Adding a Circuit Breaker to an Electric Panel
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How to Check the Capacity of an Electrical Panel for an Additional Circuit: How to Find the Available Amperage of the Panel, Adding a Circuit Breaker © By: Dave Rongey |
Circuit Breaker Panel
Electrical Questions: Can I add an additional circuit breaker to my electric panel?
- I have 200 amp’s of power coming into the panel at my house.
- I would like to add a 20 amp circuit to the panel.
- How do i determine if there is enough power left to do so.
- This electrical wiring question came from: Mike, a Homeowner from Madison Heights, Michigan.
- I’d like to add a 50-amp circuit breaker to my existing panel.
- I checked service panel and there’s a space for it.
- Does this mean it is safe to add without upgrading the service panel to a higher amp rating?
- This electrical wiring question came from Ana, in Dublin, California.
Dave’s Reply:
Thanks for your electrical wiring question Mike and Ana.
The Circuit Capacity of an Electrical Panel
How to Determine if Your Panel Has The Power for One More Circuit
- Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced – Best performed by a Licensed Electrician.
- Tools Required: Basic Electricians Pouch Hand Tools.
- Estimated Time: Depends on personal level experience, ability to work with tools and install electrical circuit wiring.
- Notice: Installing additional electrical circuit wiring should be done with a permit and be inspected.
How to Check the Capacity of an Electrical Panel
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Electric Panel Capacity
- Typically adding a circuit to an electric panel is rarely an issue when the main panel has a 200 amp rating.
- The actual load of the new circuit that will be connected on the panel will need to be identified, and may actually be less than the circuit breaker size, however the total connected load of the electric panel must be evaluated.
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Adding a Circuit Breaker
- An electrician can get a rough idea of the available capacity of the panel by looking at the number of breakers that are installed, the amp ratings of the circuit breakers and the brand and type of panel.
- How Circuit Breakers Are Installed Into a Panel
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Available Amperage of the Main Panel
- A clamp on amperage reading may be taken to see what the load is at that given time, however the load will change according to equipment used at peak demand periods, such as when air conditioners are switched on, or the oven is used.
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How to Accurately Know Electrical Usage and Available Amperage
- A very accurate method to see how much electricity is used at the home is to look at the electric utility bill and notice the peak kW and kWH which has been consumed. For example: If the peak kW on the utility bill is 40kW then the peak load on the panel was 167amps. This does not account for power factor.
- The formula is basically 40,000 (40kW) divided by 240volts (a 240volt panel) = 166.6 amps. Or: Watts divided by Volts equal Amps. It is important to know that the panel should not be loaded to it’s maximum capacity, actually 80% is the normal maximum load factor.
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