How to Upgrade Your House with a 200 Amp Electrical Service Colorado

Steps

1. Check the Warnings below and read the entire wikiHow before starting, to better understand seemingly conflicting information. Many aspects of this article describe dangerous activities. You should only attempt those things here that you understand well enough to do safely. When in doubt, you should hire a professional. Be prepared to foot the bill if you are not successful with this project: hiring an electrician to rework your efforts as an emergency service call can be quite expensive, as can sitting without power long enough to have the work redone as a regularly scheduled service call.
2. Determine if your needs, do in fact, justify the work and expense of this project. Fuse boxes, particularly, while somewhat outdated, still function effectively in many homes. In cases where fuse boxes are still in use, often the complete home wiring is outdated, and even dangerous. This means the receptacles may not be properly grounded, the wire may not be sized correctly, and the original builder may have used aluminum conductors for interior circuits. These issues may shed light on a need for hiring an electrician to rewire the whole house; upgrading incoming service to a level the interior wiring is unprepared to handle is a disaster in the making.
3. Become familiar with Article 230 (Services) of the NEC (National Electrical Code) will help a bit, too. Your library should have a copy. Look at services, meter sockets and Service Entrance cable installations at friends' and neighbors' homes to get an idea of what is going to be expected.
4. Contact your Electric Company (utility) to find out what requirements they have for this work. Most of them prefer to move indoor metering outdoors and dictate a specific location of THEIR choosing. They may also have meter socket equipment requirements. The meter and the wires beyond it are usually the property of the electric company; if that is the case, only their service people should work on them.
5. Fill out an Electrical Permit from your locality's Code Enforcement Office. Speak with your local wiring inspector to determine if there are local requirements that modify the NEC.
6. Schedule an "outage" with the power company, if it is at all possible. In some cases, skilled, competent electricians may perform this work with the power on (but this is not something the average homeowner should try). Performing the work with the power off significantly reduces the chance of injury, and is the only method endorsed. In an outage, generally the power company will disconnect power to your home, remove the meter if it is theirs, and attempt to reconnect at a given time after all local inspection requirements have been met. As a result, the start to finish time may require more than one day. Determine the logistics of coordinating the utility and local inspection services for the same day. This will minimize the amount of time between completion of work and utility reconnect. If unable to coordinate same day service, realize that the building will be without power over night.
7. Make a point to investigate the circuits in your panel. Identify them on the cable jacket or by other means (such as a directory). All circuits should be determined. The 240V must be determined. A good clue would be red wires in a fuse box and double pole circuit breakers in modern panels. Most, but not all, 240V circuits are of a larger ampacity, 30 amps or more. Examples of common 240V circuits are: sub-panels, oven or range, water heater, clothes dryer, air conditioner, electric heat, spa, pump, etc. Write down the name of the device or area served, wire size and circuit breaker size - not the fuse sizes. You'll need this list when purchasing circuit breakers and labeling the new panel. Put this info or a number on the jacket of the cable that corresponds to a directory of circuits kept elsewhere until the new panel is installed
8. Review the information provided by the power company and the wiring inspector carefully. Apply this information to the job at hand. Look at the "Things You'll Need" list and modify it accordingly.
9. Obtain all the items in the "Things You'll Need" section below, especially if this work will be done on a weekend or holiday. Home centers don't always have what you need, and electric supply distributors are usually closed on these days.
10. Prepare the new back board by cutting the plywood large enough to support the larger 200 amp panel and existing devices. A 120V ground fault protected plug will also have to be installed on this back board, if there isn't one already. Paint the backboard any color you like (painting it gray or black will give it a more professional look). Set aside to dry overnight.
11. Remove the meter after the power company has disconnected the service lateral (electric line) from the transformer. Do so only if they did not remove it when they disconnected power.
12. Turn the main breaker OFF in the electrical panel, or in the case of fuses, remove the "MAIN" and "RANGE" fuse holders straight out.
13. Remove the electric meter carefully by first removing the locking ring or front cover. Begin "rocking" the meter up and down. It may take some force, as it probably hasn't been out in many years. Store the meter and protect it from damage.
14. Take a good look at what is going on in the meter socket wiring area. Fortunately, the new meter socket has more working room and will merely be duplicating what is going on in this old one, just on a larger scale.
