Electrical Panel Box, Help Needed Please

[Firefighter615]

I am getting ready to move into an older home and it still has screw in fuses which drives me nuts. I looked at the inside panel of the box and if I am reading it correctly it says that it is a 150 amp service. I have seen 100 and 200 amp service but not 150? Anyone headr of this? I have looked around and I can not find a 150 amp box anywhere. Is there a sure fire way to tell what service is running into the house? Thanks

 

[The Cobbler]

you are looking at the typical diagram, the panel is rated for max 150 amp, that doesn't mean you have a 150 amp service . there should be 2 main fuses somewhere that will indicate your service amperage.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

you are looking at the typical diagram, the panel is rated for max 150 amp, that doesn't mean you have a 150 amp service . there should be 2 main fuses somewhere that will indicate your service amperage.

Need to check the main service panel.

If u have fuses still, i doubt your service is more than 100a. Could even be 60a, unless the main service panel has been upgraded.

 

[MTW]

That Fuse panel has a "pull-out" main fuseholder, remove it and check the fuse size. They should be the proper rating of the service. To be sure their correct, it would be wise to see the size of the cable feeding it. Sometimes the meter or meter box size can offer a clue. 100A and smaller usually have a small meter can.

MTW Ω

 

[75gmck25]

Just to answer the next question you probably have - You can estimate that an electrician will charge about $1800-2200 to replace that old box, meter base, and incoming line with a new Square D QO 200 amp breaker panel (or something equivalent) and connect it to commercial power.

In many cases the electrical company will not charge for any changes to the line running from the box to the pole, but that depends on whether its buried, overhead, etc. In some areas the incoming line has already been replaced as part of normal power company maintenance by one that can handle 200 amps.

Bruce

 

[CJ7VFR]

I have seen 100 and 200 amp service but not 150? Anyone headr of this?

My home, which was built in 1955, currently has 150 Amp service.

The people we bought the house from kept very detailed records that included pictures, notes and receipts, of everything they upgraded or did to the home over the years. They gave us the big binder with everything in it. It was really cool to have a historical record of the home and all that went on with it.

One of the things they upgraded several times was the electrical service.
It started out as 60 Amp service when the house was built, then in the 70's they upgraded it to 100 Amp service, and then in the 90's they upgraded it again to the current 150 Amp service.

While 150 Amp service may not be seen too often, it is out there.

Jim

 

[Firefighter615]

Thanks for all the information and the help. I will pull the main this weekend and see what amp fuses are installed.

 

[Firefighter615]

Today I pulled the main breaker and both fuses are rated at 100 amps. So if I am looking at this correctly we have 100amp service coming into the house? Is that correct? I would like to replace the current box because 1) it is out of open slots and 2) it has screw in fuses and I would like for it to have breakers instead.
I am also adding 3 pictures to help show what I have going on.
Thanks for all your help.

 

[75gmck25]

It does look like you have 100 amp service.

Doing your own evaluation is great, but at this point I strongly suggest calling a local electrician and getting an estimate for a 200 amp upgrade. The electrician should be used to working with the power company, and will able to tell you exactly what is needed for the upgrade. Your profile does not list a location, and every city has differences for what they require.

Bruce

 

[James-W]

I agree, it is time to call an electrician. I have my doubts you would even be allowed to replace the panel yourself, even though you may be capable of doing it.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If those numbers besides the fuses are for the size (current capacity) for the fuse, I would be nervous ! My house was built in the early 50's and still has a fuse box (if it ain't broke don't fix it). Every fuse (or screw in breaker) is a 15A. Why ? because the house is wired with 14 AWG Romex, which was and still is the most common size of wire in homes.

It might not be easy to tell, but I would pull the main again and then pull of the front cover off. A 20A fuse should be be used to protect a 12 gauge wire. A 30A fuse is used to protect a 10 gauge wire.

What is connected at the end of those 30A circuits ?

Also what is on that 60A circuit ? A water heater ?

 

[Norcal]

That is a 100A fusible pullout.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Pull the cover off and look at the wires feeding the panel and post a picture of them,Do the same with the outside service.
Depending on how big the house is and what youre using a 100A service is usually adequate unless youre feeding a big shop back off of it.
Id much rather come across a 150 or 200a service versus the 125a services that seem to be popular on the newer cookie cutter houses I come across that were thrown up in the last 15-20 years,and they all seem to be loaded down with tandem breakers right from the word go!
Why cant these cheap *** builders just go with a 150-200a service if a 100 isn't enough and put a panel with extra freaking spaces in there?
The price difference in materials isn't but a couple hundred freaking dollars on a $100,000.00 plus house!

 

[Norcal]

Pull the cover off and look at the wires feeding the panel and post a picture of them,Do the same with the outside service.
Depending on how big the house is and what youre using a 100A service is usually adequate unless youre feeding a big shop back off of it.
Id much rather come across a 150 or 200a service versus the 125a services that seem to be popular on the newer cookie cutter houses I come across that were thrown up in the last 15-20 years,and they all seem to be loaded down with tandem breakers right from the word go!
Why cant these cheap *** builders just go with a 150-200a service if a 100 isn't enough and put a panel with extra freaking spaces in there?
The price difference in materials isn't but a couple hundred freaking dollars on a $100,000.00 plus house!

Because the margins are tight on tract homes, a couple of hundred is huge.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Today I pulled the main breaker and both fuses are rated at 100 amps. So if I am looking at this correctly we have 100amp service coming into the house? Is that correct? I would like to replace the current box because 1) it is out of open slots and 2) it has screw in fuses and I would like for it to have breakers instead.
I am also adding 3 pictures to help show what I have going on.
Thanks for all your help.

I didnt notice this earlier but thats a POS(piece of sh*t) FPE(federal pacific electric) panel. REPLACE it for sure!

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I didnt notice this earlier but thats a POS(piece of sh*t) FPE(federal pacific electric) panel. REPLACE it for sure!

Its their breakers that were a problem,not fused panels.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Awww ok. Fuse panels were before my time..

 

[Norcal]

Fusible load centers were in electrical manufacturers catalogs well into the 1970's. The only FPE products that have issues is the Stab-Lok load centers & circuit breakers.