NEC 220.82 (US) · CEC Rule 8-200 (Canada)
Don't pay for a panel upgrade you don't need.
Panel upgrades run $2,000–$5,000 — and installers often quote them on gut feel, not math. Run the actual electrical-code calculation on your home in two minutes. Free, no signup.
Check My Panel Free →Verdict in seconds · The math runs in your browser · Nothing stored
The math your installer should be doing
Enter your loads
Panel size, home size, the big appliances, and the heat pump you’re considering. EV charger optional. Two minutes.
We run the code math
NEC 220.82 in the US, CEC Rule 8-200 in Canada — the same optional-method calculation a licensed electrician starts with, demand factors and all.
Get your verdict
PASS, WARN, or FAIL against your service’s 80% continuous limit — before an installer quotes you a panel upgrade on gut feel.
Free panel capacity check
Heat pump first, EV charger optional. Pick your country and the right code method is applied automatically.
Baseboards, electric furnace. 0 if gas or none.
Central AC nameplate. 0 if none.
Industry-average compressor draw. Not sure? 3 ton suits most homes.
No email. No signup. The math runs right here in your browser.
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Enter your home's loads and run the check. You'll get the same pass/fail math a licensed electrician starts with — in seconds.
The load your panel forgot about
Most failed heat pump installs trace back to a ghost load— a real load drawing real amps that never made it into anyone's calculation. A back-room baseboard heater. A hot tub the previous owner wired in. The code math only works when every load is in it.
What is a ghost load? →129 A
One make-up air unit found drawing 129 amps — missing from a building's load calculation for 11 years. That's a ghost load.
Built by a tradesperson, not a marketing team
Built and reviewed by a Red Seal Refrigeration Mechanic · Red Seal Plumber · Class A Gas Fitter with 25+ years of commercial and industrial HVAC/R experience across Western Canada. The calculator runs the NEC 220.82 and CEC Rule 8-200 optional methods directly — the same demand factors, thresholds, and 80% continuous limit an electrician applies. See the full methodology →
The full report — $25 CAD
The free check gives you the verdict. The full report shows the work: every load, every demand factor, and what to do about the result — so you can sit across from an installer knowing exactly where the numbers came from.
- ✓ Line-by-line code calculation
- ✓ Upgrade vs. load-management scenarios
- ✓ EV charger headroom analysis
- ✓ Questions to ask your electrician
- ✓ PDF you can hand to your installer
- ✓ NEC or CEC method, cited by rule
30-day money-back guarantee — if the report doesn't help, reply to your receipt for a full refund.
Common questions
Is the panel check really free?+
Yes. The calculator runs the full NEC 220.82 (US) or CEC Rule 8-200 (Canada) optional-method math in your browser and gives you a PASS / WARN / FAIL verdict with your headline numbers — free, no email, no signup. The paid report adds the line-by-line breakdown, upgrade scenarios, and a PDF you can hand to your electrician.
Can a 100A panel handle a heat pump?+
Often, yes — it depends on your existing loads, not the panel label. A 100A home with a gas range, gas water heater, and gas dryer frequently has room. An all-electric 100A home usually does not, especially with an EV charger. The calculator totals your real loads, applies the code demand factors, and compares against your service’s 80% continuous limit — the same first step a licensed electrician takes.
What is a ghost load?+
A ghost load is a real electrical load that draws current but never made it into the load calculation — a forgotten baseboard heater, an unpermitted hot tub, a radiant floor nobody documented. Ghost loads are why panels that look fine on paper trip on the coldest night of the year, and why an incomplete load list produces a wrong answer.
Does this replace an electrician’s load calculation?+
No. It runs the same optional-method math an electrician uses for a first-pass estimate, but from the loads you enter rather than an on-site inspection. Use it to walk into quotes informed. The official calculation, permit, and installation all require a licensed electrician.
Does it work for EV chargers too?+
Yes. Add a Level 2 charger as an optional load and the calculation includes it at nameplate — or excludes it if you have an energy management system (EVEMS), exactly as NEC 220.82 and CEC Rule 8-106(11) allow.
Planning the rest of your heat pump project? Our sister site HeatPumpLocator.com covers rebates, costs, sizing, and how to hire a contractor.