Replies

1. 
   Rich | Dec 29, 2007 02:10am | #1

   I've had this done in two houses in Chicago.  Your electrician will pull the permit with the city and let ComEd know if they need to replace the overhead line and the meter.  He will probably have to redo the pipe on the outside above the meter to accomodate the new lines.  My electrician removed the old meter and bypassed it with some temporary wires until comed showed up to install the new meter. 

1. 
   bigbossman | Dec 29, 2007 02:58am | #2

   Thanks for the imput but what did you start with 6o or 100 amp and how high in amps did you go? 100-200-300 or 400 which I have heard in some of the newer homes?

1. 
   Rich | Dec 29, 2007 04:19am | #3

   First house went from 60A fuse service to 200A.  Second house was 100A to 200A.  One issue i had on the second house was the city now requires the meter to be no more than 4 feet from the service panel.  My panel was in the basement and the cable ran out under the back porch and up the back of the house tro the meter.  So in order to upgrade, we had to locate the 200A panel to a different area of the basement that was on an outside wall.  Major surgery.

   If you have a typical Chicago house like I do, I doubt you'll need more than 200A.  Furnace, dryer, stove are gas.  The only big electrical draw is the a/c.

   Edited 12/28/2007 8:21 pm ET by Rich

1. 
   bigbossman | Dec 29, 2007 04:29am | #4

   Thanks for the heads up. I know from what you said that I wont go from 100 to 200 amp.  It would take my whole basement apart to get the 4 Feet that is needed.  My house has the same set up as yours and I think I will stay with my 100 amp service.

    

    

1. 
   BillHartmann | Dec 29, 2007 04:34am | #5

   There are often other options are can be used. I don't know about that specific rule, but in general it is only limit by the distance that the cable/conduit can run INSIDE the house before the panel.Another option is to install a disconnect by the meter. Then the panel is converted to a sub-panel..
   .
   A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

2. 
   Rich | Dec 29, 2007 05:17am | #6

   Yea, we went through all the options.  The disconnect got ruled out for some reason, I think it was because Chicago doesn't let you put it on the outside of the building.   I guess moving the panel wasn't as big a deal for me because we were rewiring the whole house anyway.