200 Amp Resi Service Relocation

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mkgrady

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
This service will be a little different for me so I thought I would run it by people that have done a lot more of this than me.

Customer needs to move their existing overhead 200 amp service to the front of the house so they can build an addition where the current service is located in an unfinished garage. I also need to move their panel to an inside wall in the current structure. The distance from the new service location to the panel is about 50 feet so I will use a meter/main combination. Moving all the existing home runs to the new panel will be relatively easy because they run through the unfinished garage now.

Can I splice the new GEC on to the existing GEC that runs from the old service to the water main? Something tells me this is a problem but I can't find it in article 250. The existing GEC runs through finished portions of the house to the water main so there is no easy way to run a new wire from the new service.

I will use 4/0 aluminum XHHW from the meter/main to the service drop but can the same size be used from the main breaker to the panel? Or Do I have to go up one size because the service ends at the main disconnect?

I have never bothered to reduce the neutral on a run like this but because this is a difficult pipe run to the panel I will consider it. Much of the load in this small house is basebord electric heat so this seems a case where any imbalance in the legs should be small. Where do I look to find the method for reducing the neutral?

The run from the main breaker to the panel will start off in 2" PVC and run to a JB in the attic. From there I will splice and switch to 4/0 AL SER because the run is just too difficult to run in PVC all the way. Never done it this way before. Anything I should be aware of?
 
frizbeedog said:
You'll find the code article for the GEC splice that Marc refered to in 250.64 (C)(1)
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Thanks. I checked. It requires the crimp splice be listed as grounding and bonding equipment. I wonder if most of them are listed this way or if it's unusual.
 
Why not go with SER from the meter/main brkr to your sub panel?
I have never spliced a residential service feed.
You can run the SER through PVC to make it look nice at the meter/main outside.
 
jjhoward said:
Why not go with SER from the meter/main brkr to your sub panel?
I have never spliced a residential service feed.
You can run the SER through PVC to make it look nice at the meter/main outside.
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I would have to run the SER through an LB at the meter/main and another one about 10' up where it would go into the attic. I'm thinking running the SER through the LB's would be too difficult. Do they make longer LB's in PVC?
 
mkgrady said:
I would have to run the SER through an LB at the meter/main and another one about 10' up where it would go into the attic. I'm thinking running the SER through the LB's would be too difficult. Do they make longer LB's in PVC?
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I use the standard LB for this, but before I run the conductors through, I strip the sheath, un twist and feed them through. Once you have them in the service pull on each conductor individually. A few raps with the hammer on the conductors at the LB to finish the job. Sounds a bit rough but I've never damaged the conductors doing this.
 
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