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Your One Bullet Point Solution; Electrical Upgrade

Two points; I am well aware of many threads on topic of electrical service. I do not have time to read hundreds of posts, but wish to distill them down with your help. I will also post this on the Tech Forum to get wider response:

Doing service upgrade to 100A. I plan on adding a whole house surge protector, type 2, add on to panel after the service enters house. Panel to the HT/Music room is not under consideration, as it was all updated when the room was built.

If anyone has important info/contradictory info on that plan, please inform.

What I would like to know in shorthand form from the community from those who have Done upgrades:

1. Recommended Panel? Brand, any difference?

2. I currently have sub-panel for HT/Audio room which I’m tempted to keep. I understand that this is a good move.
Electrician can sum all into a larger panel, but I have reservations. Comments/recommendations?

3. Particular wiring/breakers for panel/sub-panel for audio use?

4. Particular surge protector recommend.

As the topic has been covered much, notation form comments are welcome. Thanks for helping!



douglas_schroeder
erik_squires
16,385 posts
 
Any thoughts or consideration of adding a separate copper ground rod for the audio only panel?


Do it, but you MUST bond it to the rest of the grounds.  You can't create an independent ground network that is separate from the house ground that is bonded to neutral at the service entrance.

Also, and this is from reading a long long time ago, I have a faint memory that research regarding surge protectors and lightning strikes showed that bare armored ground (BAG) was superior than merely using a ground cable to the panel. Something about the armor carrying high frequency ground currents better.  Usually the armor is not required or installed.
douglas_schroeder OP
3,281 posts
 
I'm not considering a grounding rod. 
rbstehno
1,480 posts
 
I have a whole house surge suppressor at the meter put in by the electric company. They maintain it, and provide insurance to every electrical device inside the house. Not only is my audio room protected, but my other audio systems in other rooms, and all my appliances.
It cost me $6 a month.
During construction of my last few houses, I had them run multiple dedicated 20 amp circuits to my audio room, it’s cheaper to do it in the beginning than after the drywall is up
douglas_schroeder OP
3,281 posts
 
Rbstheno, excellent info! Thanks!
mickeyb
585 posts
 
Ok. Here it goes. Do a 200 amp new main panel by Siemens or cutler hammer with copper busses. Your electrician should follow codes for ground rod install. Then attach a whole house surge protector to the main panel. Eaton is fine. Then for your audio, get a dedicated 20 amp outlet with an audioquest 20 amp nrg audio outlet. I’ve been a builder for 30 yrs and I just completed my 20th home. You will get rid of your sub panel since you will have plenty of breaker slots for your home. Have fun and good luck. 
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