old breakers tripping/new service?
jackplane
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
I have an older house from the 1920’s with an updated electrical panel from the 70’s.(This house I rent). The sparkie tells me the panel needs to be replaced because the breakers are blowing and not resetting properly. Smaller panel in basement, same thing.Can the breakers be replaced, or is it the whole panel(s)?
I haven’t looked at it, but it’s probably 200 amp service to main house and 100 amps to basement unit. $900 each? Sound right? 4Lorn, others?
Thanks for your response.
Replies
bump
Yes, the breakers can be replaced.
BUT, from that period there are a number of brands that are obsolete and are only available on the used market or from 3rd parties that just make replacement breakers.
Thus the cost is high. OK to replace one or two, but for a number of them or the larger main the cost is often too high.
And at once one brand (FPE) has a questionable reliability and some people think that they should be recalled.
And the panel it'self might have conditons such as corrosion that would point to a complete replacement.
thanks Bill
Assuming the panel's corrosion-free, I'm thinking that maybe the tenants are using small space heaters(big amp draws) instead of the radiators powered by natural gas, for heat.Thus the problem?
The situation first arose in November. I'll look into what you mentioned.
Until recently, I had an obsolete breaker box. I needed to add a couple of circuits for my shop. I called my electrician buddy and he arrived with a 5 gal bucket full of obsolete breakers. Dug the right ones out and hooked me up two new circuits pronto. My point is, if you need new breakers, there might be a sparky with a stash nearby.
I invented black market electrical parts.
Tenants with 15 amp electric heaters is a definite possibility. Maybe you need to 1) have them pay the electric bill and 2) explain the difference between $/Kwh and $/therm.
So maybe those breakers SHOULD be tripping. Running an 1800 watt heater on a circuit leaves 0 amps left for anything else. Yet each light bulb, computer, etc pulls another amp. Often those heaters have a 1/2 or 2/3 setting on them. That would allow for their use plus other stuff. Other stuff EXCEPT hair dryers, toasters or another such heater.
Time for some tenant education on Home Wiring 101. a.k.a. how to add to 15.David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
That's what I'm thinking 'cause a new panel for that reason won't solve anything.
Put a clause in your lease prohibiting the use of space heaters of any sort. It might actually stop them from doing it, particularly if you say why, and you can go after them for damages once they burn the place down.
The last lot lasted 30 years. $1.10 peryear and you should be able to write off the cost go for the new stuff, Might cost more to find new "old" stuff!