15. Remove the old weatherhead.
    • Set up a wooden or fiberglass ladder against the house to the "working comfortable " side of the overhead (service lateral) point of attachment of the power lines to your house.
    • Extend it above the wires. With large lineman's pliers or cable cutter and electrical tape, climb the ladder. There should be three aerial wires joined to three wires that go to your meter. Two of these wires are feeder (hot), the third, often bare aluminum, is ground. You will need to disconnect these wires at the split bolts or splices where the lateral service wires connect to them.
16. Remove the pipe / cable (a.k.a. Service Entrance conductors) between the meter and the cable cuts.
17. Remove the grounding electrode conductor (the one that is connected to a ground rod) carefully if it is connected in the meter socket, and it is #6 copper or #4 aluminum. Retain it for reuse. Otherwise, pull it to the ground rod and remove and discard it. Connect a #6 copper or #4 aluminum wire to the ground rod with a ground rod clamp sized for this wire.
18. Remove the meter socket from the wall.
19. Cut the cable between where it exits the meter socket and enters the house, or manually disconnect the wires from the terminals inside the meter socket and pull out from the meter socket. Discard the meter socket.
20. Go to the service panel location, and pull the cable that went to the meter socket back into the house.
22. Protect the cable. If there is a walk or driveway on the same side of the home as the service equipment, or it might otherwise be subjected to physical damage, the cable will be required to be protected. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use Schedule 80 PVC electrical pipe. If there is no walk or driveway on the same side of the home as the service equipment, and it is not otherwise subject to physical damage, the cable will not require special protection. You may continue with the SEU type cable installation.
23. Skip to step SEU Install if the installation is determined NOT to be subjected to physical damage. Otherwise continue here with PVC pipe installation. This method will change the list of materials you need. Of all the methods available to protect the SE conductors, the use of Schedule 80 PVC electrical pipe is probably the easiest on the wallet and with which to work. Premade fittings of 45 & 90 degree bends and "L" and "T" fittings are available for purchase. The pipe size required is based on the wire size and insulation type. THHN, THWN-2 and XHHW-2 are inexpensive types and very common for this use. 4/0 (pronounced four ought) with this insulation is rated for 205 amps. We need a MINIMUM of 2 inch pipe for three 4/0 cables. If you have one or more fittings that bend the pipe (45 or 90 degree or need to use "L" fittings ) and / or have a long run, it would be wise to increase to 2-1/2" pipe.
24. Determine the length of pipe needed to get from the top of the meter socket to a point above the service lateral. Cut a pipe with a hacksaw to provide correct overall length of the riser. If a straight run from weather head to meter, and not more than 20 feet of pipe, assemble on the ground, by spinning PVC pipe connector tightly into meter socket hub. Do not glue PVC pipe connector to the pipe at this time. Glue pipe sections together with coupling(s) where needed. Glue weather head on top section of pipe. Remove weather head cover. Make 3 equal cuts of 4/0 cable that is 6 - 8 feet longer than the pipe (more if 4 - 6" at the top is insufficient for drip loop and connection). Mark two cables at both ends, one cable with RED tape and the other with WHITE tape. Push all three cables at once, into the pipe. Allow about 18" of cable at the bottom, and fold the rest over the top by laying the cables into the weather head conductor spaces. Reinstall the weather head cover. With the top wires folded into the weather head, pull the other of the wires end up SLIGHTLY lining them up with those at the weather head. This will help the wires exit the meter socket front in the step below.
25. Try position the meter socket so that the cable that feeds the new panel exits the meter socket from the BACK, rather than bottom or sides. This will save having to run pipe out of the meter. Push enough SE cable (type determined elsewhere in this wiki) from the meter location into the home and make up the hub, dry connector and duct seal as outlined below to the meter socket and secure to the siding. If unable to align the meter socket as described above, be prepared to install pipe sized at least as large as that run between weather head and meter socket later.
26. Climb the ladder with pipe clips or clamps and screws, battery drill, etc, and pulling the weather head end of the pipe. Have your helper assist with the other end by being ready to guide cables and glue the pipe. The idea is to support and slip the three conductors through the PVC connector and hub into the meter socket as your helper guides the cables out the front of the socket - rather than letting them hang up on internal lugs and jaws of the socket. Once accomplished - but before seating the pipe, line up the weather head to point towards the service lateral connection point. Next, have your helper glue the inside of the PVC connector in the hub (as best as possible) and the bottom 1 - 1/2" of the entire outside of the pipe you are holding. Once done, let the pipe slip into the connector. Twist the pipe back and forth if needed, but make sure the weather head is still pointed in the right direction when done! You have about 2 or 3 seconds to align before the glue "sets up".
