What current service

[JordonMusser]

I have searched, and find lots of people asking for COST, but not much on what you really need. I could obviously do the load calcs, but am curious about the real world.

I am building a 3600sqft house with all the normal trimming (6+ flat panels, HT room, pool, hot tub, etc). Of course I am building a 36x43 attached shop. Plan to have 5-6 220 drops, as I have a lift, welders, etc. Also planning on buying a mill and lathe.

Of course, I am only one person.. so in the shop more than likely only 1-2 things max running at the same time. Gotta assume here in Texas the AC will be running full blast, pool pumps, etc. But I have natural gas, so heater(s) (Pool, etc) are taken care of.

Im planning on heating/cooling the garage as well..

Thoughts? my initial thoughts are that 200amp is enough.

 

[Aceman]

Thoughts? my initial thoughts are that 200amp is enough.

You can't go all out on the house and skimp on the electrical. It just doesn't work.

My best advice to you would be to give your prints to a couple local licensed electricians and have them bid it. With the hot tub and electric heating/cooling in Texas, I bet you are at least a 400 amp service.

 

[pattenp]

Are you asking if 200A is enough just for the garage? If so, I'd say oh yeah. For the whole shebang then I'd say at least 400A.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Are you asking if 200A is enough just for the garage? If so, I'd say oh yeah. For the whole shebang then I'd say at least 400A.

^^^^^THIS from the sound of it.

400 amp service with dual outside disconnects and run one right to the shop.

Charles

 

[madosta]

1 Person, Huge House, Barn, Machine Tools.

JEALOUS.

Get the most you can get. 320amp/2-200amp panels, etc.

Thought about feeding the house from the barn if you have a generator transfer switch ever?

 

[Midnight_America]

In northern Illinois, with your square footage, code calls for 400A service.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Are u using NG for ovens and the dryer as well? If not, then definitely 400a service! A/C and the hot tub will be the biggest loads in the house!

You can't go all out on the house and skimp on the electrical. It just doesn't work.

My best advice to you would be to give your prints to a couple local licensed electricians and have them bid it. With the hot tub and electric heating/cooling in Texas, I bet you are at least a 400 amp service.

He said natural gas for heat!

 

[ForceFed70]

If you are heating with natural gas, then I really doubt you'll need more than 200A.

If electric heat you'll need 400A

Yes the space is big, but as you mentioned you are only 1 person and you can only use so much at a time.

 

[Aceman]

One way is to install a 400amp meterbase due to the lugs accepting two wires. Then work out what size panels you'll have in the house and shop later. You don't have to use two 200 amp panels just because you have a 400 amp meterbase. You can use a 200 and 100, etc.

You might want to google "400 amp metermain" as well. Those come with a lot of different options too. It's a combination meterbase and panel with a few to a bunch of breaker spaces depending on which model you pick.

Instead of a meterbase and 2 disconnects/panels on the outside of your house(depending on how you do it), you would only have a 400 amp metermain(1 panel) feeding another panel in your home as well as one in your shop. It wouldn't look quite as cluttered on the outside of your house.

A lot of different ways to do this, and they vary by region too.

He said natural gas for heat!

I skim these threads most of the time and this time it bit me in the @ss!

 

[JordonMusser]

Thanks for the insight guys. I have 150amp service at my home now (2400sqft, hot tub (electric!) pool, AC, welder, etc I have never had a problem... hence my hesitation to go tooooo overkill on the new house.

I will have it bid at both 200 and 400amp service, and make the decision based on that. if it is a LOT more, I will run down realistic load scenarios and "do the math". I am not being cheap, but if I just said "give me the more expensive one" at every decision in life, I would never be where I am!

madosta-
yea I am pretty lucky . I saved a ton of money architecting the house myself. I am a mechanical engineer, so I have access to all the right software tools. I then turned it over to a PE for his review and stamp. Saved probably 40K on that alone (100% custom house, not a cookie cutter). My GF designs custom high end hotels, so I am getting design services for free (well.. nothing is free ) and she gets a discount on materials. My fav part is when you look at the first floor floor plan and the garage dwarfs the actual living area

 

[JakeKohl]

Thanks for the insight guys. I have 150amp service at my home now (2400sqft, hot tub (electric!) pool, AC, welder, etc I have never had a problem... hence my hesitation to go tooooo overkill on the new house.

I will have it bid at both 200 and 400amp service, and make the decision based on that. if it is a LOT more, I will run down realistic load scenarios and "do the math". I am not being cheap, but if I just said "give me the more expensive one" at every decision in life, I would never be where I am!

madosta-
yea I am pretty lucky . I saved a ton of money architecting the house myself. I am a mechanical engineer, so I have access to all the right software tools. I then turned it over to a PE for his review and stamp. Saved probably 40K on that alone (100% custom house, not a cookie cutter). My GF designs custom high end hotels, so I am getting design services for free (well.. nothing is free ) and she gets a discount on materials. My fav part is when you look at the first floor floor plan and the garage dwarfs the actual living area

I have a 2000 sqft garage and a 2000 sqft house. Lovin' it.

You're talking about spending some serious jack on the house and furnishings, the electrical is the last thing you need to be concerned about...400A. The price difference between that and 200A is going to be pretty small. 400A only requires a bigger box and a larger service (many utility companies cover the service install anyway and boxes are CHEAP). It doesn't affect the number or size of the internal circuits since you've planned everything. Go 400A and sleep well tomorrow.

 

[Angelfire]

You speak of load calcs as though they are not an accurate representation of what is needed. I find it interesting that rather than put together a load calc you are basing your decision on a number of folks you've never met that are throwing out numbers. Do the load calc as only you know truly what your needs are and will be. Get a number and bump it up if you like but load calcs don't lie.

 

[mllester]

I mean no disrespect at all, but are you sure you are an engineer? I have worked with engineers from all disciplines for the last 30 years. This conversation would never start with the guys I work with before a load calculation was done.
BTW-I'm not an engineer... so with a grain of salt, I would go with the 400 amp service and never look back. I have never regretted going with larger wire!

 

[GShelton]

I did a 400amp meter can with 2 pass through panels. (For my grouped disconnects.) One panel to the house, one panel to the garage. (Well kind of. The garage panel also feeds all of my outside receptacles for Christmas lights. That way I have 200amps for lights.)

www.houseofshelton.com/gallery2/d/23060-2/IMG_3424.JPG

www.houseofshelton.com/gallery2/d/24516-2/IMG_5844.JPG