How many AMPS do I need?
Many houses built before 1950 originally had less than 100 Amps, which by today’s standards would be considered too low. Fortunately, most of those electrical systems have been updated to 100 Amps or more. Today, 100 Amps is considered okay for a smaller house, unless there are large electrical draw appliances, such as air conditioning systems, swimming pools, hot tubs, electric dryers, and electric stoves. Often, 100 Amp electrical services get updated to 150 or 200 Amps. If the electrical service is too low for the structure, the main circuit breaker may trip and become a nuisance and possibly an electrical hazard.
Most main electrical panels have one large circuit breaker labeled 100, 150 or 200. Those numbers represent Amps, which means the amount of electricity the system can deliver (the total amperage should be confirmed by an electrician because it can be a bit tricky). 200 Amps provides plenty of power for small and medium sized homes. Larger homes often have more than 200 A.
By the way, updating the system to more power provides a secondary benefit of having a brand-new electrical panel along with brand-new circuit breakers. These new components provide a substantial benefit to the electrical system of the home.
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