Electrical service
Electrical Panel Upgrades
A panel upgrade gives an older house the capacity it was never built for: a heat pump, an induction range, a Level 2 charger, a hot tub, solar. Storm Resilience Electric upgrades panels and service entrances across Powell River, the islands, Tofino and Ucluelet.
Most homes built before the 1990s in Powell River have 100 A service, and some older Townsite and island houses still have 60 A. That was fine for a furnace, a range and some lights. It is not fine once a heat pump, an EV charger, a hot tub and a dryer all want to run on a January evening. The load calculation shows whether the panel is at its limit, and often it is.
The other reason is the panel itself. Some older panels have breakers that no longer trip reliably, no room for new circuits, or double-tapped breakers where someone squeezed in a circuit years ago. A new panel fixes the safety problem and the capacity problem in one job.
When a house needs one
A service upgrade usually means a new meter base and service mast or underground entrance, a new 200 A panel, and reconnecting the existing circuits with proper labelling. BC Hydro has to disconnect and reconnect the service, so the day is coordinated with them, and the work is permitted and inspected.
The quote sets out all of that before the work starts, including anything the house will need alongside it: a dedicated charger circuit, breaker space reserved for solar, a sub-panel for a workshop. It is cheaper to plan it in than to come back.
What the job involves
- Breakers trip when two big appliances run at once
- No free breaker slots, or tandem breakers squeezed in
- A 60 A or 100 A service and plans for a heat pump or charger
- Lights dim when the dryer or the well pump starts
- A panel that is warm, buzzing, or shows scorch marks
- Solar or a battery in the plan, and nowhere to land it
Signs the panel is at its limit
Clear from the first call
How a job goes
Call or write
Say what you need, where the property is, and anything you already know about the panel or access. Photos help.
Site visit and quote
Mitch looks at the panel, the roof or the space, and what the house actually runs. The quote says what the work includes before it starts.
Permit and install
Permits are pulled where the work needs one. The install is scheduled around ferries and the jobs already booked.
Inspection and handover
The work is inspected where required, then walked through with you: what was done, where the shutoffs are, how to read the app if there is one.
How long does a panel upgrade take?
Most residential service upgrades are completed in a day on site, with the power off for part of it. The BC Hydro disconnect and reconnect and the inspection are scheduled around that. The quote confirms the plan for your house.
Do I always need 200 A?
No. The load calculation decides. 200 A is the common target because it leaves room for a charger, a heat pump and solar, but a smaller house with modest plans may not need it.