Do you need to run away from 60 amp electrical services?

We see our share of 60 amp electrical services as we're inspecting homes in Waterloo Region and Guelph. These electrical services were commonly installed in homes prior to the 1950s. The term "60 amps" represents the maximum amount of current that a home may use from the local utility at on time. It is currently common to in- stall a 100 amp electrical service (as a minimum) in new house construction.

Although a 60 amp main electrical service is considered small by today’s standards, it is not inherently considered an unsafe system. However, there are two common safety issues often associated with older, 60 amp electrical services.

These include:

1. increased risk of amateurish/unsafe historic electrical repairs; and,

2. improper fuse size installations associated with the 60 amp system.  Both of these items can cause overheating of distribution wiring in the home, potentially causing an electrical fire.

3.Insurance companies don't like 60 amp services or fuse panels and may ask for them to be replaced in a timely fashion.

Learn more about electrical and other home inspection topics at our website.