ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 260 guests, and 20 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#50038 03/22/05 09:38 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 524
Member
...Today your friendly neighborhood Attic Rat,was summoned to yet one more interesting test of skill and wit..A service,that "bounces" from one ediface to another.The service in question is an overhead,fed from a pole,hits the front house,comes down the side via weather head,and 100a.SEU to the meter.The 100a.SEU(3 wires) leaves the meter,then heads down to the basement(of the front house),where it is brought into a 100a.2-pole breaker disconnect,..from there,leaves the disconnect via SEU(3 wires)and travels the length of the house(outdoors)about 40' to the rear of the house,goes up to a weather head,then gets spliced to a 3-wire aerial,travels some 60',hits another weather head mounted on the rear(carriage) house on the same lot.This then comes down the side of the house,travels another 46' thru a crawl space in the basement,to a Main breaker panel there..ok,we all have a picture of this abortion in our minds eye right?? The rear house panel is bonded at the water main(no sign of a ground rod,or ground hog,for that matter) My query is..if something unGodly should happen to the line outside,..or worse,..in the crawlspace,without that bare equipment ground that SER type cable gives us,..how is the fault going to open the Main disconnect located in the front house effectively?? in other words,shouldn't "they" have run SER,or a 4-wire system to the back house via aerial?My involvement in this mess is because the SEU travelling peacefully down the side of the rear house is probably at least 4,000 years old,and cloth covered.I've seen better cloth wrappings on mummies..Anyway,the cloth(cable jacket) is almost gone completely,and the metal 2-hole straps are perilously close to shorting the conductors they once diligently supported.My mission,should I choose to accept it,is to replace the SEU,although I was thinking of inserting a 100a. disconnect at the rear house to protect the line run thru the crawl-space within the 9th circle of hell that they call a "basement"... What would y'all do...(besides run for the hills)..??
Russ




[This message has been edited by Attic Rat (edited 04-05-2005).]


.."if it ain't fixed,don't break it...call a Licensed Electrician"
#50039 03/22/05 09:48 PM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 840
C
Member
Russ, that was a great description. [Linked Image] [Linked Image] [Linked Image] LOL

That made my day. [Linked Image]

Peter


Peter
#50040 03/22/05 09:51 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 361
C
Member
"What would y'all do"

I think I'd let YOU do it...LOL...but if I had to do it, I'd run all new wires,preferably in conduit and underground as much as possible ~ I'm no fan of any flavor SE cable. Sure, it would co$t, but at least the job wouldn't co$t me any sleep.


~~ CELTIC ~~
...-= NJ =-...
#50041 03/23/05 04:04 PM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 241
S
SJT Offline
Member
What was the original call? Was there a problem? Or, was it to estimate a new service. That was a great story you wrote. It sounds like a nightmare and it would need to be wired to code. Could be a nice size job to correct the whole system. If the owner does not go for it, that's his problem. You know that at least you gave a good estimate and it's done right.

#50042 03/23/05 10:01 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 524
Member
... Thanx,SJT, The original call was to replace the badly deteriorated service cable entering the rear house..I question my predecessors use of SEU(3 wire),where I believe he should have used SER(4 wire) cable,being that it is in fact after the Main.. [Linked Image from 247wildlife.com]
Russ



[This message has been edited by Attic Rat (edited 03-23-2005).]


.."if it ain't fixed,don't break it...call a Licensed Electrician"
#50043 03/24/05 12:51 AM
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 943
Likes: 2
N
Member
Your helper?

#50044 03/24/05 11:20 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 241
S
SJT Offline
Member
From that disconnect in the basement to a sub panel, you would need 3 insulated conductors plus an equipment ground. This could either be done with SER cable on conduit. Conduit sounds like it would be 3-#2's and a #6 ground.
Good luck

#50045 03/24/05 12:39 PM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 840
C
Member
Quote
Conduit sounds like it would be 3-#2's and a #6 ground.

Why would it need a #6 ground? A #8 is sufficient for a 100 amp disconnect, assuming one gets installed per Table 250.122.

Furthermore, Table 250.66 only requires a #8 GEC for aluminum service entrance conductors 1/0 or smaller, or CU #2 or smaller.


Peter
#50046 03/24/05 11:43 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 524
Member
Quote
Your helper?

...Nah, it's just me,..your friendly neighborhood Attic Rat,workin' in an attic this summer,...nearly passed out, thank God for Gatorade.. [Linked Image] [Linked Image] [Linked Image] [Linked Image]
Russ


.."if it ain't fixed,don't break it...call a Licensed Electrician"
#50047 03/26/05 08:42 PM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 681
P
Member
Russ
It seems you have very good electrical skills, but your descriptive writing skills are absolutely worth reading.
I hope you run into more of these situations just so we can read about them.
Send that script into one of the magazines and I am sure they will publish it. [Linked Image]

Pierre


Pierre Belarge
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5