Do You Need a Panel Upgrade for a Heat Pump or EV Charger?
Modern homes add big electrical loads. Here is when your panel can handle it and when it needs an upgrade.
Callison Electric Heating & Cooling checks whether your panel has the capacity and open spaces for a new heat pump, EV charger, or generator before the install. Many older or full 100-amp panels need an upgrade to add large loads safely. Because Callison is licensed in both trades, one company handles the whole project. Call 540-294-3189.
Heat pumps, EV chargers, and generators all draw significant power. Whether your existing panel can take one depends on its size, how full it is, and what else your home runs.
How to tell if your panel needs an upgrade
A few signs point to an upgrade: a 100-amp panel that is already full, no open breaker spaces, a fuse box rather than breakers, or frequent tripping. Adding a large new load to a maxed-out panel is unsafe and against code. We assess it before quoting a panel upgrade.
Heat pumps
A heat pump needs a correctly sized dedicated circuit. Many homes have room, but some need panel capacity added. Callison sizes the circuit and the panel together as part of the HVAC install.
EV chargers
A Level 2 EV charger draws as much as an electric range. If your panel is near capacity, it may need an upgrade or a load-management device. We tell you which before the work.
One company for both
Most HVAC companies subcontract the electrical. Callison is licensed in both trades, so the panel, the circuit, and the system are quoted and installed together, with permits pulled and the work inspected.
Related guides
Have a question about your system?
Not sure your panel can handle a new load? We check capacity before we quote. Call before noon and a crew can usually be there the same day.
Common questions
Real questions from Staunton and Augusta County, with straight answers.
Call 540-294-3189