We will we wiring a new custom home in the very near future. We've done plenty of 400 amp services in our time, but this customer is asking for 800 amps. We checked with Hydro authority and they will allow max 600 amps, provided that we supply, install and wire a separate outdoor transformer, concrete pad and meter cabinet with CT's etc.

Needless to day, this is a 4-5 million dollar home. Why so much power? Apparently, the HOME THEATRE setup requires in the neighbourhood of 330 amps and has all sorts of goodies like water cooled speakers!!

Let the fun begin!!

We've never encountered this before :
-Anybody do resi services greater than 400 amps?
-Anybody seen or heard of home theatre systems requiring so much power?

Sure we did see few home supersized type they will have very large service useally 600 + amp service it can be either Single OR three phase service system.

I know i did work on one home for service call it have 3Ø service in there [208Y/120] that place is so bloody huge it have 3- 200 amp breaker box in one electrical room and the fourth 200 amp box loacted at the pool pump room.

The home theatre centre useally have tons of bell and whistle there and they have pretty big dimmer rack and pretty good size surround stereo system as well

as overall that house that size is about 5500+ sq feet [ i dont even know the excat sqft size of that one]

I am sure there is one or two guys in this forum can fill you in with the home enterament centre

I will provide the link here to driect ya the photo of this place [ your jaws will drop on this one ]

here one of very large place it show how big this place i am not sure if you did see the photo before or not but here it is photo of large place hope you get the idea how this work out on this one

Merci , Marc

click on underlinded " photo of large place " that will get you to that place thanks

The largest residential service that I ever did was a 1,200 amp single phase that required actual switch gear in the basement. Everything from that point was 42 ckt. 200 amp sub panels located throughout the 12,000 SF mansion. I was surprised that we didn't do a three-phase service, but my guess is that the POCO couldn't get it to us at this location in a rural part of northern New Jersey. Even the ten-car garage and the 16-stall horse barn each had their own 400 amp services. Talk about a learning experience. PSE&G was happy to give us all the single-phase power we wanted. I guess they were looking at many years with all of those spinning meters.

Given the size of the service... the legislation in effect in your jurisdiction may require that stamped engineered drawings for this project be submitted to the AHJ for approval.

For example... In my jurisdiction, plans for all projects, except for single family homes, must be submitted for plan review. As well, drawings for all projects with a service larger then 400 amp single phase or 200 amps three phase or any with a system voltage greater then 750 volts must be stamped by an electrical engineer before they are submitted for the review process.

Did you do a load calculation? Maybe you will find that 600 amps is adequate.

The customer was hoping for 2 - 400 amp services, one for the house, and one strictly for the home theatre room. Unfortunately, the Hydro authority will not allow 2 hydro services and/or meters for a single family dwelling, so this is not an option. I haven't seen all the specs/engineering yet, as it is in preliminary stages, but I am quite confident 600 amps should be adequate.

Usually the utility bases thier transformer size on average anticipated demand, and the electrical codes are based on maximum calculated demand. Often two very different figures in especially for a non-commercial building.