27. Secure the PVC pipe to the siding with the clips / clamps and galvanized screws within 12" of the weather head and every 30? down, and one within 12" of the meter socket.
28. Install SEU. Since there is no walk or driveway on the same side of the home as the service equipment, or would not otherwise be subjected to physical damage, standard SEU type cable would probably be the best cost effective choice.
29. Prefabricate the weather head portion of the cable on the ground first. The weather head (top SEU type cable anchor point) should be ABOVE the power company's service lateral point of attachment. Measure the amount of cable required to get from this top point, routed the way it will be secured, down to the meter socket location. Allow and extra 12 inches inside the meter, plus an additional 3 to 5 feet to form a generous drip loop from the weather head to the utility cables attached to the house.
30. Starting at the weather head, remove the outer jacket of the SE type cable an amount (3 to 5 feet) to provide for a generous drip loop. Unwrap the strands of the conductors that are exposed by the jacket removal. Many weather heads provide for these wires to be unwrapped from the cable - and then twisted back around each other, so the result is three separate conductors - two insulated and one that is not. After removing the top, slide the weather head over the cable so that the clamp will secure around the jacketed part of the SE cable. Some allow for folding the bare cable back on top of the clamp, while others allow the bare conductor to pass with the insulated ones. Arrange the two insulated cables to pass through the two holes of the weather head, and fold them down, too. Secure the top back on the weather head.
31. Orient and install the threaded hub onto the meter socket as needed with the supplied screws. Spin the wet connector (large cable connector with rubber insert) into the hub. Make sure you have the complete wet connector (rubber insert, concave metal ring and threaded hex top) loosely assembled. The rubber insert should be parallel to the siding.
32. Place a couple of 1/4" x 2" lags, awl, lineman pliers and a 7/16" socket and ratchet in your pocket, grab the weather head, and climb the ladder. Ever mindful of the hot utility cables, determine where to anchor the head. See if your lag's head will pass through the weather head. If so, press the awl into the siding and drive with pliers. Wiggle the awl to open up the hole. Next, start the lag into the hole with the socket and ratchet. Drive nearly fully in. Hang the weather head on the lag, and complete driving the lag in.
33. Load up on SE cable straps and galvanized #6 or #8 x 1" screws. The appropriate tip chucked in a battery drill will speed through this part. Remove twists from the SE cable, if any. Secure the SE cable flat against the siding with the straps / clips starting within 12" of the weather head, and every 30 inches down, until about 5 feet above where the meter socket will be.
34. Determine length of the SE cable by marking the location of where the bottom of the meter socket will be on the siding. Cut the SEU cable with cable cutters or hack saw several inches below this mark.
35. Slip the SE cable into the wet connector on the meter socket. Arrange the meter socket location on the cable so that the cable going from the socket into the house is aligned as desired. Mark the SEU cable at the top of the wet connector and remove the meter socket. Remove the appropriate size k o in the desired location for the dry connector (a large metal Romex connector with two screws) and install with locknut and plastic insulating bushing.
36. Enlarge the existing opening into the home or cut a new hole if needed for the cable to get from the socket to electrical panel. Angle this hole upwards to reduce the chance of water following the cable inside.
37. Based on the info in the TIPS section SE SEU SER?, choose the proper SE cable type ? SER or SEU. Push all but a couple of feet of the cable left over into the house through this hole. With the SEU cable that has the wet connector mark on the jacket, make a new mark 2 inches below the first mark. Strip the jacket to the LOWER mark. Wind a couple of wraps of electrical tape at the end of this cable, and gently ease the meter socket up the cable until the wet connector is aligned with the top mark again. Make up the wet connector hand tight.
