A friend of mine needs to replace his current Siemens 125A panel with a 200A panel (in the same location), along with getting a service upgrade from the power company. The cost of hiring an electrician for this is quite steep so we're considering whether this can be a DIY job for the two of us, with the right preparation. All existing circuits would remain unchanged.
I'm relatively comfortable with doing a lot of electrical work (running new circuits, using conduit, working in panel, basics of grounding, working with #6 THHN, and familiar with common wiring code), but am not an electrician and have never attempted a panel replacement before. I've watched an electrician do the same job for me before but never did it myself.
If we do go ahead with this, my current line of thinking would be:
- Call city inspector to ask about special rules in this jurisdiction.
- Call power company to confirm they can run 200A service to his house.
- Shut off power at the meter, if easily accessible, or ask power company to shut off power otherwise.
- Replace the panel with a 200A capable panel, but leave a 125A breaker in there initially.
- Install all breakers.
- Restore power to the house.
Once this is done, he can call the power company to request the service upgrade, and then just replace the main breaker from 125A to 200A when that's done.
Does this plan seem reasonable? Anything particularly challenging or not DIY-able here? Also, are there any hidden gotchas to keep in mind if we go ahead with this work?
Some gotchas I'm already aware of:
- Might have to add a new ground rod, if the home was built to older standards.
- Might have to ground existing systems / pipes if not already grounded.
- Only bond ground with neutral in the main panel.
- Depending on how the meter is connected, the real "main panel" may actually be outside the house, with the indoor panel being technically a subpanel.
- The new panel might need a panel-wide surge protector.
The home was built in 2008, receives underground service, and is in WA state (currently on 2020 NEC).
Current panel
Will post a pic of the box outside shortly.