A basic understanding of your homes electrical load is important knowledge for homeowners.
After all, there will almost certainly come a time when youll needto shut off or restore power.
Well walk you through a few key tasks you might encounterwhen working with electrical loads.
Credit: Jacob Fox
In essence, the electrical load applies to anything that consumes electricity.
Familiarize yourself with these basics to help you use your homes energy safely and efficiently.
How to Calculate Your Homes Electrical Load
Different homes need different amp services.
Credit: Courtesy of Complete Wiring, 2nd edition
You may be wondering, Do I need 200 amp service?
A home larger than 2,000 square feet that has central air-conditioning or electric heat probably needs a 200-amp service.
Use the equation listed in the graphic above to deduce exactly how many amps your home needs.
Credit: Dan Stultz
A service panel with too many circuits is dangerous.
It is critically important that you do not overload your service panel.
But how do you tell the difference between 100 amp and 200 amp service?
Credit: Dan Stultz
Most breaker boxes are 100, 150, or 200 amps.
Add the amperages of all the individual breakers in the box.
The total might be more than twice the total amperage of the box.
Credit: Dan Stultz
For example, a 100-amp service panel could havecircuit breakersthat add up to more than 200 amps.
This is also helpful to know when computing your homes power needs.
Electrical Load Box Sizes
The size of your electrical load box will determine your home electrical capacity.
It can supply power to only one 240-volt appliance, such as an oven or a clothes dryer.
Consider upgrading to a larger size if you plan to add more circuits to your electrical system.
Medium-Sized Service Panel
Most homes require an electrical service of at least 100 amps.
This is also the minimum panel amperage required by the National Electrical Code (NEC).
If there are any open holes, cover them with a knockout plug.
Wires should run in a fairly orderly way around the perimeter of the panel.
If you find a hopeless tangle, call in an electrician for an evaluation.
In an older home, theres a good chance that new wiring has been added to a service panel.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several things to do to reduce your homes energy consumption.
Turn off lights, electronics, and appliances when not in use.
you could do a home energy assessmentto pinpoint where your home needs updating for maximum energy efficiency.
The Simple Choice for Saving Energy.
Energy Star
Home Energy Assessment.
