Ok guys. My friend has gone and replaced his 100 amp panel with one of 200 amp capacity. [B]Problem:[/B] He did not arrange this upgrade with the Power Co. Therefore, I suspect that the Power lines from the Power Co., along with the meter and the SE cable from the Power Co. drop to the Panel is of insufficient capacity. He did not change the meter nor the SE wires (as I said, no prior Power Co. arrangement/no permit obtained). I suspect that the existing SE Conductors and the Meter are rated for 100 amp service!!!! How do we go about determining the [B]sizing of the existing conductors AND of the meter?[/B] I know [I](think)[/I] that the SE conductors must be 2/0 for 200 amp service. I have looked at the conductors coming into the panel, and I find no sizing info stamped on the insulation. [B]Q: is there a sizing tool available that I can use for this large conductor?[/B] [B]The Meter:[/B] I have looked at the Meter, and I find no info as to the amp rating of that Meter. [B]isn't this info supposed to be labeled on the Meter?[/B] I do not plan on doing any work on this property. He is the owner, and I wish only to advise him and help him determine whether or not he does, in fact, need to correct anything. If he does, I will advise him to pull a permit and do the job himself, as this is what he wishes to do - he doesn't want to go the expense of hiring a contractor. He is very adept at doing this type of work, although, why he didn't think to check the Meter and SE conductors, escapes me. [B]Summary Questions: How to determine the existing capacity of the SE Conductors AND How to Determine the Meter's Rating?[/B] -Terry

I recently had an electrician in to replace a wire that was used to power my electric dryer. The wire runs directly from the dryer to the fuse box. It became split a bit and looked unsafe. Our home was built in 1941 and has 100amp service. The electrician came in and traced the wire back to the fuse box. Earlier this year, I had water running down into the fuse box from outside. I caluked a slight hole outside and it never came back; however, it had been leaking for a while before I noticed it. Anyway, the electrician said that he won't work on this wire back to the fuse box because it's "unsafe." Apparently, the "neutral" bar is rusted so badly that he can't get it loose in order to replace this wire. I'll admit there's some rust, but it doesn't look that bad. He wants to replace the entire box, breakers and all. Assuming he's right, what should I expect to pay for this? Obviously I'm having another estimate. Also, this guy tells me I owe him something for his coming out to provide an estimate. Am I missing something----aren't estimate free? Look forward to your input.