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Had to choose between a new panel or a subpanel for that old house on Maple Street | Electricians - Chatter Central

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Had to choose between a new panel or a subpanel for that old house on Maple Street

I was working on a 1950s house last month and the owner wanted to add a mini-split and a hot tub. The old 100 amp panel was already maxed out. I told them we could either spend $2,800 on a full panel upgrade to 200 amps or just add a 60 amp subpanel for $900. They went with the subpanel to save money. Now I'm dealing with a main breaker that keeps tripping when both the AC and the hot tub kick on at the same time. Anyone else have to talk a homeowner into the bigger job and fail?

3 comments

3 Comments

sethhernandez2mo ago

@amy_coleman21 that story about the melted bus bar really drives it home. But here's something I haven't seen anyone mention yet: that subpanel install might also be a code violation depending on the load calculation. I ran into this on a rental property where the inspector flagged the whole setup because the main panel's rating didn't match the connected loads. The owner ended up paying for the upgrade anyway plus a fine, so the math never worked out in their favor. Figured I'd throw that out there since most people don't think about the legal side of it.

amy_coleman213mo ago

My cousin did the same thing last year with his 1950s house and a hot tub setup. I used to think subpanels were the smarter move cheaper upfront and all that. Then I helped him troubleshoot when his main was tripping every time the dryer ran with the hot tub heating up. That 60 amp subpanel just shifts the load to an already overloaded main. Now I tell people to bite the bullet on the panel upgrade even if they hate the price because that $900 fix turned into a $2800 emergency call when his main melted the bus bar.

cole3563mo ago

The part about "that $900 fix turned into a $2800 emergency call" really hit home for me. My buddy Dave did the exact same thing last summer on his 1940s bungalow. He put in a subpanel for a new AC unit and told me he saved a bunch of money. Three weeks later his main breaker started smoking during a heatwave. He had to pay for a full upgrade plus an emergency service fee. @amy_coleman21 that story about the melted bus bar is exactly what happened to Dave's panel too. Sometimes the cheap route just bites you later.