Michael15956
Senior Member
- Location
- NE Ohio
Can a 200amp rated wire and a 100amp rated wire be terminated on a double lug on the load side of a 200amp rated meter socket?
It depends on the lug. If it is listed for use with a combination of conductors the answer is yes however, I doubt it is.
Roger
OK, I was thinking more on the line of at the termination point the 100amp wire could see more heat from the possibility of 200amp flowing on the 200amp wire.
Depends on how much current is being carried by the wires. In general, the 200A wire should not get any hotter than the 100A wire, and vice versa.OK, I was thinking more on the line of at the termination point the 100amp wire could see more heat from the possibility of 200amp flowing on the 200amp wire.
I would see it as more likely that an unloaded 200A wire would carry more heat away from a fully loaded or overloaded 100A wire, reducing the terminal temperature.
The combination of fully loaded 100A and 200A might raise the termination temperature more than either of them alone, but that would still be within the terminal rating if it listed for two wires.
Roger many lugs are listed for different sizes like 4 awg thru 4/0 or something like that. If there is a double lug then it could work. Certainly you could not do this under one lug.
Dennis, the OP mentions a 200 amp "meter socket" which leads me to think he is talking about a residential meter (I could be wrong) with lay in type lugs and I have not seen those listed for combinations of conductors.
Roger
Dennis, Roger and all, thanks for the replies. I was more concerned with heat displacement at the termination point on the lug. Example: 200amp flowing at the lug with the 100amp rated wire connected to it.