SER Cable for Branch Panels Industrail Shop

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StephenSDH

StephenSDH

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Location
Allentown, PA
I am reviewing some drawings for a customer. The person who originally designed the job has SER cable for feeders to branch panels. I would prefer the runs to be in emt. It is a large machine shop. Same environment as an autobody shop.

Is there any code limitations to the use of SER cable in this application?
 
Stephen is playing solo here so lets help him out. Yes you could run the SE in conduit but depending on the turns this could be a job. Ser cannot run underground if the conductors are aluminum.

You will also have to do a pipe fill with the facket and all.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Stephen is playing solo here so lets help him out. Yes you could run the SE in conduit but depending on the turns this could be a job. Ser cannot run underground if the conductors are aluminum.

You will also have to do a pipe fill with the facket and all.
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Thanks Dennis, good to hear from you
 
Can SE be used without conduit in an industrail building. I would like to have it changed to EMT with THHN instead, but I would need to have something back it up. I haven't seen SE cable used for branch feeders before, besides residential.


Good to hear from you Dennis. Still praying and thinking about you.
 
StephenSDH said:
Can SE be used without conduit in an industrail building. I would like to have it changed to EMT with THHN instead, but I would need to have something back it up. I haven't seen SE cable used for branch feeders before, besides residential.


Good to hear from you Dennis. Still praying and thinking about you.
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Yes, and no depending on the building structure. Remember SE cable falls under the same issues when run in a drop ceiling. You cannot do that unless it is a residence.

aRTICLE 338.10(b)(4)
 
Remember that SER must be used in the 60C ampacity column, so you'll need rather fat wire. If the runs aren't too long and voltage drop is OK, it may be cheaper to use smaller THHN wire in conduit. You'll get your EMT that way too.
 
Is it exposed? Is it going to be in a stud wall and sheet rocked? If exposed is it subject to damage? What is the building class? 334.10 limits what building classes you can install it in. Does the shop have a hazardous classification, 334.12?
 
I would rather see in a raceway, but if running a cable looked like a better option I would look into an MC cable instead of a SE cable. Installation labor would probably be the deciding factor, the cost of the cable per foot versus emt and conductors is going to be higher for most cables but installation labor may be less for the cable. Need to look at length of run number of bends, offsets, pullboxes, etc. and time needed for all of these.

Longer mostly striaght runs I would still use raceway instead of cable.
 
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