400a service

[Matt Matt]

The op does have a point,... if I knew his rough location. If he was in northern Michigan with electric heat both for Home and shop, that’s 80ish A per service. Now if NG or LP is being delivered, it is possible to survive with only 200 amp service.

I think it is ideal for 100 A to feed a shop not including heat/AC. If heat and AC are a electrical load for a shop, a 200 amp service would be ideal.

If the home is on electrical heat as well, a 200a service would be ideal there too.

This is just my two cents. But it’s not worth much, as I use a truckload of NG.

If you really think you’re going to use 400 A let the power company know that you need a 75 kVA transformer feeding your property... see what they say. That is only about 312 A feeding your panels.

 

[checkthisout]

I have "400 amp" service to my garage. It's actually called 320 AMP service? It splits into a 200 amp panel that serves the garage, then the other feeder splits and goes to the house. House is full electric heat, hot water, range, dryer.

Is this what the OP is after? FYI, 400 amp service is 96,000 watts. You only need service that size if you're going to have electric heat, hot water, range and clothes dryers in both buildings and using them both as full time dwellings.

Point being, if its a bunch more money it's not worth it but if its just a few hundred more for the equipment, then well, why not?

 

[sberry]

It didn't even cost me a few 100 and only what it did for the tray and wire. I really could have used plastic LB also.
The second pic is old when first moved in, it's been fixed up, remodeled, couple code issues repaired.
Left panel feeds outside.

 

[nsula_country]

goldie_lox,

400/320 service needs a 3" riser with 500 mcm copper.

Personally we have a 400/320 service at our house, 320 amp meter, 350 mcm AL service drop, 50 kva pole pig. I installed it. All electric house. Load calc was over 200 amp with 2 heat pumps and 2, 27 kw tankless water heaters, electric dryer, double range, and cooktop.

CT

 

[aunsafe2015]

Does 400a service use more power when "idle"? Kind of like how your TV uses power even when it's off, would a house connected to 400a service have a bigger power bill than a house connected to 200a service even if they had the same appliances attached and being used the same amount?

In other words, is there any cost savings to getting the smallest service size that will meet your needs? (Other than the initial up front cost)

 

[mike93lx]

Does 400a service use more power when "idle"? Kind of like how your TV uses power even when it's off, would a house connected to 400a service have a bigger power bill than a house connected to 200a service even if they had the same appliances attached and being used the same amount?

In other words, is there any cost savings to getting the smallest service size that will meet your needs? (Other than the initial up front cost)

No. The load determines usage not the line.

The poco may charge more for a base fee though

 

[sberry]

Here it's the same, service size doesn't matter. On our side of the meter a 400 is just more wire and another panel. The meter doesn't know the difference, only priced on the power that goes thru it.

 

[ard]

But the bigger wire will take longer to fill up, so it may be sluggish when you turn things on. Just at first.

 

[sberry]

You can avoid this with overhead, it runs down and keeps it full till you turn the switch on.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Does 400a service use more power when "idle"? Kind of like how your TV uses power even when it's off, would a house connected to 400a service have a bigger power bill than a house connected to 200a service even if they had the same appliances attached and being used the same amount?

In other words, is there any cost savings to getting the smallest service size that will meet your needs? (Other than the initial up front cost)

No but a larger transformer will.

 

[Matt Matt]

No but a larger transformer will.

And Some poco charge a monthly delivery fee (monitoring/distribution charge) per metre. If you’re not really using it, it could add up. Sometimes this is buried in the bill and sometimes it is apparent. If you shut your main breaker off for a month and still get a bill....