We've just installed a custom panel Thermador single-door bottom freezer fridge. Although there is an "accessory" called a "freedom frame kit", I have yet to figure out what that is, and neither got it nor needed it. FWIW, the custom panel fridge also has available a stainless steel door panel set, so I wonder if you're right - that stainless is just another version of the custom panel.

Which is why they aren't used in garages or unfinished basements, correct? The arcs in the electric motors cause the AFCI to trip. What about things like vacuum cleaners or other household devices with motors? Because I'm just replacing the panels, I shouldn't have to protect the existing circuits with AFCI, but if I rewire the bedrooms with two new 20A circuits, then I will need AFCI protection on those new circuits, correct? A random question: Why, when I watch television shows such as Holmes on Homes and others (filmed in Canada), do I see most of their load centers horizontal rather than vertical? Is their any benefit to doing that? What I'm working with now: 1st Floor: 2nd Floor: 3rd Floor: I found out last week (after pulling off the front cover) that the 2nd floor has a couple of double-tapped circuits including two 15A "house" circuits which were double-tapped to a single 30A minibreaker fuse! Also, when they installed the boiler, they double-tapped the laundry circuit to get power. I ordered two 301P fuse blocks and my electrical will be installing them next week. The third floor was just as bad with double-taps. The boiler, like the 2nd floor, was double tapped into the laundry circuit. Also, the garage was on the 3rd floor panel for some reason (I think the previous owner lived on the 3rd floor). It's funny how none of this stuff gets disclosed when buying a house, and my house inspection report didn't list any issues regarding electrical. It's like finding the pieces to a puzzle and figuring out how they match up... That was the case when I had a hunch there was a fire on the 3rd floor. There was all new (Romex) wiring in the kitchen, cathedral ceilings with six Velux skylights circa-1986 (which the identical house next door doesn't have), the back wall of the kitchen is missing the original 40's tile, vinyl siding on the 3rd floor that didn't quite match perfectly when its sunny outside, and that weird 12-3 wire that runs up the exterior of the house to behind the kitchen counter... Of course, when I went to the building inspector last year, the one permit on file for my house was taken out in 1986 for a house fire that started in the kitchen. None of it was disclosed however... I had to go searching for it. Had I known then, it might've influenced my decision to buy the house. (Of course, now, I love my house and actually am thankful for the fire because I now have all new wiring and cathedral ceilings with skylights, and a second legal bedroom on the 3rd floor which they created from unfinished attic space by installing two skylights and finishing the room.)

I had my panel upgraded to 200 amp QO in 2013 (house in Northern VA) and a local semi-retired electrician did the job for $1850, including the permit. The initial estimates I got were about $2200-2300, however, the guy was working a commercial job in the area and he gave me a break because it was easy for him to add my job to his schedule. Also remember that the panel upgrade is not the end of the upgrade process. I've gone through a kitchen renovation that added a lot of circuits, added central AC, and added dedicated circuits for bathroom GFCI, bath heater/fan, and exterior GFCI outlets. It seems to never end. I've also stripped out all the accessible two-wire flexible metal conduit and replaced it with new NM-B cable. I still have a few old runs with no way to replace them through access from the basement or attic, but they are only being used for lighting circuits. Bruce

Thanks, Vith. I appreciate it. I suspected that it should work. With the lower watt elements 12G wiring should be okay (as opposed to 10G), correct? The heater I am looking at actually has an identical "twin" (only available via special order) that has 3800 watt elements pre-installed (with 12G wire and 20a double pole breaker recommended).. All other specs are the same. That led me to believe they were the same unit except for the elements (and thus the element swap should work). I would have just purchased the special order "twin" but it would be hard for the family to go two weeks without hot water. Oh...and good advice on re-labeling the unit as 3800w. Cheers.