Hey Everyone, Just a little background - I've been in business for myself for a little over a year and a half - I mainly do resedential work, some commercial and I have extensive industrial experience from working the mills. I'm in need of some advice - I recently looked at a 100 amp 120/240 VAC residential service. The homeowner is selling the house and the home inspector recommended a panel change do to extensive water damage inside the panel. When I looked at it the SE cable on the outside was all frayed and worn and the rust in the panel was corroding the breakers. The panel had 22 circuits in it but the house had a small kitchen in the basement with a range receptacle - no range, central A/C, electric hot water heater and a main range in the main kitchen. I had recemmended a 200 amp service upgrade to the homeowner but he didn't even want to change the 100 amp panel.(he's selling the house) He gave me the job and I changed out the panel with a 30 ciruit panel and changed out the meter socket and the SE cable. Apples for Apples - I made it a whole lot safer than it was. Well the AHJ wanted me to do a load calc. on it and said I should have upgraded it to a 200 amp. I did the calc. and I came up with 98 amps. but the homeowner dosen't want to spend the money to upgrade so I removed the line to the range in the basement area and freed up several other slots in the panel and the AHJ still has a problem with it. I can't force a 200 amp service on the customer and I can't afford to just put one in on my dime. Any advice from you veterans? He had said it had to be 80% of the load but I can't see a continuous load for more than three hours. The examples I had found had loads of 96 amps and recommended a 100 amp service. So I'm at a loss. This is the "job that won't go away".