38. Strip the end of the cable. With the cable that was pushed into the house, strip 12 inches of the jacketed part that is outside and guide it into the dry connector of the meter socket. Secure the cable in the appropriate dry connector (flat for SEU or round for SER) by tightening the two screws. If the dry connector is on the back of the socket, cut away any siding in the way of allowing the meter socket to sit flat against the house Once it can lay flat, pull the socket away from the wall and form duct seal around the dry connector so when the socket is secured to the house, it will help seal out water. Secure the meter socket to the siding of the house with galvanized 1" screws. If the dry connector is on the bottom of the socket, then the sill plate will be installed on the cable at the point it enters the house. The sill plate should have duct seal already with it, but you can add or remove as needed to make a rain tight fit. Follow the meter socket instructions about how to make up connections. Lay individual wires in terminals and mark them for length and where to begin removal of insulation. All stripped aluminum wires must be coated with oxide inhibitor! Take your time working the cables here, if done right you'll not have to get in here again. If the grounding electrode conductor was made up in the old meter socket, it can be done here, too. It will have to be protected, but is done easily by sleeving inside 1/2" schedule 40 PVC electrical pipe, with glue and a connector. Tighten the wet connector, but do not allow the rubber insert to spin. When tight, form duct seal all the way around the SEU cable where it meets the wet connector. This prevents water from accumulating here, and eventually seeping inside the meter socket. Secure the last two or three SEU clips / clamps with the last one within 12" of the meter socket.
39. Inspect for shorted connections after all the connections in the meter socket are complete. Using an ohmeter or continuity tester, verify there is no connection between hots, or hot to neutral. There should be a connection between neutral and the hub. Have a responsible person guard the socket or cover it with cardboard or other insulator. Reconnect the service laterals overhead. Channel locks, pliers, adjustable wrench, knife, rubber tape, vinyl tape and split bolts and oxide inhibitor for aluminum wires will have to be brought up the ladder.
40. Reconnect the feeder wires (lateral feed) if the power company tells you they do not do this when they reconnect the power at the transformer. In some cases, they make all of these terminations for you, but in other cases (other companies) they may not.
    • Strip 1-1/4? to 1-1/2" from each insulated wire from the meter socket.
    • Apply oxide inhibitor to each aluminum wire. ONLY use split bolts rated for copper, aluminum or copper and aluminum as determined by the conductors to be connected. * Make up connections through completion, one at a time, starting with one of the feed wires.
    • Strip one of the utility feed wires as you did for the new cables you just installed.
    • Feed the two cables to be joined into the split bolt, with the divider of the split bolt between the two cables. The cables can enter the split bolt from the same side, or opposite side; whichever way is easiest. You should make up all three the same way however.
    • Make up hand tight to keep all wires together. Holding the bolt with the channel locks, use the adjustable wrench to tighten the hex nut of the split bolt.
    • Wrap vinyl tape one or two layers on the split bolt connection and exposed live parts. Removing a couple of feet of the liner of the rubber tape, then tightly wrap the tape over the vinyl taped split bolt connection to equal about the thickness of the wire's insulation. Once the rubber tape is as thick over the split bolt as the wire?s insulation, wrap several more layers of vinyl tape over the rubber tape to hold it in place.
41. Move inside when the outdoor work is complete. Before you do, you may need to secure a portable generator to power a drop light or lamp to illuminate your work area.
42. Disconnect all the 240 V circuits carefully from the double pole circuit breakers and fuse blocks. Remove the cables and connectors by removing the locknut from the panel enclosure (tub). Leave the connectors on the cables. Make sure the identifying marks are still visible. Keep these cables separate from the rest for now.
43. Remove the rest of the cables and hardware in the same manner as the 240 V circuits were above. Remove anything connected to the panel such as lightning arrestors, doorbell transformers, bond wires, etc. Clear the wall area from the cables so that you can work freely.
44. Strip the panel or fuse box and EVERYTHING else from the back board. If there were cables entering the old panel from behind the backboard it may be easier to pull them back so that they may enter the top or side of the new panel from the front. Whatever you decide, bear in mind that one way or another, you will have to get all of the old cables into the new panel. Since the new 200 amp tub is larger than the old panel, you can save a lot of work by centering the new panel over the old panel's location. This will almost ensure that every cable will be able to enter the tub without the need for junction boxes and splices outside of the tub. With that said, determine the orientation of the new panel; main breaker left or right if horizontal, or top or bottom if vertical. Resecure any old devices that were on the old back board that have limited reach, first. Continue adding these devices until they are all mounted. Avoid putting anything close to the sides, top and bottom of the panel location.
