Do service wires have to be continuous?

[petersonra]

I don't deal with services very often, so I just don't know but elsewhere a person posted that an electrician wanted to charge him $1200 to "fix" some service wiring that had been spliced, claiming that was not allowed.

It made me think, and I got curious, but never found anything that said splicing service conductors was not permitted.

In any case, the way this was described made me think it was more of a feeder anyway. It was some wiring downstream of an outside CB that feeds the main panel for the house.

Not sure if the neutral bond is made at the main CB or in the panelboard, if that would make a difference.

in any case wouldn't the service conductors stop at the outside CB?

 

[infinity]

Yes, service entrance condcutors are permitted to be spliced if they meet certain criteria.

230.46 Spliced Conductors.
Service-entrance conductors shall be permitted to be spliced or tapped in accordance with 110.14, 300.5(E), 300.13, and 300.15.

 

[david luchini]

And the conductors downstream of the outside CB are feeders. Service conductors are the conductors from the service point to the service disconnecting means.

 

[Volta]

But it did used to be written that it was not allowed, with some exceptions.

That was long before we knew about Charlie's rule.

 

[jumper]

Off the top of my head, I can only think of 2 conductors that you cannot splice.

The GEC, unless necessary, and the panel bond in 517.

 

[Hv&Lv]

Can someone tell me when the rule was changed? I have an inspector that still doesn't care for spliced services, to the point of asking specifically if an unfused wire is going to be spliced. I have used something like this that satisfies ( I think) all the requirements.
http://www.ilsco.com/ProductsDetail...=+YmGJZi3TyzhRevnQ0DDpjLJtgDYMokUFLX6HY0tX3s=

 

[petersonra]

Off the top of my head, I can only think of 2 conductors that you cannot splice.

The GEC, unless necessary, and the panel bond in 517.

You can splice a GEC, at least using some kind of irreversible method.

 

[Volta]

Can someone tell me when the rule was changed? I have an inspector that still doesn't care for spliced services, to the point of asking specifically if an unfused wire is going to be spliced. I have used something like this that satisfies ( I think) all the requirements.
http://www.ilsco.com/ProductsDetail...=+YmGJZi3TyzhRevnQ0DDpjLJtgDYMokUFLX6HY0tX3s=

The last year that 230-46 had the negative language, with exceptions, was 1996. The '99 Code had positive language.

 

[hurk27]

If you couldn't splice SEC's you would have a hard time installing a meter since a meter is just a wide point in the SEC's

 

[jap]

If you couldn't splice SEC's you would have a hard time installing a meter since a meter is just a wide point in the SEC's

That's some in depth thinking right there.

As far as that goes, if you couldnt splice service entrance conductors we'd all be in trouble on overhead services.
We'd either have to run our wiring all the way to the transformer or the power company would have to run their wiring all the way down the mast to the line side of the meter, cause they wouldnt be able to splice it at the weatherhead.

 

[Twoskinsoneman]

That's some in depth thinking right there.

As far as that goes, if you couldnt splice service entrance conductors we'd all be in trouble on overhead services.
We'd either have to run our wiring all the way to the transformer or the power company would have to run their wiring all the way down the mast to the line side of the meter, cause they wouldnt be able to splice it at the weatherhead.

The service conductors start at that splice.

 

[jap]

OOOPS,,,,,,,,, Thats a funny place for them to start i think.

 

[defears]

That was a poco rule here for a while, so everybody jumped on the bandwagon. Not in NEC though.

 

[Hv&Lv]

That was a poco rule here for a while, so everybody jumped on the bandwagon. Not in NEC though.

Actually 90.2(B)(5) basically states that service entrance conductors start at that splice if the POCO's point of delivery ends there at the weatherhead, meterbase, vault, or transformer. Wherever the POCO has determined their point of delivery will end, the NEC starts.

 

[defears]

Actually 90.2(B)(5) basically states that service entrance conductors start at that splice if the POCO's point of delivery ends there at the weatherhead, meterbase, vault, or transformer. Wherever the POCO has determined their point of delivery will end, the NEC starts.

True, BUT, here we install the wire for the poco. As in we are given the wire, install it, and then the poco owns it. If it got cut, they come out and repair it. But in the contract, we must install to their rules, with no splices. This is only for residential. Also, they give us URD. I can't install it to code, but I can install it if I don't own or is liable for it. It's weird.

This also applies to disco's before CT cabinets that they require for multiple tenants on one transformer. I install it, they own it.

 

[petersonra]

True, BUT, here we install the wire for the poco. As in we are given the wire, install it, and then the poco owns it. If it got cut, they come out and repair it. But in the contract, we must install to their rules, with no splices. This is only for residential. Also, they give us URD. I can't install it to code, but I can install it if I don't own or is liable for it. It's weird.

This also applies to disco's before CT cabinets that they require for multiple tenants on one transformer. I install it, they own it.

Does not matter who installs it. A fair number of POCOs contract out a lot of their work. It is still their wiring.