SER Reqirements

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A/A Fuel GTX

Senior Member
Location
WI & AZ
Occupation
Electrician
Used a piece of SER from the load side of the meter socket to the adjacent panel in a house. I snipped off the uninsulated conductor at each end since only 3 wires were needed. AHJ is telling me that it needs to be replaced because the uninsulated conductor must be landed at the neutral bar even though it is not being used for anything. I can't find an NEC reference requiring this. Am I missing something?
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
Maybe he wants it to be connected so that it's actually grounded? Since it's smaller than the insulated neutral it cannot be connect in parallel with the neutral. Ask for a code reference.
 

A/A Fuel GTX

Senior Member
Location
WI & AZ
Occupation
Electrician
He only wants one end landed on the neutral bar so there would not be any parallel path. I don't understand why it's an issue if it's snipped at both ends and unused. I really don't want to go back and replace the cable if it's just something he thinks is necessary.
 

texie

Senior Member
Location
Fort Collins, Colorado
Occupation
Electrician, Contractor, Inspector
He only wants one end landed on the neutral bar so there would not be any parallel path. I don't understand why it's an issue if it's snipped at both ends and unused. I really don't want to go back and replace the cable if it's just something he thinks is necessary.

As discussed connecting both ends would be wrong. But connecting one only seems to me would just add confusion to someone later. I would want like you have it.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I suspect he wants it grounded in case there is a short inside the cable. This makes no sense since the cable is a se cable and there is no breaker ahead of it anyway.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Is the cable short enough to pull the bare wire out, either partway to terminate it, or out completely?

I think he's making an issue where there isn't one.
 

A/A Fuel GTX

Senior Member
Location
WI & AZ
Occupation
Electrician
Is the cable short enough to pull the bare wire out, either partway to terminate it, or out completely?

I think he's making an issue where there isn't one.

No Larry...……..I can't pull out the bare conductor. I've reached out to the State Inspector for some guidance. This AHJ is new and he feels like if he doesn't find something to tag, he'll create something. Call it a power trip or whatever.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I grok. Can you expose enough of the cut wire at either end, just enough for a split bolt?
 

A/A Fuel GTX

Senior Member
Location
WI & AZ
Occupation
Electrician
I could, but if he's wrong, there's no need to satisfy his ego. I take pride in my work and try to do everything up to code. When you get an inspector that looks at his job like a game, that's abuse of authority IMHO.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
I could, but if he's wrong, there's no need to satisfy his ego. I take pride in my work and try to do everything up to code. When you get an inspector that looks at his job like a game, that's abuse of authority IMHO.

I agree that you should fight if you think that you're correct but until he cites a specific code article how can you dispute that what he's saying is incorrect?
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I agree that you should fight if you think that you're correct but until he cites a specific code article how can you dispute that what he's saying is incorrect?

I say the inspector can not fail the installation without citing a specific article.
 

goldstar

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
So, just curious about a few things :

Why did you use SER cable ? Did you just have a spare piece laying around and wanted to get rid of it ? I think the EI is wrong on this but irrespective of the outcome let it be a lesson for the future. Don't use SER cable for an SEU type installation. It's not that I think you did something wrong but there may be other EI's out there who think the same way as this one. Why take a chance of running into this "*&%#" in the future. IMHO, you probably would have been better off cutting the extra insulated conductor. There's little chance you would be able to pull out the bare conductors as they are spiral wrapped around the other wires inside the jacket.
 

A/A Fuel GTX

Senior Member
Location
WI & AZ
Occupation
Electrician
So, just curious about a few things :

Why did you use SER cable ? Did you just have a spare piece laying around and wanted to get rid of it ? I think the EI is wrong on this but irrespective of the outcome let it be a lesson for the future. Don't use SER cable for an SEU type installation. It's not that I think you did something wrong but there may be other EI's out there who think the same way as this one. Why take a chance of running into this "*&%#" in the future. IMHO, you probably would have been better off cutting the extra insulated conductor. There's little chance you would be able to pull out the bare conductors as they are spiral wrapped around the other wires inside the jacket.

Point well taken. Yeah, I had a piece of SER laying around so I just decided to use it.
 

A/A Fuel GTX

Senior Member
Location
WI & AZ
Occupation
Electrician
Well..…..The State inspector sided with me. There is no requirement to do what the local AHJ said had to be done. Question Authority!
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
:thumbsup: When you do this you make things better for every electrician.

Agree, too many just give in and do what was asked even if they think it is wrong. Inspectors are human and can be wrong, and also need to learn that they can't abuse their power. If I were inspector here, I'd be willing to do more research before taking the position this one did. There is usually more than one way to do most any install and even if something seems out of ordinary doesn't mean it violates any codes.

Plus as inspector you usually need to cite what code is in violation or at least have a very good explanation on some those issues that come up that end up leaving decisions to the AHJ. "because I said so" is not acceptable justification for a correction order and I will challenge you if you use that one on me.
 
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