45. Remove the appropriate size k o in the desired location for the dry connector and install with locknut and plastic insulating bushing.
46. Cut excessive SE cable that originates from the meter socket. Cut it to a manageable length after estimating how much will be needed to get it into the new panel's main circuit breaker or buss lugs, neutral bar lug, and ground lug (if used) whichever is furthest, PLUS an extra foot or two.
47. Slip the SEU / SER cable into the dry connector and feed it into the panel as you locate the panel on the backboard. "Tack" the panel in place with a couple of screws.
48. Step back and look at the big picture. While we do not want sharp, right angle bends in the SE cable, long sweeping bends can waste space and block potential k o openings. Make adjustments and secure the panel with screws into the backboard. Strip the jacket from the SE cable, allowing only an inch or so to remain inside the tub. Work the strands of conductor that wrap around the cable as before, by unwrapping them from the two insulated cables and then twisting the strands around themselves.
49. Drive in the bonding screw if you're ready. Only if the Service Disconnect switch or breaker is located in this panel, the bonding scew will be installed. This screw will line up with a hole in the tub - visible through an unused neutral bar terminal point. Drive the screw through the neutral bar into the predrilled hole in the tub. This provides an electrical and mechanical connection between the neutral bar and tub. Do NOT install this screw if the service disconnect is located in elsewhere.
50. Lay the bare cable in the tub to go toward the neutral bar. Press it firmly against the inside corner made created by the tub back and wall(s). Bend the wire so that it is aligned with the lug (or larger lug if two are provided) at the end of the bar. Cut the wire so that the finish length is visible at the opposite end of the lug. Apply oxide inhibitor if aluminum, over the portion that will be in the lug. Loosen the lug screw and install wire into the lug. Tighten screw.
51. Route the "hots" cable(s) to the main breaker lugs. Do not try to manipulate these wires like the neutral, but rather allow them to "flow" instead. Cut them to a length that allows them to be fully inserted into the breaker lugs. Loosen the breaker lugs. Strip and prep with oxide inhibitor if aluminum, and insert into lug. Tighten lugs.
52. Bond the electrical service ground to the home's cold water pipe, by running a #6 copper wire between the two. If the panel has separate neutral and ground bar, the wire should originate at a lug on the ground bar (or hole in the bar large enough to accept it). If the panel has one or more bars that are bonded to the tub, a lug on the neutral bar (or hole in the bar large enough to accept it). It should continue through the tub via k o and Romex connector, neatly run and secured towards the street side of the water meter. Install a pipe ground clamp on both sides of the meter. Strip enough of the wire to allow it to be connected to both clamps as one continuous length, as it should not be spliced. If there is no water meter, bond the metal pipe with one clamp. You may have to bond gas pipes and sheet metal ductwork, too (in Massachusetts, it is expressly forbidden to bond gas pipes).
53. Reinstall all of them into the tub, working with the 240 V circuits first. Select the shortest circuit. Select the corresponding breaker based on the information below:
    • #14 wire - 15 amps max!
    • #12 wire - 20 amps max!
    • #10 wire - 30 amps
    • #8 wire - 40 amps
    • #6 wire - 50 amps
54. Utilize circuit breakers. If you had circuit breakers feeding these before, use those to supply the circuit instead. Do not however, exceed the values for #14 and #12 wires. The other wire values are guides. Make up the shortest circuit to the breaker indicated in the chart. Put the black and red wires into the breaker. Route the wire inside the tub close to the wall and try to make the white and ground wire up into the neutral bar on adjacent terminals and as close to the breaker location as possible. Do not put both wires under the same terminal screw. Continue with the two hot wires moving the breaker up or down the power buss bar so that the wires are not pulling across or otherwise make it difficult to install the next circuits. Do this with the next shortest circuit, until all the 240 V circuits are connected to breakers, and the breakers installed on the buss. Use both the left and right side of the buss.
