Panels & Wiring

Whether your service really needs upgrading, how to run the load calculation yourself, and the evidence behind the panels called hazards.

Panels & Wiring August 29, 2026 Zinsco and FPE Panels: Hazard or Sales Scare Three names land in one replacement quote, but their paper trails are nothing alike. What the CPSC file, the court docket, and your insurer's form actually say. 16 min read
Panels & Wiring August 18, 2026 Do I Need a 200 Amp Panel: Run the Load Calculation A panel upgrade quote should arrive with arithmetic. Here is the NEC optional load calculation, worked twice with real numbers, so you can check it yourself. 11 min read

About this section

The habit started with an estimate that named a condenser model the AHRI directory had never heard of. Since then Bram Ellery has read every bid on his own house and on a rental unit alongside the manufacturer's installation manual, the warranty document, and the code section the line item claims to satisfy. He holds no contractor's licence and inspects nothing. This site is a record of documents compared against each other, not advice on how the work should be done.

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Every guide cites the agency, statute, or document it was checked against, and carries the date it was checked. Rules change — if something here is out of date, tell us and it gets corrected.