More House Power
2024 Oct 27Melanie was wiping down the controls on our gas kitchen range when it started flashing with an error. There was an issue with the oven and a part would need to be replaced. However, maybe this was a different opportunity.
She had been admiring our kids’ induction cook tops. They don’t make combustion fumes inside the house. Spills don’t burn onto them, making them look grimy even when cleaned. They respond very quickly (similar to gas). However, there was a problem: our house electrical supply would not accommodate the power demands of a new electric range and would need to be upgraded.
I have too many hobbies! ;-) I don’t go looking for new projects to do around the house. However, issues with the old range had been bugging Melanie, and I admit the induction tech was cool to me. Maybe this was a project I should take on. We went to see what models were available and picked out a Bosch.
I had done inside-the-house wiring for our house addition so I was comfortable with that part. Initially I thought upgrading the main breaker box for the house would do the job. However, the capacity of the supply wires into the house was insufficient, so the outside power mast and the meter box also needed to be upgraded.
I was unsure about the main supply work, so asked for a quote from an electrician. When it came back at over $19,000 dollars, I decided I could do the whole project!
There is limited space for our house's electrical service equiptment so it took some work to find the parts and design that would both do the job and fit in place. I have a friend who is an electrical inspector. He came over, looked at my context and my plan and said it was OK. Time to pull the trigger.
I got a permit for the work, ordered the parts and scheduled a Friday and Monday off work. The power company was scheduled to disconnect our power and that Friday morning it was off.
We have the off-grid power system in our house which always powers the internet and the gas fireplace fan. It would also charge batteries and provide lights. My neighbor let us run a power cord over the fence to his house to keep our fridge and freezer going. Hot water and the old range top were gas, so that wasn't interrupted. It was pretty comfortable to live in our house without regular electric power!
The Level-2 charger (for our plug in hybrid car) had a cable that was very badly frayed. I bought a new charger with increased capacity for a full electric car. I got some new tools - a band saw and a circular saw (in the system of my other cordless tools). The new range and the electrical parts for the project were also purchased. All together these costs were less than half the electrician’s quote.
The hole in the house wall where the new electrical meter panel would go.
Test fitting the outside panel.
The new wiring to the inside breaker box which is in back of the outside panel.
The weekend went well. •••
The drywall was ripped off and the insulation removed. The old house wires were labeled for what they supplied (bedrooms, living room, etc).
After the power was off, the wire was removed from the old breaker panel. The old supply wire to the mast was cut off. The mast was pulled out and the old meter and breaker boxes were removed.
Siding was pulled off around the area of the new outside meter and distribution box. Wooden studs were put in to support the new meter box. The new mast was mounted on the box, secured to the house and cut to height. The 200 amp supply wire was installed. (Fat wires are hard to bend!)
A larger grounding wire was connected to the house copper water pipes. Another grounding wire was attached to two grounding rods. Distribution breakers were mounted in the outside box and connected to their house wires. Supply wire was installed for the car charger.
- Regulations now require an outside power disconnect available for fire fighters.
- Also newly required was a whole-house surge protector.
- A surprising thing about the project has been a more than doubled cost of wire since the last time I did this kind of work.
The sub-panel breaker box was mounted inside (back of the outside panel). Circuit breakers were installed and connected to the existing house wires. And finally, supply wire was installed to the electric range.
Monday afternoon my friend came over again to check things. (He found one minor change for me to make.) So, I requested the electrical inspection. Tuesday morning the new range was delivered. Later that day the inspector arrived and passed my work with no issues. I called the guy from the power company and he was reconnecting things within the half hour. Amazing.
That week Austin helped me lift the new range into position. Melanie has been using it and is quite satisfied. I will need to re-insulate around the new electrical panels and then repair the drywall. The project has been a success.
