3 ms·

Electrical code has completely unreasonable and unrealistic demand factors associated with appliances. Basically "1" for just about everything, as well as 3 wat

Electrical code has completely unreasonable and unrealistic demand factors associated with appliances. Basically "1" for just about everything, as well as 3 watts per square foot of floor area. If you sum all of these things up, I'm well above the 200 amp service delivered to my home. Reality? I had a peak draw of 23 amps from the grid in the last year. Luckily the NEC has an escape valve for folks who can prove that.

brianwawok 4y ago
Right, don't go off code for having to do a big upgrade like this. I legit hit 100A several times a month. Have hit over 150A. Easy way for me to draw 100A at once: 40A: EV charging 32A: Electric Oven warming up at max 24A: Electric Dryer 40A: HotTub jets on 40A: AC ON Max Unlikely all of those are on full max, but it's pretty easy to imagine getting past 100A before we even touch things like lights and computers. EV + Dryer + Hot Tub pretty much pull max for the entire run, the other stuff is more likely to cycle up and down.
- eppp 4y ago
  And if you only have a 200A service, your service drop is likely only 2 or 1/0.
  - brianwawok 4y ago
    Most 200A services around me are 4/0 Aluminum 2/0 copper would work but would cost more, so likely not used.
- Symbiote 4y ago
  Do Americans quote large appliance current at 220V or 110V equivalent? From the EV it seems the former, but in that case I'm horrified at how power-hungry your appliances are. A typical new oven sold in Europe is 3.6kW, 16A @ 230V. A new tumble drier is 600W, so about 2.5A at 230V. There's such a range of hot tub and AC sizes I can't compare these.
  - frosted-flakes 4y ago
    240V circuits are simply both legs of the 120V split phase connected together, so the amperage is measured at 120V. The circuit breakers for 120V and 240V circuits are the same, except 240V circuits use two breakers with the handles tied together[1]. Electric resistive heaters like ovens and clothes dryers are always perfectly efficient, so I'm not sure how you even thought it would be possible to have an inefficient heater. [1]: The 120V rails in the middle of the breaker panel alternate between each split phase, so if you connect a circuit to any two adjacent breakers you will get 240V. A 120V circuit is connected to neutral and a single breaker.
    - mcbishop 4y ago
      > I'm not sure how you even thought it would be possible to have an inefficient heater They're inefficient relative to a 250-500% efficient heat pump.
    - Symbiote 4y ago
      As well as using a heat pump, a more efficient dryer can be better-insulated, or make better use of the heat produced in drying clothes, however that might be done.
  - brianwawok 4y ago
    Almost all big appliances are 220. Fridges are 110, but the big guys * EV Charging * Electric or Induction Oven * Electric Dryer * AC * Electric Water Heater are all doing to be 220. The amps will vary, and most will not peg the required wire 100%, but may for example do a big pulse to startup (ACs are famous for this).
    - kennend3 4y ago
      For which country is this? Only a handful of countries actually us 110/220 If it is North America, I think you mean 120 and 240 https://www.powerstream.com/cv.htm https://www.powerstream.com/cv.htm
  - QuarterReptile 4y ago
- itsoktocry 4y ago
  Saving the world driving an EV, while running the AC, oven and hot tub simultaneously, full blast.
  - brianwawok 4y ago
    AC and Hot Tub full blast would almost never happen, Hot Tub is more a winter thing. But A full EV charge can be 6-7 hours, so could easily be all evening. A hot tub could easily be an hour of overlap in there. So someone turns on the Oven? Would def pop 100.

brianwawok 4y ago

Right, don't go off code for having to do a big upgrade like this. I legit hit 100A several times a month. Have hit over 150A. Easy way for me to draw 100A at once: 40A: EV charging 32A: Electric Oven warming up at max 24A: Electric Dryer 40A: HotTub jets on 40A: AC ON Max Unlikely all of those are on full max, but it's pretty easy to imagine getting past 100A before we even touch things like lights and computers. EV + Dryer + Hot Tub pretty much pull max for the entire run, the other stuff is more likely to cycle up and down.

eppp 4y ago
And if you only have a 200A service, your service drop is likely only 2 or 1/0.
- brianwawok 4y ago
  Most 200A services around me are 4/0 Aluminum 2/0 copper would work but would cost more, so likely not used.
Symbiote 4y ago
Do Americans quote large appliance current at 220V or 110V equivalent? From the EV it seems the former, but in that case I'm horrified at how power-hungry your appliances are. A typical new oven sold in Europe is 3.6kW, 16A @ 230V. A new tumble drier is 600W, so about 2.5A at 230V. There's such a range of hot tub and AC sizes I can't compare these.
- frosted-flakes 4y ago
  240V circuits are simply both legs of the 120V split phase connected together, so the amperage is measured at 120V. The circuit breakers for 120V and 240V circuits are the same, except 240V circuits use two breakers with the handles tied together[1]. Electric resistive heaters like ovens and clothes dryers are always perfectly efficient, so I'm not sure how you even thought it would be possible to have an inefficient heater. [1]: The 120V rails in the middle of the breaker panel alternate between each split phase, so if you connect a circuit to any two adjacent breakers you will get 240V. A 120V circuit is connected to neutral and a single breaker.
  - mcbishop 4y ago
    > I'm not sure how you even thought it would be possible to have an inefficient heater They're inefficient relative to a 250-500% efficient heat pump.
  - Symbiote 4y ago
    As well as using a heat pump, a more efficient dryer can be better-insulated, or make better use of the heat produced in drying clothes, however that might be done.
- brianwawok 4y ago
  Almost all big appliances are 220. Fridges are 110, but the big guys * EV Charging * Electric or Induction Oven * Electric Dryer * AC * Electric Water Heater are all doing to be 220. The amps will vary, and most will not peg the required wire 100%, but may for example do a big pulse to startup (ACs are famous for this).
  - kennend3 4y ago
    For which country is this? Only a handful of countries actually us 110/220 If it is North America, I think you mean 120 and 240 https://www.powerstream.com/cv.htm https://www.powerstream.com/cv.htm
- QuarterReptile 4y ago
itsoktocry 4y ago
Saving the world driving an EV, while running the AC, oven and hot tub simultaneously, full blast.
- brianwawok 4y ago
  AC and Hot Tub full blast would almost never happen, Hot Tub is more a winter thing. But A full EV charge can be 6-7 hours, so could easily be all evening. A hot tub could easily be an hour of overlap in there. So someone turns on the Oven? Would def pop 100.