# 6 solid ground

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iwire said:
:grin:

Post 1 went up about 9:45 PM last night, the OPs last activity was 10:20 PM last night.

Not everyone lives here. :grin:
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Some of us have to color eggs :smile:
 
OK,
I think I have it answered but here is what the application is.

I have 350amp overhead service feeding a 450 Amp meter can. I doube lugged the bottom of the meter can and came into the 2 seperate fused disconnects. (I came strieght out of the bottom of the can into a gutter and then up into each disconnect) I have one disconnect fused at 200 Amps feeding the house (A long way off) and a seperate disconect for feeding a seperated disconect fused at 125 Amps (for gate operator and shop to be added later). I have the meter grounded with # 6 Solid (Because that is what I had, it meets code and What else would anyone use # 6 solid bare wire for anyway). There are no water main, foudations, or anything else in the general area. I am taking the power underground to the house 400' away where there will be a breaker box and a seperate grounding rod.

No I am not a licensed electrician, but I don't think anyone else would have run it much different.

I took ino account a voltage drop for distance, and I used copper because It works every time its tried.

I am going this far underground so I don't hace to give the power company an easement for overhead and lose my trees.


And Yes I had to die easeter eggs last night (Thanks for understandng).


I think this clears up most of the questions yall had.
 
krussell@scs-usa.com said:
I have 350amp overhead service feeding a 450 Amp meter can. I doube lugged the bottom of the meter can and came into the 2 seperate fused disconnects. (I came strieght out of the bottom of the can into a gutter and then up into each disconnect) I have one disconnect fused at 200 Amps feeding the house (A long way off) and a seperate disconect for feeding a seperated disconect fused at 125 Amps (for gate operator and shop to be added later). I have the meter grounded with # 6 Solid...I am taking the power underground to the house 400' away where there will be a breaker box and a seperate grounding rod....I think this clears up most of the questions yall had.
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I didn't have any questions but I can say your GEC meets code and if its application is not going to get damaged it's extremely safe at #6.

Your utility service ends at the service disconnect not meter bases or meter equipment, in your case its the 200A & 125A disconnects, the service is usually not sized at OCP totals from service disconnect but it is sized as per the calculated load in Article 220 (see Annex D Example D2, it's a simple one to use). The meter base/cans are not considered service equipment therefore its load circuitry remains service and not feeder, meaning its load will be easement - it is without short circuit/ground fault protection - to the service disconnect['s] so it must be treated with care and that is why if the service disconnect is installed inside the building it must be nearest the service point of entry.

The circuitry leaving your service disconnects are "feeders" and Article 225 applies if your feeding from a power pole structure, these circuits are not utility "services" and there is no easement required for them. These feeders will most likely be 4W (2 phases, 1 neutral, & 1 EGC) unless you meet ALL the criteria of 250-32(B)(2) - which is eliminated in 2008. You need to size these feeders as per the calculated load from Article 220, and if you do account for voltage drop you'll need to adjust your EGC larger proportionally with the phase conductors and not just use Table 250-122 because it will be too small.

Your grounding electrodes at every building and structure - even power pole with service disconnects - must all interconnect and this will be done through the EGC. Again do not bond the neutral past the service disconnect unless you meet ALL the criteria of 250-32(B)(2), see 250-24(5) & 250-142(B).

This is the fun stuff of our trade :)
 
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"No I am not a licensed electrician, but I don't think anyone else would have run it much different."

enough said ?????
 
augie47 said:
"No I am not a licensed electrician, but I don't think anyone else would have run it much different."

enough said ?????
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Wow I didn't catch that, well krussell@scs-usa.com as you can see there's a little homework and an electrician certainly will install it different! Also once you have your calculated load for the house this result should be use in your voltage drop calculation (VD=2xKxIxD/CM) in the light of 215-2 & 210-19 of course.

I am assuming an electrician will be installing, so your design will most likely be changed to meet code compliance. You may already know this but code compliant means the application meets the pertinent Articles for the whole installation and qualifying these really is simple because it's what a journeyman does.
 
tryinghard said:
Your utility service ends at the service disconnect not meter bases or meter equipment . . .
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Sorry, I couldn't let this go. Article 100 defines the service point as, "Service Point. The point of connection between the facilities of the serving utility and the premises wiring."

The following is from the 2008 edition of the NEC Handbook.

"The service point is the point of demarcation between the serving utility and the premises wiring. The service point is the point on the wiring system where the serving utility ends and the premises wiring begins. The serving utility generally specifies the location of the service point.

Because the location of the service point is generally determined by the utility, the service-drop conductors and the service-lateral conductors may or may not be part of the service covered by the NEC. For these types of conductors to be covered, they must be physically located on the premises wiring side of the service point."

The text from the NEC handbook goes on but you get the idea. The serving electric utility's service probably ends at the point of connection of their service drop at the top of your meter pole (That is where we would declare the service point to be located.). :)
 
I am closing this thread. Forum rules do not allow us to provide assistance to a person who is not an electrician, and who intends to do their own electrical installation work.
 
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