Service Upgrades

A building’s electric service is the heart of the electrical infrastructure for the building. An electric service is the connection to the utility’s grid that the utility company gives you when you set up a billing account.

There are three main components of all electrical services: the connection to the utility company’s transformer (either overhead or underground), the electric meter, and the main service disconnect.

If the service runs overhead, the utility company owns the portion that is airborne and is responsible for the maintenance of that wire. If the service runs underground, it is typical for the homeowner to be responsible for that portion of the wiring up to the point of connection with the utility transformer. The meter component is what most homeowners are familiar with. This is the round can-like object that the utility company reads to monitor electricity usage. It is required that the meter be on the outside of a home in a location that is easily accessible with a three-foot by three-foot clear space in front of it for the meter reader’s safety and ease. The most crucial component that determines the capacity of all electrical use in the home is the main service disconnect. The size of the existing wire from the utility transformer, through the meter, and then to the disconnects is what determines the maximum allowed amperage for the entire system. The most common electric service sizes are 100 amps and 200 amps, although many electric homes will need a 400 amp electric service.

In order to upgrade an electrical service, the three components (the wire from the meter to the utility company’s transformer, the electric meter, and the main service disconnect) of the electrical service need to be replaced with components that are sized for the increased amperage capacity. All upgrades must be approved by the utility company (which takes time) before the contractor can schedule a date for the upgrade. Once a date is scheduled the work is performed in tandem with the utility company and must be inspected before the utility company will connect the meter and resume service.

Once all of the approvals have been made for the project, the upgrade can happen within one day. The home will be without power during the upgrade so we recommend homeowners not be at the home since there will be no electricity for the majority of the day. Once the service is disconnected from the grid, the old meter and cable are removed. In the case of an overhead service, the cable that rises up the side of the house is replaced, the meter cabinet is replaced and the previous main panel is re-fed with new wiring.

We typically leave the existing panel in place and add a new panel, either outside or inside, for additional breaker space. We then relocate the main service disconnects (breakers) to the outside of the house. In the case of a 200 amp service, there would be a single 200 amp disconnect, and in the case of a 400 amp service, there would be two 200 amp disconnects. This is preferred because it makes the disconnects easily accessible for emergency services in case of an electrical fire and because the 2020 NEC requires all service disconnects to be on the outside of the house. Once the physical installation is complete and the service has been inspected, the utility company will reconnect the service to the grid re-energizing the house.