Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site brl-tgr.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!hao!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin
From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.consumers,net.misc
Subject: Electrical Service Query
Message-ID: <4318@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 29-Aug-84 13:10:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.4318
Posted: Wed Aug 29 13:10:19 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Sep-84 10:14:17 EDT
Organization: Ballistics Research Lab
Lines: 45

I suspect that most people on the net are like me and know more of
electronics than basic electrical (power) information. I hope someone
out there has some practical electric wiring experience or knowledge
and can answer this:

How the rating for the "electrical service" to a house (or whatever)
determined? For example, I have 60-amp cartridge fuses in carriers
on the fuse panel where the electric lines come into my house. One
of these carriers (which hold two fuses each) controls the line
that is subdivided through a fuse panel to feed the household wiring.
The other carrier controls the line that goes to an outlet for an
electric stove, which we don't use, having a gas stove installed.

So, all in all, there are four 60-amp fuses, one for each side of two
lines. Do I have "60-amp service", "120-amp service", or "240-amp
service" with this set up?

When we use both a 220-volt window airconditioner and an electric
dryer, we are constantly blowing one of these 60-amp cartridge fuses.
I believe this is because the rest of the house wiring is installed
"lopsidedly" -- all the heavy loads (freezer, dehumidifier, refrigerators,
kitchen appliances, etc.) hung off one side of the main line, and
the other side having only simple lights, clocks, radios, etc., and
when the two major 220-vold loads draw power from both sides of the line, 
the one side is over-strained when a refrigerator compressor or something
kicks on.

I realize that this imbalance can be corrected by having an electrician
swap some circuits in the distribution fuse panel. However, the fact
that the cartridge fuse blows makes me wonder if the electrical service
to the house is adequate. If this service is somehow currently divided
between the whole-house wiring and the unused stove wiring, can the
circuit now going to the stove outlet be used somehow to take some
load off the other portion? Or would the wire leading into the house
have to be replaced, and the 60-amp fuses and panel be replaced with
larger fuses or circuit breakers?

I seem to find it next to impossible to get an electrician to come
to the house to give estimates and answer this sort of question, so
I am turning to the net as the fountain of wisdom to enlighten my
ignorance.

Regards, Will Martin

seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin    or    wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA