mckern
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I'm afraid I don't know enough about this subject to write an understandable question, so please forgive incorrect terms, etc.
I own a condo in a 6 unit building with Federal Pacific Electric panels/breakers that we are planning to replace this fall. We are also considering upgrading to 120 amp service at the same time. According to the board, this upgrade would include "redistributing" the load so that running a hair dryer and AC (for example) at the same time won't trip a breaker. Also, all of this work is to be done at the breaker boxes--there is no need to do any rewiring within individual units. Based on my extremely limited knowledge of this subject, I don't understand how this could work.
Re the existing setup--my breaker box appears to have two 30 amp breakers (which are connected/function as one) and three 20 amp breakers. However, only two of the 20 amp breakers are actually being used (I've mapped the power in my unit). I've always assumed that this meant that there were only 2 "paths" through my place--having replaced or repaired about a third of the switches and outlets, I've never worked on something that was the "end of the line."
Obviously, there is room in the breaker box to upgrade to 120, but how could the load be redistributed to other breakers without doing some rewiring within my unit? Is my assumption about one path per breaker wrong? Does this sound like a misunderstanding/miscommunication regarding what the electrician said?
Thank you
I own a condo in a 6 unit building with Federal Pacific Electric panels/breakers that we are planning to replace this fall. We are also considering upgrading to 120 amp service at the same time. According to the board, this upgrade would include "redistributing" the load so that running a hair dryer and AC (for example) at the same time won't trip a breaker. Also, all of this work is to be done at the breaker boxes--there is no need to do any rewiring within individual units. Based on my extremely limited knowledge of this subject, I don't understand how this could work.
Re the existing setup--my breaker box appears to have two 30 amp breakers (which are connected/function as one) and three 20 amp breakers. However, only two of the 20 amp breakers are actually being used (I've mapped the power in my unit). I've always assumed that this meant that there were only 2 "paths" through my place--having replaced or repaired about a third of the switches and outlets, I've never worked on something that was the "end of the line."
Obviously, there is room in the breaker box to upgrade to 120, but how could the load be redistributed to other breakers without doing some rewiring within my unit? Is my assumption about one path per breaker wrong? Does this sound like a misunderstanding/miscommunication regarding what the electrician said?
Thank you