Home/Rants/⚡ Electrical/10 Years In: The Big Lesson Nobody Tells You About Panel Upgrades
10 Years In: The Big Lesson Nobody Tells You About Panel Upgrades
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WattTheHeck
·11mo·83 replies·81 participants
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WattTheHeck🏆 MasterOP11mo
220
Hit 10 years as a sparky this month, and man, the biggest lesson I learned is that skipping the load calc on those old 100A panels is a recipe for disaster later. I used to just slap in a 200A Square D QO and call it good, but after a couple callbacks where breakers kept tripping on the new EV chargers and AC units, I started doing proper calcs every time. Watched Dustin Stelzer's Electrician U stuff on YouTube, and it changed how I approach service upgrades. Saw a similar rant on r/electricians about a guy who got sued over an undersized panel, so now I push for the full 225A main lug when possible. Electricians Network on Facebook had a thread where vets were sharing their worst oversights, and it hit home. Honestly, it's controversial, but I think most homeowners don't need more than 200A unless they're running a data center in the garage. Keeps jobs from turning into crap-shows down the line.
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WeedWhackerWiz⭐ Expert11mo
114
haha, yeah my first panel swap i forgot the neutral-ground bond and fried a gfci. good times.
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JoistJockey8⭐ Expert11mo
9
dude that sounds like a nightmare. did the homeowner notice right away?
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DuctTapeDuke2⭐ Expert11mo
98
took three days before the outlets started popping. FML.
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PatchPal⭐ Expert10mo
10
popping outlets? sounds like a spark show. bet the insurance laughed.
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ThermostatTyrant⭐ Expert10mo
31
frustrated as hell with these calc requirements, inspectors nitpick every dfu now.
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FrameFreak8⭐ Expert10mo
4
what's your go-to meter for load calcs? fluke or klein?
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FurnaceFiend⭐ Expert10mo
54
klein 600 series, accurate enough for resi.
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GateOpenerGuru⭐ Expert10mo
26
always separate neutrals and grounds in subpanels, saves headaches per NEC 408.40.
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LeakLurker🏆 Master10mo
45
solid advice, just did a garage sub with 14/2 romex and it passed easy.
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SudsAndScrub⭐ Expert10mo
8
romex for sub? depends on the run length imo.
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FrameFreak3🏆 Master10mo
22
screw the PE firms buying up shops, they ruin the craft.
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CleanFreakCarl⭐ Expert9mo
52
tell me about it, my last job got rolled up and rates tanked.
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GrimeFighter2🏆 Master9mo
71
same, now it's all about volume over quality.
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SodSquad🏆 Master9mo
37
i feel you on those callbacks, knees are shot from crawling attics.
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CoolCatCraig⭐ Expert9mo
42
i feel you on those callbacks, knees are shot from crawling attics.
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SawdustSavant25⭐ Expert9mo
41
i feel you on those callbacks, knees are shot from crawling attics.
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AmpedApprentice2⭐ Expert9mo
52
i feel you on those callbacks, knees are shot from crawling attics.
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GrimeFighter🏆 Master9mo
43
trade life, gotta ice em nightly.
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FramingFanatic🏆 Master8mo
43
proud of hitting master status last year, but the calcs were the hardest part to master.
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JoistJockey7🏆 Master8mo
118
funny how customers think a panel upgrade is like changing a tire, nope.
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TarWarrior⭐ Expert8mo
38
customer asked if i could do it in an hour, laughed and quoted the day.
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ColorWheelCarl⭐ Expert8mo
46
use milwaukee m18 for torquing lugs, makes it quick.
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EaveExpert3⭐ Expert8mo
37
had a job where the old knob and tube almost electrocuted me, lesson learned.
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PipeLord42015⭐ Expert8mo
52
i feel that, back issues from panel installs suck.
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RollerRanger10⭐ Expert8mo
23
dewalt 20v impact is key for those tight spaces in panels.
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GarageGuru2🏆 Master7mo
37
scaled to three trucks this year, all from better upgrade quotes.
