ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Taped Service Entrance Wire

Greg:
That's not something that I have seen up here. If it is 'trade practice', I must have missed that day.

Most of the resi services I did over the years were pipe or PVC, and I did not do a lot of resi in my 'tools days'.

Gentlemen,

I want to thank you all for your insights and assistance with this. I posted some photos in the gallery on the update to my service thanks to a local sparky. Thanks Gents.

-John

EUSERC must HATE SEU because I've never seen it out my way in all my days.

BTW, near the coast, SEU is going to possitively dissolve: aluminum corrodes like crazy if salt/ chloride ions are present.

Prove it: take some scrap feeder and stick it in a jar of salty water. Come back in a week and see what it looks like.

Aluminum forms a hard skin when oxidized -- by oxygen. This clear skin is so thin that we can see right through it.

Aluminum does not form a hard skin when oxidized -- by chlorine. It just goes and goes -- like the way rust does not sleep -- for iron/ steel.

Stainless steel works against rust because it also forms a hard skin -- very much in the manner of aluminum.

I was shocked to see no drip loops in that photo. To my way of thinking, water would wick its way into the building, for sure.

FWIW, there is SEU and SER available with 'copper conductors'.

I had the option for copper feeders in one of the quotes that I got, I was not willing to pay four thousand for a new service entrance. But I do not believe it was part of a cable assembly as quoted. May have been individually insulated conductors in a conduit.

-John

IMHO, 4k for a 200 amp, single phase resi service is outrageous. I base that on what I see in the pics you posted.

IF it was going to be RGC, and a 'bentley' panel, it would still be on the high side.

The above is my opinion. The reference to copper SEU/SER was for Tesla.

Out my way EUSERC just doesn't even tolerate SE.

Everything has to be in a raceway, typically the utility instists upon IMC or RMC... earthquakes and such.

In our platted subdivisions, the norm is for underground Service via laterals. This is true even when the ground is rotten -- and brutal digging.

That is surprising. I would think cables and overhead services would deal with earthquakes better.
(flexing vs breaking)

We don't have any so I really don't know much about it tho.

Greg...

The Poco is coming solely from experience.

Underground distribution systems have fault rates trivially low compared to overhead distribution.

That gap has been industry knowlege for generations. It's the primary reason that EUSERC pushes for underground distribution even in residential areas.

When this is done from the very beginning it's quite practical -- going back fifty years.

These days, horizontal boring rigs are making it possible to retro-fit underground distribution in many older neighborhoods.

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As you might expect, weather just does not effect underground circuits.

The one area that I know that has issues is Las Vegas. The ground heat is so high there that the rules shift. Local rules generally prohibit underslab circuits -- limiting them to the shortest paths possible for grocery stores and the like. Not uncommonly, the conductors have to be severely de-rated. (#8 being required for 20A circuits and the like -- everything being re-engineered for Las Vegas conditions)

Interesting about the heat thing. I wonder how deep you have to go to find cooler dirt?
I know there are plenty of animals that burrow in the desert out there to stay cool.

The other thing makes sense if the mechanism of failure in the overhead service is broken poles.