What is 60-Amp Electrical Service?

In Canadian residential housing, electrical service typically comes in 60A, 100A, or 200A capacities. A 60-Amp service means that the main electrical capacity of the home is 60 amps - that is, the maximum load of the service line from the municipal grid (via overhead or underground feed) and its associated overcurrent protection device is rated at 60A. Based on the standard residential 120V/240V single-phase three-wire system, 60A equates to a maximum load of 240 x 60 = 14,400 watts. Most houses built before the 1950s were equipped with 60A or even smaller services. Even today, we still see some older homes that have never upgraded their electrical service and remain on 60A power.

Is 60A Enough?

According to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, the electrical service capacity for new homes is determined based on its square footage and designed electrical load, with consideration for potential future demand. The Code states that houses over 80 square meters (excluding the basement) should have at least 100A service. However, this applies only to new construction, and not to existing homes. In practice, most new homes have only 100A service, with 200A being relatively rare.

So, how should the service capacity of older homes be determined? There is no official or standardized answer. In my opinion, it should be based on actual electrical demand, and not an arbitrary assumption that 60A is inadequate or that 200A is always better.

First, let's analyze typical power usage in a home. A single 15A circuit can support 12 typical receptacles and light fixtures, yet its maximum load is only 1,440W. Some individual appliances use significant amounts of electricity:

• Stove: 8,000-12,000W (combined burners and oven)
• Dryer: 5,000W
• Central A/C: 5,000W
• Electric water heater: 3,000W
• Microwave: 1,500W
• Toaster: 1,200W
• Dishwasher: 1,200W

This shows that overall household power demand depends primarily on these heavy-load appliances like stove and dryer. Lights and general outlets contribute only a small fraction to the total load.

So, if you own a 2,000 sq.ft. detached home with a gas stove, gas water heater, and gas dryer, and you have no plan to install a central air conditioning, and your main fuse has never blown - then, I see no compelling reason for you to upgrade from 60A to 100A service.

Additionally, the power need is also related to the homeowner's lifestyle and habits. For example, on a summer evening, your A/C is running, two stove burners are in use, and the oven is baking a turkey. At the same time, your spouse starts the cloth dryer. Under these conditions, your 60A main fuse may blow. But if you avoid running multiple heavy-load appliances simultaneously, the fuse will likely hold. While a blown main fuse is inconvenient, it does not necessarily indicate danger - the fuse is simply doing its job by protecting the wiring from overloads.

That said, as modern households incorporate more and more electrical devices, a 60A service may indeed be insufficient for contemporary lifestyles. If you frequently experience a blown main fuse, plan to rent out part of your house, or intend to install high-power appliances like central air conditioning, you should consult a licensed electrician and proactively consider upgrading to at least a 100A service - regardless of whether your insurance company demands it.

Insurance Company Requirements

Currently, when homeowners apply for insurance, if the insurer learns that the property has 60A service, they generally will not approve the policy unless the owner agrees to upgrade to at least 100A within a specified timeframe (excluding apartment units).

Insurance companies may have their valid reasons for this policy. However, in my view, they are overreacting. This blanket requirement is unfair and unreasonable for some homeowners, for the reasons explained earlier: an older home's power demand should be assessed based on actual usage, taking into account the owner's habits and lifestyle.

More importantly, this policy misses the root issue - it does not address the most common fire and safety hazards in outdated electrical systems. Based on my experience, the real issue often lies not with the main service capacity itself, but with unsafe, non-standard and poorly configured wiring in the panel and throughout the house (more on this in a future article).

We often see homes where the electrical service has been upgraded, but the internal wiring remains unchanged, and sometimes even the electrical panel is left untouched. Aside from reducing the likelihood of blown main fuses, the overall safety of the system has not significantly improved.

This article was originally published in "Real Estate Weekly", Issue #130, July 06, 2007.