Welding cable use for services

white stallion said:
Is welding cable allowed by the NEC for service conductors? Due to tight space restrictions the use of the higher rated welding cables provide more flexibility
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The higher rating for welding cables is usually the rating in free air. The fine stranding may require special treatment, such as thin ferrules.
 
Welding cable per se is not allowed by the NEC for service conductors.

Some cables are dual rated as welding cables and cables suitable for NEC use.

When used as an NEC rated cable, you are also limited to standard NEC ampacity calculations. So you wouldn't get any benefit from the higher rating.

Also as noted by @dkidd welding cable is typically fine stranded, and typical connectors are not rated for fine stranded conductors.
 
white stallion said:
the use of the higher rated welding cables provide more flexibility
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They are not higher rated...when you look at that rating it will be the free air ampacity from the 90°C column...not an ampacity that you can use for typical installations. In addition, as others have said, unless the welding cable is dual marked with something like RHH or RHW it cannot be used in an NEC installations.
 
winnie said:
Welding cable per se is not allowed by the NEC for service conductors.

Some cables are dual rated as welding cables and cables suitable for NEC use.

When used as an NEC rated cable, you are also limited to standard NEC ampacity calculations. So you wouldn't get any benefit from the higher rating.

Also as noted by @dkidd welding cable is typically fine stranded, and typical connectors are not rated for fine stranded conductors.
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Welding cable is not, but Type W is, but it would need to be used IAW Art. 400.

Mark
 
There are several manufacturers that make THHN that is fine stranded, finer than DLO, not as fine as true welding cable, comes in very handy in difficult enclosures if the fine stranding is allowed for.
 
Birken Vogt said:
There are several manufacturers that make THHN that is fine stranded, finer than DLO, not as fine as true welding cable, comes in very handy in difficult enclosures if the fine stranding is allowed for.
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And Ilsco makes crimp on pins to terminate finely stranded to standard set-screw lugs.

Mark
 
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