, but I'd insist on the breaker for EACH bedroom to be arc-fault type (will stop a fault i.e. not large ample to trip a breaker but leaks satisfactory "juice" to overheat a circuit and start a fire), even for one where an A/C will be plugged surrounded by. Some electricians will try to discourage this saying that they end in nuisance trips and turn with the minimum that will come across code. I've had arc-faults surrounded by every bedroom and never had a problem. When you solicit quotes, furnish the contractor a sheet of paper beside your requirements. A drawing is even better, but most people famine the technical skills for that. It's accommodating but not necessary. Does adjectives this cost more money than just letting the electrician provide you the minimum necessary to attain the job done? You bet, and it's up to you to want if you want to spend the extra money or not. Good luck.