55. Clean this up by arranging the colors of the wires. Disregarding the numbering scheme stamped or printed on the panel cover for a moment, treat the breaker locations as a row. The top row, consisting of a left and right breaker is row one. The row below this, is row two. Continue this scheme to the bottom of the panel. Now, associate the ODD row with black, and the EVEN row with RED. With this thinking, from the top starting at the number one, count down the left side buss points to the first two pole circuit breaker. If the terminal of this breaker was number 5, then the next terminal is number 6. This means we should have the BLACK wire on the top terminal, and the RED on the bottom terminal. If the there is another 2 pole breaker below this one, continue the count to it. Suppose the top terminal was 12, then the bottom is 13. The RED wire would go on top and the BLACK on the bottom, BUT since there are many open spaces right now, why not just move the circuit breaker up or down ONE slot. This will make the top terminal ODD for a BLACK wire and the bottom terminal EVEN for a RED wire. This way, ALL the double pole breakers will have the TOP terminal BLACK and the BOTTOM terminal RED. Confusion is reduced, and the work is more professional looking. Since the rest of our circuits are single pole, the ordering above will not apply. All the wires should be black.
56. Continue installing the circuits into the tub and making them up to breakers determined by the ampacity chart above.
57. Extend the circuit when necessary. Eventually, there will not be a space for a circuit breaker close enough for the circuit conductors to reach. Extend the circuit by cutting Romex cable to a length needed to reach - plus a few inches extra. Remove the entire length of the jacket, or if short pieces - pull them out - one at a time. Strip ends and twist one end of the same color extension wire to the short wire and tightly wirenut together. Make up the free end under neutral terminals and breaker terminals as usual.
58. Install the doorbell transformer, lightning arrestors, etc. Install a Ground Fault plug at the panel. Install a simple pull chain light fixture above and in front of the panel (if none is present). Make sure no circuit has gone unconnected. Set EVERY circuit breaker, including the Main, to the OFF" position. This allows the meter to be reinstalled with no load. Carefully remove the rectangular "twist outs" for the circuit breakers only. Do NOT remove twist outs for locations that do not have circuit breakers. Give the inside of the panel a visual inspection. Align the cover to the panel. Note the screw locations. Alleviate any potential pinch points. Tape any damaged insulation. Look at the names or numbers you put on the cable jacket before. Transfer this info to the NEW circuit breaker location. From the top, the left side breakers are ODD. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc. while the right side is EVEN 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. Write the names of the areas or appliance served on the inside panel cover in the space provided. Secure the panel cover with the screws provided.
59. Reinstall the electric meter, if the power company does not complete this step for you. This step may have to be delayed until the code enforcement inspector has completed his inspection of your work. Remove the meter socket cover (if needed) and align the stabs of the meter both left / right AND up / down with the socket jaws. Push the meter into the jaws. Firmly rock it back and forth until fully seated. Put the locking ring over the meter collar or replace the cover (depending on manufacturer's design) to secure the meter.
60. Call the power company and inform them you are ready to reconnect the service at the transformer (energize the feeder wires). They may require you to have the work inspected by the code enforcement inspector prior to turning the power back on, in this case, make the call to the inspector.
61. Go back to the panel, if all has went well to this point, and the power is turned on. Standing off to the side of the panel - NOT in front! Set the Main to "ON". Next, set the 2 pole circuit breakers "ON" one by one. Assuming nothing has tripped, you may move to the front of the panel if you prefer, and set the remaining breakers to "ON", too.
62. Make sure all cables are stapled as they enter the panel once everything is verified. Verify polarity of new plugs installed. Test Ground Fault plugs and / or breakers.
63. Notify wiring inspector of the completion of the work, if he or she has not already inspected prior to reconnecting the feeder wires. Because the protocol for this varies in different locations and jurisdictions, these steps may not occur in the same order in all localities, or with all utility providers. The sequence of these steps should be varified in discussions with the code enforcement office and the power company prior to beginning.

Tips

• SE, SEU, SER? SE means Service Entrance. There are different types of SE cables. In this article, SEU and SER are the only ones mentioned. SEU is a comparatively flat cable, with the a bare concentricly wound ground wire around the two insulated cables. The SER cable is a round cable (think "Service Entrance Round") with a bare ground wire and three insulated cables. The NEC dictates that SE (Service Entrance) cables must be terminated in a service disconnect switch immediately (within several feet) upon entering the home. If the installation is such that SEU (a type of SE cable) cable cannot be terminated into a panel with service disconnect switch in this distance, either a separate switch be provided immediately upon entry or the meter socket must have the 200 amp service disconnect inside, and SER (another type of SE cable) three wire with a ground must be run between the panel and service disconnect instead of the SEU cable. Installing an electrical enclosure and circuit breaker designed specifically for this service disconnect task is beyond the scope of this wiki at this time. The new panel should be a "Main Lug Only" style (no need for ANOTHER 200 amp circuit breaker), which would have lug connections feeding the buss bar directly instead of a 200 amp circuit breaker.
