I just talked to an electrician today who is going to stop by to look at the situation. My calculation was : 9hp spa + 5500W heater = about 12kw = about 50A or so. Heat pump = about 25A. 3hp Pool motors = about 10A. Allow 10A for the shed = about 90 to 100A at 240V. This could easily all be going at the same time. Using subpanels, I could have 2 60A subpanels installed with a dedicated panel for the spa. This would add up to 50A additional load on each 150A panel. The air conditioner and oven running at the same time is about 50A which would be 100A in one 150A panel. Tack on a bunch of lights and the the distribution panel is rather fully loaded. I am concerned about flickering lights as the spa heater cycles. A separate distribution panal with its own disconnect connected to the service entrance would prevent flickering and dimming lights and would be easier to install since conduit would be buried outside rather than run through walls and attic. The problem is that the house doesn't have a disconnect at the service entrance, each distrubution panel has its own breaker for disconnect and the panels are grouped per code. The panels are dead center in the middle of the house with 2 runs of about 50ft of conduit under the slab to the service entrance. I find it strange that code would allow a situation where a person has to wade through a burning house to turn off the juice, but that is a different issue. Adding a third distribution panel which is not grouped with the other 2 would require installation of a disconnect at the service entrance which is a rather expensive proposal, and grouping a new panel with the other 2 would be impossible. What I am trying to figure out is whether I can install a distribution panel connected directly to the service entrance with its own disconnect on a separate building on the same property. If not, I will just have 2 separate subpanels installed and hope for the best. The guy who is coming out is apparently pretty knowledgeable but I like to have my ducks in a row before talking to contractors. Thanks again. George
