100A to 200A Panel Upgrade - East Nashville Bungalow
Before
After
The Problem
The homeowners of a 1940s bungalow in the Lockeland Springs neighborhood had been tripping their main breaker every time they ran the HVAC plus the dryer simultaneously. Their 100A Federal Pacific panel (a known fire hazard brand) was also overloaded with tandem breakers.
Assessment
The Federal Pacific Stab-Lok breakers are a known code concern - they fail to trip under overload conditions. Combined with the load issues, this panel needed to go regardless of the capacity upgrade. We recommended replacing it entirely with a new 200A Square D panel.
What We Did
One-day job: we coordinated the NES utility disconnect for 7am, completed the panel replacement and new ground rod installation by noon, passed inspection at 3pm, and NES reconnected before 5pm. The homeowners were without power for less than 4 hours.
Outcome
The new 200A panel gave them 30 open slots for future circuits. They've since added a dedicated circuit for their home office and are planning an EV charger for the garage.
Whole-Home Rewiring - 1955 Craftsman in Bellevue
Before
After
The Problem
A couple purchasing a 1955 Craftsman home in Bellevue discovered during inspection that 60% of the home still had original knob-and-tube wiring. Their homeowners insurance company gave them 30 days to rewire or they'd be dropped.
Assessment
We did a full walk-through before purchase closing to assess scope. The kitchen and master bedroom had already been rewired at some point (though not to current code), but three bedrooms, the living room, and the attic still had original K&T. We estimated 4 days of work.
What We Did
Our crew of three worked room by room, using fish tapes and attic access to pull new 12-gauge copper Romex through walls with minimal drywall cuts. Where we did open drywall, we used 4-inch access holes rather than full wall sections, and patched behind us. We installed AFCI breakers throughout the panel as required by current code.
Outcome
Completed in 4.5 days. The insurance company received our completed permit and inspection approval, and coverage was reinstated. The homeowners also had us add three new circuits during the rewire: one for a home office, one for a mini-split in the bonus room, and one for a future kitchen upgrade.
