Estimating Repairs: Electrical Panels

Over the next few months I’m going to be putting out a series or posts on what to look for when walking a house to help estimate repairs.  The goal isn’t to make you an expert, but to help you know when something needs fixing.  As a wholesaler you just need to come up with an rough estimate (most likely conservative until you gain enough experience).  Being able to spot some roof problems, or know what to look for when examining an electrical box should help you out in knowing if you need to replace, repair or leave alone an item on your check list.

I am not experience at all in estimating repairs and have only seriously done it once.  That being the case I’m going out and asking the questions and doing the research to come up with a quick check list of items to look for.  Each week I will take a closer look at a part of the house and let you know what I find.  Hope this is helpfull and if you have something to add, please do so.

I like many other people are afraid of doing any kind of electrical work in a house.  Like many other things we are afraid of, the main reason is because we aren’t educated.  Even though we as wholesalers won’t be fixing electrical problems, we must be able to identify potential points that need repairing.  In part 3 of this series I am going to provide you with some helpful information that will give you a clue as to what to look for when looking at an Electrical Panel.

Electrical panels or breaker box is usually found in the basement of a house (at least in my area) that controls the electricity coming into the house.  It protects against power surges, short circuits and over use of electrical circuits that could cause a fire.  If you’ve ever ran the vacuum, microwave and a table saw all from one outlet it will surely blow your breaker.  So you’ll have to go back in and reset it.  That is why these are so important and many times are improperly installed or the boxes just are defective.  Hopefully the below items will help you determine if you have a problem on hand.

• Minimum amperage for a modern house should be about 100amps

• New 200 amp panel & breakers: $1500 to $2000.  (Not sure if that is installed or for just the hardware)

• Look (and test?) before touching, open door, look again (rust, burns, gaps, unsafe stance)
• Block client from touching equipment
• May be unsafe to remove upper cover of combination panels (service main at top)
• Sheet metal screw shorts, shocks, fires
• Swing-out covers can pinch wires

Match wiring gauge to ampacity – the following describe copper wire sized or gauges and the matching circuit ampacity or overcurrent protection that is required to be provided by fuse or circuit breaker:

• 14 gauge – 15Amps
• 12 gauge – 20 Amps
• 10 gauge – 30 Amps
• 8 gauge – 40 Amps

• Exceptions to these wire sizes and fusing occur for special circumstances such as air conditioners whose motors produce a brief current surge during startup.
• Aluminum electrical branch circuit wiring size guide: for a circuit of the same amperage, an aluminum solid conductor branch circuit wire must be 1 size larger than copper. Currently (since the 1970′s) aluminum electrical wiring is used only in the form of multi-strand on single-use circuits like range /DHW/AC older solid conductor AL may be present in next gauge.
• Solid conductor aluminum branch circuit wiring is unsafe, a fire hazard, and requires repair – see The Aluminum Wiring Website

• Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok breaker panels – see FEDERAL PACIFIC FPE HAZARDS
• Zinsco electric panels – see ZINSCO / SYLVANIA HAZARDS
• Bryant electric panels
• Challenger replacement breakers/panels

• Mains: Not in: bathroom, clothes closet, kitchen cabinets, stairwells (same as service disconnect)
• Should be at eye level, easily accessible, 3 ft. clearance
• Subs: may be located almost anywhere (still some Sub panels are improper as above).
• Finding hidden sub panels: Look for feeder-breaker/fuse or wires leaving main

• Fuses more reliable to “blow” – not mechanical BUT easier to over-fuse (reduce with S-type retro)
• Breakers more convenient to reset can be tested without having to then replace the safety device – less likely to be over-fused (but over fusing still happens – compare wire gauge to breaker ampacity)

• Obsolete and/or fused neutrals
• Damaged panel/components
• Loose panel
• Inappropriate support material
• Unprotected panel openings/knockouts
• Undersized panel – physical size/crowded
• Overheating – look at mains, breakers, bus, neutrals, wires
• Rust or water – look for rust, corrosion, overheating, subtle spots, suspect hidden damage to bus or breakers, look for water trace marks on entering SEC
• circuits not labeled
• panel overcrowded
• poor access to panel
• panel upside down or switches “on” in down position (obsolete)
• Panel used-with and not suitable for AL wiring