Any electricians on the boards?

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chlngr1970

chlngr1970

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I'm looking at building a small cabin, about 350-400 Ft Sq, and am looking at keeping power to a minimum. I'm considering 10-15 LED can lights, 10-12 outlets for coffee, home entertainment, computers, microwave, an AC unit, and a couple ceiling fans. Solar water heater, propane cooktop and oven, and a wood stove for heat in the winter.

Would a 50 amp service take care of this?

j
 
chlngr1970 said:
I'm looking at building a small cabin, about 350-400 Ft Sq, and am looking at keeping power to a minimum. I'm considering 10-15 LED can lights, 10-12 outlets for coffee, home entertainment, computers, microwave, an AC unit, and a couple ceiling fans. Solar water heater, propane cooktop and oven, and a wood stove for heat in the winter.

Would a 50 amp service take care of this?

j
Click to expand...

How about a refrigerator? Small or bigger one?
 
What size AC? 120v/240v? Microwave? Refrigerator? Or would that be run on gas also? What would you be using at the same time? Look at watt ratings on what you want to run and allow about 50% for margin and you will have a good idea what you need. Divide watts by volts to get amps. If using only 120v stuff with a 240v service and you divide the load evenly you can run 120 amps (120v)load on 60 amps (240v) service, but ONLY if the load is ballanced. As I said you should give yourself 50% for margin. Ie, if 120 amp load at 120v give yourself 60 x 1.5 = 90 amp service, closest would be 100 Amp. If the cabin was well shaded, and you used caution you can get by with very low watt mains but you will have no room for more load. The capacity of your breaker box does not affect your power consumption, it just allows for more. My 1800 sq ft house is on a 60 amp main. I watch what I do but I've never blown my mains.

I'm not an electrition but the basics are easy.

Just my opinion but that is how the math looks to me.

PS, I'm looking at building a minimalist home so I will be running these kind of figures for my self then.
 
I agree. I would go 100 or even 150. Like a gun, it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
 
Yea......'n in a few more years when the govt has us all re'charg'n our Pree Asses you'll need that Big Box.
 
My current service is 200 amp. I have a mobile home with 100 amp main, a 30 amp sub in the pump house, a 50 amp plug for an RV, and a 30 amp plug for another RV. What I am contemplating is a couple of small cabins till we can get a house built. Something that will last at mostleast 3 years. I wanted to do 50 amp boxes each. I forgot about thru fridge...damnit

j
 
I'd go 150 AMP service to be on the safe side, and keep ALL appliances just under a standard household outlet of 15 AMPS, so that you keep the service to a minimum. Meaning that your Microwave, A/C, Refrigerator, etc, are standard 115 V regular wall outlet 15 AMP stuff.....
 
Had a house once, with 60 amp service. Didn't know much about electricity at the time, and still no expert now. However, due to overloading, and poor wiring by the person that did the re-model on it, yeah, you guessed it. Burned down. I've since purchased to older homes, and the first thing I did to both were 200 amp service. Cost was not that much, but safety factor, priceless.
 
I've got my GF looking into upgrading our service to 320 AMP, so we can do two cabins with 100 amp service and keep the pump house.

OR

We get started on the house sooner rather than later. If I can get it built into the loan, I'm gonna o a 6+ KW solar array, and a solar water heater. Still thinking of upgrading to the 320 service... do net metering... make the power company pay me for a change :D

j
 
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