Sill Plate Covers required?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I recently finished a 320 amp meter socket with two 200amp disconnects in it. I came out of the bottom of the meter socket with two 4/0 al SER's. I couldn't come out from behind the meter socket because of obstacles on the other side of the wall. The problem I am having is I have no way to bend the SER close enough to the wall of the house in order to put the Sill plate cover on. The wire comes down 16" from the meter socket and turns into the house. Is it required by code to have one on or is duct seal around the wire sufficient enough? Ive tried looking in the code but simply couldn't find anything that could answer my question. Does anyone have any information wether or not it is legal or not. My inspection is in 5 days. Thanks
 

mopowr steve

Senior Member
Location
NW Ohio
Occupation
Electrical contractor
That's how we do it also. Strip it inside LB will allow you to feed each individual conductor up-in seperatly.
I would double check with your AHJ if it's OK some argue that you can't get enough bending radius in LB. :sick:
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
I recently finished a 320 amp meter socket with two 200amp disconnects in it. I came out of the bottom of the meter socket with two 4/0 al SER's. I couldn't come out from behind the meter socket because of obstacles on the other side of the wall. The problem I am having is I have no way to bend the SER close enough to the wall of the house in order to put the Sill plate cover on. The wire comes down 16" from the meter socket and turns into the house. Is it required by code to have one on or is duct seal around the wire sufficient enough? Ive tried looking in the code but simply couldn't find anything that could answer my question. Does anyone have any information wether or not it is legal or not. My inspection is in 5 days. Thanks

Sill plates are not required by the NEC. Using them with #4/0 SER is likely a violation anyway since you cannot maintain the 5X bending radius as you've found when installing it.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Sill plates are not required by the NEC. Using them with #4/0 SER is likely a violation anyway since you cannot maintain the 5X bending radius as you've found when installing it.

I agree with infinity 100%.

That said it is/was a common practice in this area to use sill plates even when that clearly violated bending radius rules.

I would avoid the sill plate but it's going to be ugly if you don't violate the bending radius rules.


Strip it inside LB will allow you to feed each individual conductor up-in seperatly.
I would double check with your AHJ if it's OK some argue that you can't get enough bending radius in LB. :sick:

They would be right just like bending them to fit in a sill plate is a violation.
 

GerryB

Senior Member
I recently finished a 320 amp meter socket with two 200amp disconnects in it. I came out of the bottom of the meter socket with two 4/0 al SER's. I couldn't come out from behind the meter socket because of obstacles on the other side of the wall. The problem I am having is I have no way to bend the SER close enough to the wall of the house in order to put the Sill plate cover on. The wire comes down 16" from the meter socket and turns into the house. Is it required by code to have one on or is duct seal around the wire sufficient enough? Ive tried looking in the code but simply couldn't find anything that could answer my question. Does anyone have any information wether or not it is legal or not. My inspection is in 5 days. Thanks
I have beat on SEU cable at times with a 2x4 and 4lb hammer to flatten it enough for the sill plate. Some mentioned an LB, maybe they didn't notice you said SER,I have done it but it's pretty hard. (Have to beat that with the 2x4 also:D). You could cheat a little with the sill plate and put it down further. I would leave it, if it isn't obvious that it couldn't get easily damaged you should be ok.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
The way I see it, in order to get proper bending radius and keep cable fairly flat on the wall - you need to drill hole at proper angle so the cable is bending as it penetrates the wall.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
The way I see it, in order to get proper bending radius and keep cable fairly flat on the wall - you need to drill hole at proper angle so the cable is bending as it penetrates the wall.

I would never drill downwards from outside to inside, that pretty much guarantees water intrusion. I was taught to drill up to keep water out.
 

mopowr steve

Senior Member
Location
NW Ohio
Occupation
Electrical contractor
Would anyone like to post a picture of how nice their SER install looks without a LB. I wasn't aware that a sill plate was made for SER.
Strip it does not require a hammer-n-2x4.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I would never drill downwards from outside to inside, that pretty much guarantees water intrusion. I was taught to drill up to keep water out.
No argument on that, even drilling a level hole will have water follow the cable inside the structure. If your hole slopes upward, and you have a 4/0 SER cable that is going to run upward after it emerges, you will have some "goosneck" to that cable where it turns even if you bend it tighter then permitted.

Sill plates I have always seen were on old installations and were for 6-2 SE cable, IMO they were just there to dress things up a little and cover any excess hole - they did little for keeping water out. I would think for 4/0 SER cable a sill plate would be just more clutter to the already ugliness of the install. (JMO though) SE cable is just not common around here other then old installations. Last time I used any was for feeders to apartment units - none of it was exposed either except maybe a foot or two in a commons area from ceiling to meter center - and it was a rare case of existing meter center located indoors, had it been outdoors I likely would have hit a junction box or gutter and then raceway's to the meter center.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top