4/0 seu in mast

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

malty

Member
Can i put 4/0 SEU in ridgid 2" conduit for a service mast?
I just need the ridgid to get the height over the roof.
Useing just one 10 ft length with a box connector in the coupling on the bottom. From the box connector the SEU will be straped on the outside of the house and into the main panel on the inside basement.
I was planning to bond the ridgid to the GEC.
My inspector wasn't sure if SEU could be used inside ridgid conduit.
I've done this before and different inspectors have passed it.
I can't find a code ruling and need a code section -yes or no.
The meter is on a pole.
 
Last edited:
M

malty

Member
Being that the GEC is bonded with the neutral at the panel wouldn't that work ?
If not how can I bond the neutral from the weather head to the RMC ?
AL TO CU split bolt to a pipe clamp maybe?
 
M

malty

Member
Yes it's for a service . A tree fell and took out the pole meter and the mast on the house. The way I discribed on doing this was the way it was except the RMC was not bonded to anything. It's an old house with thick sills and would be a real bear to get the RMC to the panel.
 
M

malty

Member
I wanted to put the meter on the house which would have solved the problem by coming out the load side of the socket with the SEU and the RMC would be on the top line side but the utility co said no it had to be on the pole. Like I said the inspector wasn't sure about the SEU in the RMC and he would have to get back to me. A code section on this would help a lot and the bonding method for the RMC would be great too. I'm IN NY STILL UNDER TE 2002 NEC
 
Last edited:
V

Volta

Senior Member
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Note 9 of Chapter 9, both 2002 and 2008, allow for cables to be calculated for conduit fill. By my calcs the cable cannot have a diameter greater than 1.51 inches to fit in 2" RMC raceway.

However, this would be a sleeve, not a raceway, IMO. But you woud need to comply with the bending radius of the SE. Through the weatherhead, it would simply be the conductors, and not the sheath, but some picky person might make the case that those conductors are only allowed as part of a cable assembly, and want you to allow more than a short-radius body, but I doubt it. It should be ok, but I'm a little rusty on such old codes. :cool:

You could mount the RMC as a simple point of attachment, and strap the SE to it. That should bypass the code concerns, but wouldn't look as good.
 
T

ty

Senior Member
Location
3rd Rock from the Sun
Dennis Alwon said:
Why would you install a cable in a raceway. It would be cheaper to buy 4/0 alum XHHW
Click to expand...

He wants to come out of the bottom of the conduit with cable which will be exposed.

He wouldn't be able to run single XHHW's in free air out of the bottom of the conduit, could he?

Here's what i understand:
1) The electric meter is on the utility pole.
2) There must be an aerial drop from pole to house
3) rigid mast to go through eave or roofline on house to get height for aerial drop
4) OP wants to use SEU from weatherhead inside RMC
5) SEU will exit bottom of RMC through 2" B connector that is threaded into factory supplied 2" RMC Coupling.
6) SEU will run exposed on exterior of home, until it enters wall to drop into loadcenter loacated in basement.
7) OP wants to bond neutral conductor of SEU where it attaches to aerial drop to the RMC

is that correct?
 
Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
That would be a very ugly install, IMO , however it is legal but the RMC must be bonded. You can bond this at the top where the aerial cable comes in. You may tie to the neutral and use a pipe clamp on the RMC with a wire sized from 250.66 which would be a #4 copper.
 
C

calhaz

Member
Seu

Seu

You may also need to look at 312.5 (C) Exceptions. I don't know if this applies in this situation without seeing it
 
infinity

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Dennis Alwon said:
That would be a very ugly install, IMO , however it is legal but the RMC must be bonded. You can bond this at the top where the aerial cable comes in. You may tie to the neutral and use a pipe clamp on the RMC with a wire sized from 250.66 which would be a #4 copper.
Click to expand...


I've seen that done around here too when they needed a 2" RMC mast through the roof. They just use it as a mast and run the SE cable through it. Does look rather unsightly. He could just run the conduit all the way to the panel (the way I would do it) but I'm seeing that a full conduit system and pulling in individual conductors would be a lot more work.
 
M

malty

Member
Thanks guys for the feed back. The inspector checked with his boss and OKed the install as I planned. Utility hooked up the power,customer is happy,and I got paid.
 
M

malty

Member
Dennis Alwon said:
That would be a very ugly install, IMO , however it is legal but the RMC must be bonded. You can bond this at the top where the aerial cable comes in. You may tie to the neutral and use a pipe clamp on the RMC with a wire sized from 250.66 which would be a #4 copper.
Click to expand...

Yes some what ugly but that's the way it was before the tree fell on it.
Doesn't look too bad on an old farm house and if I tried to get the RMC in without more than four 90 degree bends i'd still be there and the customer would be with out power water or heat. Everyones happy on this end.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top