Understanding Your Home's Electrical Service Capacity

When homeowners think about upgrading or adding electrical features, they often focus on panel space — the number of available slots for breakers. But the real limit isn’t just the number of breakers your panel can hold — it’s the amperage of your electrical service.

🔌 What Is Electrical Service Capacity?

Your home is wired to handle a certain total load of electricity, measured in amps (A). Common residential services include:

• 100 amp service – Found in many older homes

• 150 amp service – A step up for moderate needs

• 200 amp service – The modern standard for homes with larger loads

🏠 Why Service Size Matters

Even if you have open breaker spaces, those won’t help if your main service capacity is already maxed out. Adding high-demand appliances like:

• Hot tubs 💧

• Electric vehicle chargers 🚗

• HVAC systems ❄️🔥…can overload your system, risking breaker trips, fire hazards, or system failure.

⚠️ Signs You May Be Nearing Capacity

• Lights dimming when major appliances kick on

• Breakers tripping frequently

• Warm electrical panel or buzzing sounds

• Plans to add multiple high-powered devices

🧰 What You Can Do

A licensed electrician can:

• Evaluate your current load

• Perform a load calculation

• Recommend a service upgrade (to 200A or even 400A for larger properties)

• Ensure your system is up to code and ready for the future

🦁 Power You Can Count On

At Bowman Electric, we’re here to make sure your home is equipped for whatever the future brings. From load evaluations to full service upgrades, our team brings experience, honesty, and attention to detail to every job. If you’re unsure what your home’s system can handle, we’ll help you make sense of it — and power forward with confidence.