ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Service-Entrance Conductors

Can the grounded conductor at the service head (service point) be identified by stripping the insulation off the conductor as described in section 250.114 or must it be identified per section 200.6? Article 230 seems to be silent except for section 230.41, which permits the grounded conductor to be bare.

No, Article 250 applies to grounding conductors, not grounded conductors. The grounded conductor must be identifed per Article 200.
Don(resqcapt19)

Don
If you identify the grounded service-conductor per Article 200, that would mean you would have to mark the bare grounded conductor with paint or tape if the conductor is larger than 6 AWG. If the conductor is #6 AWG or smaller the identification would have to continuous the entire length of the conductor. This would conflict with section 230.41 that permits the conductor to be bare. What would an electrician say about the inspector that required white tape or paint on the bare conductor?

local poco requires grounded conductor to be stripped 6" from weatherhead. Will not accept tape or paint- call those methods not permenant.
Different local rules in other poco areas do apply.

MVillines,
The original question asked about striping the end of an insulated conductor to identify it as a grounded conductor. While 230.41 does permit the use of a bare conductor as a grounded conductor, it does not permit you to strip the end of an insulated conductor to identify it as the grounded conductor. If the grounded conductor is an insulated conductor the code requires identification per Article 200. Article 200 does not require additional identification of a bare grounded conductor.
Don(resqcapt19)