Panel upgrade vs just adding a subpanel: which is smarter in the long run?

2 comments

2 Comments

Respectfully, a subpanel just kicks the can down the road on an old undersized service. If your main panel is outdated or doesn't have enough breaker slots already, a full upgrade gives you more headroom for future needs like EV chargers or solar. Saving money now on a subpanel might cost you way more later when you realize it won't handle what you need.

loganburns26d ago

Wait, so you're telling me someone would actually put a subpanel on a service that's ALREADY too small? That's wild to me. I mean, I get wanting to save a few bucks upfront, but that's like putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg. If your main is already outdated and you're barely scraping by with what you've got, adding more circuits just means you'll be tripping breakers left and right when you try to run a vacuum and a microwave at the same time. That's not a fix, that's just creating a bigger headache down the road when you finally realize the whole thing needs to be ripped out anyway.