Is Current 200amp Service Enough?

[Rescue Wagon]

I'm working on finishing my garage and want to add 2 more 30 amp breakers, one for my RV and the other for an IT Rack I'm putting in my garage. When I look at the panel it seems that a lot of the previous owners of my home have added a bunch of items, but I'm not sure if they added with no concern because there was room in the panel or if they actually calculated the current usage. So I was wondering if I need to look at upgrading to a 320amp service to accommodate everything in the panel plus my two additions. Currently the transformer is too far from my home and if I have to upgrade I'll need to drop a few polls on my property. Here is my current panel breakdown:

50amp Basement Sub-panel
20amp Garage Outlets
20amp Air Compressor
20amp Garage Door Openers and Heater
20amp Barn Lights and Outlet
40amp Electric Kiln
40amp Range
30amp Dryer
30amp Well
20amp Washer
20amp Bathrooms
20amp Furnace
20amp Refrigerator
20amp Kitchen Outlets
20amp Garbage Disposal and Dishwasher
15amp Microwave
15amp Master Bedroom Plugs
15amp Smoke Detectors
15amp Master Bedroom Lights
15amp Storage Room Outlets
15amp Kitchen Lights
15amp Bedroom Plugs
15amp Bedroom Lights
15amp Living Room Plugs
15amp Entry Lights

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[A_Pmech]

I doubt you're drawing very much current with that setup at all. Remember: Not everything runs at once.

If you're worried, buy a peak reading clamp-on ammeter and leave it on the panel for a while. Or, if your service has a smart meter, ask the power company to download the peak demand from the meter.

 

[ddawg16]

Why not hook a clamp on probe on and make some measurements.

The question comes up a lot when some guys think they need 500A for their garage.

Remember, that 200A panel can actually give you 400a of 120vac power...assuming you have everything balanced perfectly.

I have 50A going to my garage and I doubt I will ever overload that breaker.

 

[volleyball]

Are your electricity bills huge? Probably not. Add the breakers and if you start tripping the main, then consider the power upgrade. That is the simplest method.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Are your electricity bills huge? Probably not. Add the breakers and if you start tripping the main, then consider the power upgrade. That is the simplest method.

Crude but true. Probably the worse case is using the kiln, range and dryer ate the same time (is the water heater on the 50A basement sub ?) and then having the well and the water heater kick in at the same time.

Don't use the dryer or bake/broil when the kiln is on.

I had to add 4 circuits to a "full" 100A load center at my daughter's house for a kitchen remodel. The only additional appliance was a dishwasher.

4 tandem breaker, no problem.

 

[sberry]

A 200 will run that easy.

 

[Rescue Wagon]

The cost of dropping the extra poles on my property is why I'm making sure its needed before I do an upgrade.

As for the water heater it is propane fired.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The cost of dropping the extra poles on my property is why I'm making sure its needed before I do an upgrade.

As for the water heater it is propane fired.

When that dryer dies, get a propane one ! Might even consider that for the stove when it needs to be replaced.

 

[Rescue Wagon]

Already going to do the stove when we remodel the kitchen.

 

[Steve from Socal]

You should be fine; I have well over 500 amps of breakers in my 200 amp panel at home. My house has an electric double oven, 5 element electric cook top, a 5 ton HVAC and 30 amp 240 dryer. The rest of the house is 15 and 20 amp lighting and receptacles. In the garage I have 5 additional 50 amp circuits for a welder, mill, lathe and air compressor and saw.

I can't use the oven, range, HVAC, dryer and tools in the garage at the same time but, that has not been an issue in 15 plus years.

Steve

 

[volleyball]

Crude but true. Probably the worse case is using the kiln, range and dryer ate the same time (is the water heater on the 50A basement sub ?) and then having the well and the water heater kick in at the same time.

Don't use the dryer or bake/broil when the kiln is on.

Far from crude. Just simple. Most people don't use anywhere near 200a. I've got over 60 breakers and cannot remember ever tripping a main breaker. And I have over a dozen double breakers over 40a each.
You'd need many high powered pieces running concurrently to get close.
Even if the OP started tripping breakers, a slight modification of usage would fix that. I was on TOU power and it was simple to change habits. And if you need to use something, you just do.

 

[Rescue Wagon]

Thanks for all the input. Just wanted to make sure before I started closing walls up.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Already going to do the stove when we remodel the kitchen.

Smart ! That was one of your biggest electric loads.

Where do you live ? Have you thought about a heat pump ? They now have heat pump water heaters. When your furnace and/or water heater die, you might want to consider heat pump versions.

Unless you are willing to spend really big dollars for a geothermal heat pump, or live far enough south that cold weather is really not an issue, most home heat pumps really need a "back up" for extremely cold weather. Propane fireplaces are perfect.

 

[Rescue Wagon]

Cheyenne, WY.

We heat the house with a pellet stove and the furnace is just used for the basement.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Cheyenne, WY.

We heat the house with a pellet stove and the furnace is just used for the basement.

As long as you aren't buying your pellets at "retail" prices, no other heat source could come close to your operating cost !

 

[Rescue Wagon]

Yup. Buy them by the pallet load and get a fairly good price.