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How can I find out the maximum current that can flow in to my house?

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It depends on the age of the neighbourhood. Call the utility and ask. If you want to go to 200 A, then you may need to pay to have new conductors strung from the transformer to the house. In the worst case, they'll need to replace the transformer. – Chris Cudmore Oct 13 '12 at 14:04
Why the downvote? – Dean Oct 13 '12 at 15:41
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Too localized, cannot be answered by strangers on the internet. Needs to be seen by your utility company. However if you rework it to a "how do I find out the rating of my main line feed" question then real answers can be given. – The Evil Greebo Oct 13 '12 at 17:33
@TheEvilGreebo Ahh ok I will do, I made an assumption that all houses had the same type of cable coming in. – Dean Oct 13 '12 at 20:30
The answer is infinity (or close to it), according to Ohm's law I=E/R (current = voltage / resistance). As resistance approaches 0, current approaches infinity (240V / 0.0001 = 2,400,000A). – Tester101♦ Oct 15 '12 at 13:31

closed as not a real question by The Evil Greebo, Tester101♦ Oct 14 '12 at 15:25

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

1 Answer

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It depends on the wire diameter ("gauge"), the material, and the distance from the main transformer. Thicker, copper (vs aluminum), and shorter all mean less resistance and thus greater current carrying capability.

You'll need someone from the power company to assess it to tell you the maximum service they can provide without changing anything.

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