ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Mobile Home Services

I have some questions about them. I have a situation where there is a utility pole with four services on it. They are fed from an overhead drop, then each mobile is fed underground. A big doublewide was moved in to a lot that had only 100 amp service, now they need 200. I will have to mount a 200 amp meter base on the pole, then feed the pedastal at the mobile for 100 feet underground. I assume I need four conductors from the meter to the pedastal? I was also wondering how many services on a pole can share ground rods? Or should I just drive two more?

Last but not least, I have never set a pedastal. I am assuming it will need to be bolted to a concrete base, am I correct? The old one is just kind of pushed into a chunk of concrete, halfway falling over.

Thanks, BigB

speaking for Mobile home services :

1] yes you have to run 4 conductor cable but make sure you sized properly for 200 amp service

1A] is that correct the distance is 100 Feet ? i am not sure if your local/ state code do allow that far most useally are less than 35 feet away from Mobile home

2] it will be wise to run new ground rods after you change the meter pedstal or socket and run #4 [ for 200 amp service]

2A] best way is make new concrete pad to support new meter base

3] check with your local code and POCO regulations reguarding with meter socket postion

4] it will be wise idea to run new 2 inch pvc conduct underground to below of the Mobile Home near the power entrince point the reason why is that because if the cable get damaged or something screw up it is eaiser to replace with out digging in the ground espcally where the area have hevey frost [ ya know how hard to dig in frozen ground ]

i am sure few other can chime in with more answer in here

Merci , marc

Thanks marc, yes I was planning to use conduit, in fact this I know is required by the county.

The pedastal at the MH is only about 10 feet from the MH, but the service pole is 100 feet away and serves four homes. It is done this way throughout the park, with many of them 100 feet away from their meters. Of course they are all 100 amp services done some years ago.

I knew it had to be 4 wire from the pedastal to the MH, but I was unsure about from the meter to the pedastal. I guess it's no different from any other subpanel huh?

In re reading your post I see you meant 2 inch conduit from the pedestal to the MH. I will only be doing the service, the MH movers will be connecting the MH to the pedestal.

ok but in our state [wisconsin]
will not allow the installer to hook up the electical system unless the electrican come in and hook it up .

the other thing i did overlook and forgot to tell ya with 2 inch pvc conduct come up and i useally put a pull box there [ 12X12X6 ] and from the pull box i run the pvc to the subdown pipe below the Mobile home and run the wires inside of it but only thing i hate the most is someone add extra wire for central air and or stove wire it get a pain in butt [ dont ask me why the manufacter wont spend extra 3 bucks for extra spare conduct and dont have to tear in the wall or floor to fish it ]

merci, marc

BigB-This is a fairly common installation especially in some of the older parks. The permission to have the service equipment located elsewhere on the premises and a local external disconnecting means located within 30' of the MH is found in 550.32(A).

If there is a service disconnecting means mounted on the pole (which I'm assuming there is or is going to be when you mount the new 200 amp socket), The exception to 550.33(A) allows you to run a three-wire feeder from the service equipment on the pole to the pedestal at the MH. The grounding and bonding requirements of 250.32(B) then apply at the pedestal (grounded conductor bonded to the enclosure, ground rod(s)and grounding electrode conductor installed). From the pedestal into the MH, you would then take your feeder consisting of 4 insulated, color coded conductors as called for in the main rule of 550.33(A).



[This message has been edited by Mvannevel (edited 09-09-2005).]

Have you done a calculation on the mobile home to see if a 200 amp service is needed?

I just install a service for a double wide home for a church member and it only figured to be 90 amps therefore I installed a 100 amp service. Just because the home has a 200 amp breaker on the inside does not mean that a 200 amp service is required.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. That's got to be one helluva trailer to need a 200A service. (Call it a manufactured home if you insist, but it's still just a trailer)I live in a good sized 4 bedroom house with electric everything and we get by just fine with a 150 amp service.

No I didn't do a load calc since I was only asked to upgrade the service. I did mention that it would probably be ok with 100 amps but they said the MH dealer refused to hook it up to a 100 amp service. It's a double wide, all electric with AC. They are determined to have it done, the park is paying for it.