Service Upgrades

Residential – Panel & BC Hydro Service Upgrades

When considering improving such an important system in your home, you want the best. Raymond Electrical prides itself on safety, organization, and customer relation. Just ask the dozens of customers that have this type of project done with us each year. References available upon request. Let us put you in contact with a past customer that has had a similar project done. Our past customers will usually speak on our behalf to show gratitude for a job well done.

There are many reasons for upgrading your main service panel in your home, but the main two reasons are as follows.

1. Limited power or panel positions for new electric devices:Electrification is dominating residential energy needs. Whether you want to install a new air conditioning system, hot tub, or EV charger. Most homes don’t have the available power to handle these types of high-demand loads. This is the primary reason for panel and service upgrades to homes.
2. Age of panel:If your home is 35+ years old, you may need to consider upgrading your electrical panel. Old circuit breakers can begin to fail with age. Circuit breakers can fuse closed, no longer providing the protection to the electrical circuits in your home. This can become a severe fire risk.Do you still have a fuse box in your home? There is very few of these left, but they are out there! You may be finding that you can’t buy replacement fuses for these fuse boxes anymore. They are no longer manufacturing them. You will need to upgrade your electrical panel soon.

   Older panels may not have open breaker positions for expanding your electrical needs.

   Insurance companies may be charging high premiums for homes that still have old wiring and/or old electrical panels/fuse boxes. As part of our upgrade process, you will receive an insurance report (if requested) to apply for lowered premiums.

What can you expect when getting a panel and/or service upgrade in your home?

In many cases these jobs aren’t as invasive as people expect. Typically, you will lose power to your home for a full working day. Raymond Electrical looks after the BC Hydro coordination and jurisdictional permitting. We work with you and BC Hydro to schedule a date that works for you.

How much does a panel upgrade cost?

There are many considerations when pricing a service and/or panel upgrade for the customer. Is your current service from BC Hydro run overhead or underground? If you have an underground service, will the conduit going to the street be sufficient size to allow for the upgrade. In many cases these upgrades are easy. In rare cases they can involve excavation and additional costs from BC Hydro. How many breakers need to be replaced? Does the existing panel location meet all current codes? Or does it need to be re-located? As you can see there is no one-size fits all for service and panel upgrades in your home. Draw on our wealth of experience to design a specified solution that fits your budget and needs with Raymond Electrical.

What equipment and wiring must be changed to upgrade my 100-AMP service to a 200-AMP service in my home?

With an overhead service, a new mast and weather head must be installed. Most times a new 200-AMP meter base is required. It is rare that the existing meter base is already sized for 200-AMP (Though it does happen occasionally) The service conductors being supplied by BC Hydro must be changed. We work with BC Hydro to coordinate lengths and installation. The main panel in your home will also need to be upgrades to a 200-AMP panel board with a 200-AMP main breaker. Every situation is unique, but you can rely on us to find the least invasive, most cost-effective option for our customers.

Considerations must be made for overhead services and the point of connection. Position of the mast and supply service attachment must be made so that the overhead conductors maintain the required minimum clearances.

Terms associated with a service upgrade: Service entrance head, electrical supply lines, service conductors, panel feeders, roof flange, U-bolt, mast support bolt, supply service attachment, Smart meter, PVC expansion joint, over current protection, main breaker.