Is 60 amp electrical service enough for high end tube system


Just purchased a new home that has a 60 amp electrical service. Do I need to upgrade to 100 or 200 amp service? How much will this upgrade cost if done by a licensed electrician. I will be running a 200 watt per channel tube amp. Any and all opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
jazz_nut

Showing 1 response by alexanderj

Hard to give you a definite answer without knowing all the specifics. From a design standpoint your system is capable of supporting 10,550 watts continuously and may be adequate if there are no major electrical appliances connected such as a range or dryer.

Typical problems with 60 amp services usually involve the lack of adequate branch circuits. This usually is most indicated by blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers.

I would recommend for serious jazz listening a least one dedicated line for your audio components. This of course requires that the existing service have the ability to add the needed line(s). Even if your service appears full, oftentimes an auxilliary box can be added via existing expansion lugs. You may not need a full service upgrade if expansion lugs are available.

As far as costs are concerned, in the midwest full electrical service upgrades start around $2000 for the very simplest and usually go much higher.

A reputable and knowledgeable electrical contractor is really your best resource to answer your questions.