  1. Pipe? Two inch or 2-1/2"? The larger the pipe, the easier it is to install wires. Conversely, the longer the pipe run and the more bends it has, the more difficult it becomes to install wires. Short, straight runs of 2" pipe should be fine for a 200 amp service. Those runs with bends or longer than 20 feet or so will benefit from the use of 2-1/2" pipe instead. Keeping cables from twisting haphazardly as they are fed into the pipe will help ensure an easier installation.
  2. Neutral and Ground bars? Bonding neutral and ground together is only done in one place; at the service disconnect enclosure or meter socket. At no other point are neutral and ground allowed to originate from the same place. If the service disconnect is in the panel, then the bond point can be either the meter socket or panel. If the service disconnect is located in the meter socket, or in a switch inside a separate enclosure between the meter socket and panel, then separate conductors (such SER) must be provided between the service disconnect and the panel. All neutrals must be connected to the neutral bar and all grounds must be connected to the ground bar. The bond screw provided in the panel will be run ONLY into a ground bar designated for ground wire connections only if the panel is fed with a separate conductor for neutral AND separate conductor for ground. Conversely, the bond screw will be run through a bar designated for ground AND neutral wire connections if fed with ONE conductor for both ground and neutral
  3. The 240 V range and dryer circuits & their respective plugs - if they are the old two wire and ground type, will need to be removed and replaced with new three wire and ground type cable (6-3 SER and 10-3 Romex), and 50 amp / 4 wire plug and 30 amp / 4 wire plug, respectively. Wire size is not increased, but this separation of neutral and ground must occur to meet current code requirements of the service installation (remember, there is only one place that the neutral and ground conductors are connected together). The appliance cord sets will have to be changed out, as well.
  4. For this wiki, a "main" is a circuit breaker or switch that supplies only a sub-panel. A service disconnect is a circuit breaker or switch that interrupts the entire electrical service. Switching the service disconnect(s) at the service entrance to OFF removes all electrical power from the building. Turning a main off does NOT mean the all the electrical power has been shut off, only that the power is off to a particular panel. In a home with two electrical panels, one at the service entrance in the basement and a second panel or sub-panel fed from it, the one at the service entrance has a service disconnect, and the sub-panel has a main. Shutting off the main de-energizes the sub-panel only, while shutting off the service disconnect de-energizes BOTH panels. For purposes of this wiki, the terms main and service disconnect have been interchanged without regard to their true meaning. The sub-panel is a prime location for employing the needs for separate conductors and separate bars for neutral and ground covered in a previous paragraph.

Warnings

• Wiring inspectors are people, and as such some are good, some not so much. Some will help you and others will try to bully you into to hiring an electrician to do the work instead. If he is of the latter mindset, no amount of long-distance "hand-holding" via wiki or online consulting is going to help you. Be prepared for an uphill battle, or it might be best "give him this one" so you can fight another battle another day. He is "the authority having jurisdiction" and you won't be able to change that.
• This is extremely dangerous for those who are not licensed electricians or otherwise familiar with residential power utility hook-ups. It is advised that you contact the power company to disconnect power to your service before any of this work is attempted because breaches in insulation may be difficult to visually spot. You run the risk of severe electrical shock if you accidentally short an exposed connection with any part of your body.
• Be certain to have your upgraded system verified by a professional before restoring electrical service.

