Outside disconnect required?

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In Colorado:

The couple of resi. services I've done here had panel on outside of house. I think that's how they do a lot of them here which I personaly wouldn't like on the outside of my house. I know I've ran unfused conductors into commercial blgs. but not sure what the rule says.
 
Mt. Vernon, IL:

1. Required in commercial apps; Not required in residential unless main panel is 10 ft or more from meter.

2. 10 feet or less in residential if traveling to main CB panel from meter
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
It is my opinion that in the absence of a local amendment that the words "nearest the point of entrance of the service conductors" mean exatly that and you are required to install the disconnect at the point where the conductors actually enter the building. The code rule does not use any qualifing works along with the word "nearest" so it does not permit any amount of sevice conductor, other than that within the service equipment to be inside the building. Yes, I know that few agree with my reading of this rule, but that has no effect on what I think the rule says.
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my ahj agrees and so do i.

meter to panel ,back to back with nipple= no ocpd disconnect. 230.91, immediatly adjacent.

meter to panel , underground conduit=no disconnect, 230.71a1, inside nearest the point of entrance conductors.

all other installs=ocpd disconnect, unless ahj says otherwise=rare.
all these lengths are are arbitrary state adoptions according to him and i agree. how long is unfused safe.:confused:
 
In CA for Southern California Edison the answer is yes/no.

They do not consider down in the wall, in the building. What you can't do is run your riser up on one side of the house, through the attic and to the service on the other side.
 
roger said:
So, has CA amended 220.12 to match this call?

Roger
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Actuall the PUC has. They have a rule, GO95, which says that the wiring from the pole to the line side of the meter is under their control.

And I have a letter stating that in my files. That is why there wires can be smaller than we would require, they can be lower passing over a swimming pool and can pass down through a wall. But we also can't us cable here or anything else for that matter, other than rigid conduit for our service raisers.

Now that's here where I am where the POCO is Southern California Edison, there is also the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, San Diego Gas and Electric, Pacific Gas and Electric, and many others that provide power in the State of CA.
 
cowboyjwc said:
Now that's here where I am where the POCO is Southern California Edison, there is also the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, San Diego Gas and Electric, Pacific Gas and Electric, and many others that provide power in the State of CA.
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When I was visiting friends in SDG&E territory I noticed that they use PVC risers inside the wall going to the all-in-one. I checked SDG&E's rule book and it's clearly allowed.

It seems to me that if a riser is allowed to be buried in the wall like that, it should be nothing less than RMC, or encased in concrete. PVC seems like a really bad idea. :confused:
 
peter d said:
It seems to me that if a riser is allowed to be buried in the wall like that, it should be nothing less than RMC, or encased in concrete. PVC seems like a really bad idea. :confused:
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What about SE cable going from the meter to a panel several feet inside? It seems like a bad idea but I can't recall a problem.
 
SmithBuilt said:
What about SE cable going from the meter to a panel several feet inside? It seems like a bad idea but I can't recall a problem.
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SE cable is visible along its entire length, at least in installations in my area. It's never concealed in such a manner that you cannot see it.

A typical riser in southern California comes up inside the wall into the combination service entrance device. (all in one.) The riser is effectively buried inside the wall and out of site. And errant drill bit could easily plunge through a PVC conduit that contains service conductors. It wold be a lot harder to do that with RMC.

220/221 has said you cannot bury a service riser in the wall per his poco requirements. That's why the services he posts are always on the exterior. And John has said that SCE rules require the raceway to be RMC. That seems very logical to me.
 
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