Panel Upgrades

Panel-Upgrades – Making Your Home Safe! You Will Need to Upgrade Your Electrical Panel Every 40-50 Years. There Are Key Signs to Look Out For, That Will Tell You if Your Panel is Becoming Outdated.

Do I Need To Upgrade My Electrical Panel For An Electric Car?

As homeowners prepare for a wave of new electric cars to hit the market, many are wondering if their current electrical service will be enough to support their charging requirements in the future. It’s a great question to ask before purchasing one. Most EV chargers pull 30-50 amps of current. If the EV charger were the only thing on the whole panel you'd be fine either way. In reality, other appliances need amps, too. If your home has an old panel you likely need to upgrade to a 200-amp panel before using your Level 2 EV charger. Let’s look at the different factors that go into determining if your electrical panel is ready to accommodate the additional load.

Factors To Consider For Your EV Charger

The two main factors to determine if your existing panel will handle the load of your EV charger are:
1. Your existing service size
2. Your household electrical load.

What Is Your Existing Service Size?
Determine what your service size is first and foremost. If you have 200 amp service, your home is likely prepared for an EV charger install, as long as your existing panel has enough space for a dedicated line for a level 2 charger. If you have enough amperage, but not enough space in the panel, a sub-panel may need to be installed for the electric vehicle charger installation. An electrician will be able to survey your service and determine if you have the space, which more than likely is the case.

If you have a 60 amp or 70 amp panel, you will not be able to add an EV charger to your home. This amperage will not be sufficient enough to run your appliances and handle the car charger, so upgrading to a 200 amp service at this point would be recommended. If you have a 100 amp service and your electrical panel’s amperage is at capacity, you might need to upgrade your panel from 100 amp to 200 amp, depending on your electrical appliance load.

What Is Your Electrical Load In Your House Like?
An EV level 2 charger can quickly utilize the majority of a 100 amp service to charge a vehicle (most chargers require 32-48 amps). So, if your appliances are electric, you may experience light dimming and flickering, nuisance breaker trips, etc. from the high electric load while your electric vehicle is charging on a 100 amp service. Electrical Panels should not be loaded to exceed 80 percent of their amperage, where the load will continue for 3 hours or more. Therefore if your existing panel is rated for 100 amp, the existing load + the new EV charger should not exceed 80 amp. The best way to determine is having a licensed electrician do a Load-Calculation for your home.

Do I Need a Service Panel Upgrade?
In conclusion, a 200 amp service is best for installing a home electric vehicle charger. In some cases it is feasible to install a charger on a 100 amp service, but you still may be pressing the limits of amperage your house can handle while charging your EV and running other things. The average homes that were built more than 40 years ago will have a 100 amp service (if not a 60 amp). Today, new homes are built to code with a 200 amp service to meet the needs of the average home today. In addition, 200 amp panel is a good long-term investment for a variety of reasons. Some of the benefits of upgrading your panel include: Increased safety, as your electrical panel is the first line of defense against overloads and fire hazards, increase the value of the house and future-proofing for other improvements.

Learn More
If you’re ready to install a charger for your electric car or hybrid car, and considering a panel upgrade please check our website to learn more about the process.
https://home.panel-upgrades.com/about-the-process

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