How can you tell what the amp service is in your house?

Answer 1

I would have to say that the amperage label on the main breaker would designate the amount of amps coming into the house.

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Look at the number on the handle of the main breaker. That number is the rating of the breaker and at what amperage the breaker will trip. If you have a main fuse switch the number on the fuse is the tripping amperage. This will be the amount of current that the service is rated at.

Answer 2

In the panel box (if there are circuit breakers) The top breaker or main should have a number on it like 100 or 150 or 200. This is the total amperage of the electric service in your house.

I'm lucky, I see 300 on panel box but that's not enough. I sacrificed one bar for a one 120v for a outlet for my at&t. I need more amp slots for my house for a Nissan LEAF and save our troops.

Answer 3

There should be a marking on your main breaker next to the meter, you might not have a main at all though. Also look at the size and type of the wire copper or aluminum. find that and ask another question or your local hardware store has a chart in the wire section. Most normal size houses are 200, 225, or 250 amps. older smaller houses usually 100 amps. My house was buit in 1970 is 2,000 square feet and has a 150 amp service. Today the same house would not have anything less than 200 amp service.

Answer 4

Go to your service meter. (I assume you are a small consumer using a single phase suppply). Identify the Live cable. Then using a suitable meter, such as a clamp-on meter, you can measure the current flowing into the house. It gives a neat and easy way to measure the amps.

Answer 5

The total number of amps used in a given house will vary at any given time, depending on what lights are on, what equipment you are using, etc. To measure the amp draw at any given time, you would use an ampmeter and use it to measure each of the two wires feeding your panel.

Answer 6

The main breaker is at the top/center of the panel and should have a number on it. Usually 100 amp panels are used in homes because they are cheaper than 200 amp panels, and 100 amps is usually sufficient current to supply a home.

If you plan to add any thing(s) that will draw much more current than an average home (machine shop, arc welder, etc.), you should look into upgrading the panel. Overloading a panel is asking for an electrical fire.

Answer 7

Before any suggestion can be made, you should refer to the electrical code pertaining to your area.

It would be calculated using demand factor or service demand factor.