Household Electrical Question

[hardflex]

I have a rent house that started as 1 or 2 rooms and was then enlarged with additions. Probably built in the 40's or 50's back when electric was used mostly for lights.

In probing some electrical gremlins recently, I noticed the Service feed lines were pretty small, maybe 1/4" or less. There are many more loads on it now, bigger refrigerators, window A/C units, Washer, Electric Space heaters, etc. and I'm wondering if the lines are big enough.

My question is, how would inadequate service lines manifest itself? Lowered voltage on Demand? Dimming lights? What should I look for?

I'm really most concerned that appliances would be prone to early failure due to low electric supply.

Thanks in advance for your responses

[ossiblue]

I assume you are talking about the lines from the pole into the conduit that leads to the service panel, correct? If so, then you should contact the utility company that they may not meet present-day codes and they should replace them at no charge.

If you mean the lines inside the conduit that feed the panel, then that is your problem and it can easily be remedied by an electrician who will feed larger lines to the panel.

If you service lines are truly too small, then you could see the symptoms you describe, especially dimming lights when heavy draw appliances are being used. If you suspect such, call out an electrician to check the amperage/voltage drops through out the house. Too small of wiring can overheat under load and that is something you don't want to happen.

[hardflex]

Yes I'm talking about the lines from the meter into the service panel.

I suspect none of it has been upgraded since the house was built. The house itself has been rewired during the remodeling so i'm not so worried about that.

I'll get an electrician to take a look . Thanks for the advice

[jcommin]

wires from the meter to the panel can only carry what they are designed to do. Upgrading a service may entail a new meter, larger conduit and wires and a larger panel for additional circuits. You local village or municipality should tell you what the minimum amp requirements are for a home. Usually requires a permit too.

[john70t]

Some of the records of when it was last installed may be available from public permits, etc.

There probably should be(edit must) a "service disconnect" installed where the street line enters the house. A large 1-pole breaker which separates city utilities from personal.
Cut this, and the entire panel/house is safe to work on.

[Bill Douglas]

In theory the electrical additions and alterations were done by a registered electrician so meet the spec's. If loads get to high for a wire a fuse will blow before the wire has problems.



Edit. In regard to the low power to appliances. You can put a simple multimeter into the power outlet and look at what the voltage is. Maybe turn lots of things on that use a lot of power and see what the reading is.

[Cajundaddy]

Standard spec for most appliances is 115VAC +- 10%. Most will run on 105 volts AC but sensitive digital electronics may need closer tolerances. Note: Poor neutral or ground connections may cause gremlins regardless of line voltage.

[imcarthur]

Imho . . . chances are good that you have a 60A main feed with #6 wire from the meter base. I had a small house of similar vintage & that was its ridiculous main feed. Yes, that should be upgraded. Get an electrician to tell you for sure.

Ian

Edit: But I was young & foolish & in the electrical business, so I pulled the meter & upgraded it myself to 100A 24 circuit . . .

[hardflex]

My gremlins came from a loose line connection into the service box, the lug would not tighten enough. All the circuits on that leg were affected. I got that fixed with a new lug, but in the process noticed the line size and it made me wonder.

I'll ask my electrician to go check it out.

[North Coast Cab]

Start with the Utility. They will look at the feeder cable and advise on the Max panel you can draw off of it. If it needs to be upgraded it is not always easy....
Pulling the meter will kill the power into the house. You're typically responsible for everything from the meter in, although these days often the meter base is your responsibility. Be careful there as you may need a larger meter base as well.
So here' what I see could happen.
1) Utility feed can handle a larger service - you upgrade your main panel, run new wiring from meter to panel, and reconnect existing circuits.
2) Utility feed needs upgraded - following that you are in for the same new panel.
You coudl also hire an electrician who could place a recording meter on the main feed and measure the power draw over a 24 hour period.

[johnsjmc]

Your main breaker or fuses will tell you the size of service you have now. Min is 60 Amp. Good enough without electric heat or central air but marginal with either. The 60 A is at 220 volts so you have about 12000 watts available at 110 volts .