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Considerations for installing a new or upgraded main electrical service.

There are four significant factors to consider when upgrading your existing electrical system.

1. The amount of additional load you are adding.
2. The type of service that best meets your needs.
3. BC Hydro requirements.
4. Canadian Electrical Code requirements.

The most common size of electrical main service in single family residential applications is 240 Volts – 100 Amps. A service this size is adequate for an average sized single-family home. A 100-amp service will power your kitchen appliances, dryer, furnace, hot water tank, lighting, and receptacles.

Determining Service Size

The size of the service is determined by the load. If you are planning to install a hot tub, building a shop, adding an air conditioner or any other load you need to ensure the additional load does not exceed the rated ampacity of your service. As per Canadian Electrical Code Quantum Power calculates your home’s electrical load to determine the required size. Based on the load calculations, our expert electricians in Vernon BC design, plan and install high quality electrical main services.

Service Type

The next step is to determine what type of service is best for your needs. Electrical services can be overhead, underground or a combination of both. The design of the service must meet BC Hydro’s Service Connection Requirements which we will explore next.

Overhead | Underground | Combination

BC Hydro Requirements

BC Hydro provides an online guide for overhead and underground services. Requirements ensure safe installation for both the homeowner and BC Hydro line technicians. Overhead requirements include height restrictions of incoming lines over highways, roadways, driveways, and pedestrian walkways. Trees or branches obstructing the path of the incoming wires must be trimmed back three meters by an arborist. This provides adequate clearance and is the homeowners responsibility. The service location must have a clear line of sight from the home to the BC Hydro pole providing power and installed on the wall facing the pole, or within one meter of the wall on either side of the wall facing the service pole. The maximum service length from BC Hydro’s pole to the point of attachment at your home must not exceed thirty meters. These are five significant requirements for installation of an overhead service.

Underground services are equally challenging. Trenching must be one meter deep to avoid damage from frost heaving. The trench is then filled with six inches of sand. The cable is placed in the trench and covered with another six inches of sand. In the event the ground is subject to frost heaving the sand will provide a smooth barrier which can withstand lesser amounts of movement. Caution tape is placed on top of the second layer of sand to alert machine operators and workers digging around the direct buried cable. The trench is then backfilled to its original grade. Were the buried cable exits the ground at both ends a method of mechanical protection is provided by the contractor. This is usually in the form of rigid PVC pipe or similar material. More information on underground and overhead services is available at bchydro.com.

Canadian Electrical Code

The Canadian Electrical Code is an in-depth resource for building a new or upgraded main electrical service for power electricians. It is critical to meet or exceed all rules governing underground and overhead services. We strongly recommend the technical side of the Canadian Electrical Code is left to the electrical contractor; however, a basic knowledge of main service installations will add clarity for the homeowner. Peter Knight’s Electrical Code Simplified is an excellent resource to aid in understanding the complex process. More information on residential electrical services can be found at Peter Knights web site, https://psknight.com.

Steps to Complete Installation – Homeowner

1. 1. Contact and meet with local electrical contractors and provide details of the loads carried by the new service. Review the load calculation with the electrical contractor. We recommend estimates from three companies.
   2. Initiate the connection request with BC Hydro online or by telephone. BC Hydro will then provide you the cost for connection for your new electrical service. Your BC Hydro account is directly charged for payment.
   3. Prepare the site for installation. Trimming of trees and making adequate room for workers will help make installation progress smoothly. Expect removal of interior drywall or exterior siding. If this is something you feel confident with it can save you money.
   4. Provide access for inspection. Technical Safety BC performs the inspection in areas where local city hall does not have an electrical department. Permit fees are usually paid by the electrical contractor to either your local city hall electrical department or Technical Safety B. C. Usually the permit fee is included in the estimate provided by the electrical contractor. Ask you electrical contractor for more information regarding permits.
   5. Prepare to be without power on the day of connection. As each project has different requirements power could be off for an hour, or eight hours. Ask your electrical contractor so you are prepared for connection day.

As you can tell, a new electrical main service installation takes coordination between the homeowner, the electrical contractor, BC Hydro and Technical Safety BC. Ensure you are well prepared, and the process will develop efficiently.

As a premier electrical contractor in Vernon BC, our power electricians will quickly and efficiently design, plan, and build the perfect main electrical service to meet your needs. If you have question or need more information, please call 250-307-4003, or visit our contact page