Electrical Guides for Northern California Properties

Most Ukiah homes built before the 1980s were wired for a house with one oven, one AC unit and no electric vehicle. The question is not whether 100 amps is old, it is whether your calculated load fits inside it. We walk through the load calculation an electrician actually runs, the four signs that point to a genuine capacity problem, and the cases where a subpanel or a load-management device solves the issue for a fraction of a service upgrade.

• A load calculation counts square footage, appliances, HVAC, well pumps and EV charging, not how many breakers look full
• Doubled-up tandem breakers usually mean space is gone, not that capacity is gone
• Dimming lights when the well pump or compressor starts is a voltage-drop symptom worth investigating before you buy a panel
• Upgrading the panel and the meter main together avoids paying for the same utility coordination twice