I have a 125 Amp service in the house and 5 spots empty in the breaker box.

I know that I will need 2 circuits for the theatre room but I was wondering how many more circuits I might need. I plan on installing a wet bar with a fridge, kegerator, and a dishwasher. I will also have a games room, model railroad room and a bathroom (2 pc.)

How many additional circuits do you think I will need and if I will need to prepare for a second breaker panel or upgrade my service?

Thanks
Eric

For your model railroad, you should be able to power from an existing run. I would put the dishwasher on its own circuit. Likewise the same with everything in the bathroom. You should be fine with five free slots but don't let anything extra come to mind such as running power to the outdoor shed, additional exterior lighting or anything else outside of your home theater.

[B]Thanks Chiltown.

You wouldn't know off hand what is involved in increasing the amps of a service would you?
It's better to have extra available service then just enough and would like to be prepared for the worst if the electrician saya we have to get a bigger service.

Thanks

Eric

[B]Thanks Chiltown.

You wouldn't know off hand what is involved in increasing the amps of a service would you?
It's better to have extra available service then just enough and would like to be prepared for the worst if the electrician saya we have to get a bigger service.

Thanks

Eric

Increasing your service to something like a 200 amp would most likely require you to replace everything from your weather head on down to your box. I think the minimum conduit for a 200 amp service is 2" so if your conduit is less than 2" all of that would have to be replaced. You would also have to replace the service wire, meter base and of course you breaker box. Usually takes a couple of guys a half to a full day to do.

If you are building a model railroad anything like the one I will be starting in about 3 months 1 circuit will never be enough. I will have 2ea 20A for that room alone. But I will be having a lot of amperage draw from locos and all the other things on the layout. I would prefer to have more than I need than not enough.

John

I doubt you'll need to upgrade the 125 amp service to your home.

The dishwasher should get it's own 15A circuit. Ontario code specifies the refigerator be on it's own 15A circuit. Then there is the issue of meeting code with electrical outlets installed every eight feet of finished wall, measured right into the corners of a room. You could add a subpanel if you don't already have one (limited to one).

Home Depot and RONA sells an excellent Ontario Electrical Code book for around $15. It is designed for the DIY'er and covers most code situations. Highly recommended.

Thanks Tedd. I think I will get the Ontario Electrical code book.

John,
I agree, I'd rather have too much than not enough. By the way I am an HO scale model railroader.

Depending on the brand of your breaker box you could install tandem breakers that give you
2 circuits in a single breaker slot.

Depending on the brand of your breaker box you could install tandem breakers that give you
2 circuits in a single breaker slot.


Was going to suggest that myself. Get the code book, I think by code a lot of stuff is supposed to have dedicated breakers (fridge, microwave, not sure about dishwasher though). You could eat up 5 open spots pretty quick.

Thanks for the info guys. I'm getting a good education here. It'll help to know a little bit about this stuff before the electrician comes with a bunch of surprises that I am totally not prepared for.

By the way I already have a subpanel outside of the house to run the landscape lighting and the pool pump. The breaker in the main in the house panel for the outside panel is 40 amps. I guess that means I cannot put another sub panel in the house if needed can I?

Thanks for all the info so far.

Eric