Things You'll Need

• Cable Method (not near a sidewalk or driveway / not subject to damage)
• X feet #4/0 Aluminum or #2/0 Copper (expensive!) SEU (Two Conductor with a Bare Concentric Ground run from lateral point of attachment to service disconnect)
• X feet #4/0 Aluminum or #2/0 Copper SER (Three Conductor with Bare Ground run from service disconnect to panel) determined in TIPS section
• 1 Weatherhead for cable (#4/0 if aluminum or #2/0 if copper)
• X #4/0 or #2/0 SE Cable supports / straps / clips (spaced every 30 inches)
• 1 Wet connector for SEU cable size selected
• Pipe Method (near a sidewalk or driveway / subject to damage)
• X Feet 2" or 2-1/2" Schedule 80 PVC Electrical Pipe
• X 2" or 2-1/2" couplings
• 2 2" or 2-1/2" connector
• 2 2" or 2-1/2" pipe clips or clamps / 10' pipe
• 1 PVC cement (smallest can available)
• 1 Weather head for 2" or 2-1/2" PVC
• 3 Cuts X feet each of 4/0 Aluminum (or 2/0 Copper) cable with THHN, THWN-2 or XHHW-2 insulation ("X" equals pipe length PLUS 6 - 8 feet extra)
• X 2" or 2-1/2" "LB" w/ cover and gaskets* - see TIPS
• X 2" or 2-1/2" 45 or 90 degree sweeps (if not a straight run)
• Common (parts needed for either pipe or cable installation)
• X #6 copper wire ground & bonding
• 1 Sheet 1/2" plywood for new back board
• 1 Gray or black paint for new back board
• 1 200 Amp meter socket (with service disconnect if needed)
• 1 200 Amp circuit breaker panel (choose same manufacturer as old panel to reuse existing circuit breakers) "Main Breaker" type if service disconnect breaker located in this panel; "Main Lug Only" if service disconnect breaker located in meter socket or elsewhere)
• 1 Ground bar kit if using SER cable and if the panel requires a separate purchase.
• 1 Threaded hub for meter socket sized for wet connector or PVC pipe
• 2 Dry connectors for either SEU or SER cable size selected
• 2 Lock nuts for dry connectors
• 2 Insulated bushings for dry connectors
• 1 Oxide inhibitor (for aluminum wire only / smallest tube available)
• 3 Split bolts (a.k.a. Burndy)
• 2 Rolls rubber filler tape
• 1 Roll premium vinyl electrical tape
• 10 Feet 1/2" PVC pipe (if grounding electrode conductor to be made up at meter socket)
• 1 1/2 (trade size) PVC connector for (PVC pipe above)
• 1 1/2" PVC sweep (90 degree bend)
• X Circuit breakers (determined by number of circuits, size, etc. (reuse old circuit breakers ONLY if new panel is same manufacturer and not damaged)
• X Romex connectors (plastic types are quicker to install)
• 1 Box insulated staples
• 10 Feet each 14/2 & 12/2 Romex (buy the scraps or ends from Home Supply) for use as extensions
• 1 Selection of common sized wirenuts (Ideal Yellow and Red or Buchanon B2)
• X #6 or #8 galvanized deck screws (one and two inch lengths)
• 2 1/4 x 1-1/2" lag screws
• 1 Ground Fault outlet and box hardware (if not already installed at panel)
• 1 Pull chain light and box hardware (or style of your choice if not already installed at panel)
• X 8'x 5/8" ground rod (your local code or utility may want more than one installed)
• X Ground Rod clamp(s) for use with ground rod, above)
• X Ground clamps for pipe (sized for water and gas pipes installed)
• 1 1 pound duct seal
• 10 Feet 1/2" PVC pipe (if grounding electrode conductor to be made up at meter socket)
• 1 1/2 (trade size) PVC connector for (PVC pipe above)
• X Circuit breakers (determined by number of circuits, size, etc. Reuse old circuit breakers ONLY if new panel is same manufacturer and not otherwise damaged)
• X Romex connectors (plastic types are quicker to install)
• 1 Box insulated staples
• 10 Feet each 14/2 & 12/2 Romex (buy the scraps or ends from Home Supply) for use as extensions
• 1 Selection of common sized wirenuts (Ideal Yellow and Red or Buchanon B2)
• X #6 or #8 galvanized deck screws (one and two inch lengths)
• 2 1/4 x 1-1/2" lag screws
• 1 Ground Fault outlet and box hardware if not already installed at panel)
• 1 Pull chain light and box hardware (or style of your choice if not already installed at panel)
• X 8'x 5/8" ground rod (your local code or utility may want more than one installed)
• X Ground Rod clamp(s) for use with ground rod, above)
• X Feet 2# (2-1/2") Schedule 80 PVC Electrical Pipe
• X 2# (2-1/2") couplings
• 2 2# (2-1/2") connector
• 1 PVC cement (smallest can available)
• 2 2# (2-1/2") pipe clips or clamps / 10' pipe

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