SER Cable Outdoors

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Little Bill

Little Bill

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Tennessee NEC:2017
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Semi-Retired Electrician
I know you can't use SER cable in underground conduit, but can you use it above ground in conduit outdoors?
If no, why can it be ran outdoors exposed and why does it say sunlight resistant on the sheathing?
 
Sure you can.
Not sure why some think you can’t…
 
It is the ug that is the issue. Very unlikely for water to sit in a conduit above grade but it really should be installed to drain anyway.
 
Little Bill said:
I think they are thinking it is like NM cable which can't be outside, conduit or not.
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I’ve had people tell me UF can’t be in pipe.

NC has an exclusion for NM outside for something like an AC feed in a piece of carflex.
 
I saw this install near ISU. The SER goes up two floors. I've always put mine in conduit. But could be a lot of profit to be made doing services like this.
20170418_093813 (3).jpg
 
I have seen that also and it is legal. If you tell the young guys around here that it is complaint they raise an eyebrow because it just isn't done here. In fact, even on temp poles we use pvc.

Those cables aren't strapped within a foot of the box and IMO, it is subject to damage. The way it enters the building is questionable
 
I think underground wet is more corrosive to aluminum wire than above ground wet. Not all SER is aluminum, but much of it is. And that aluminum grounding conductor is usually bare underneath the sheath. One little hole in the sheath and it gets water in it.
 
Hv&Lv said:
I don’t know why that isn’t “subject to damage”
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Because it's installed in a part of the country where the convention is not to go around attacking cables on the sides of buildings? As opposed to other parts of the country, where people worry that may happen.

Cheers, Wayne
 
TN Code supplemented the NEC:
0780-02-01-.10 SERVICE ENTRANCE CONDUCTORS. Service entrance conductors shall be installed
in conduit where such conductors serve a structure with exterior walls of brick, stone, masonry, metal or
metal-clad.
 
wwhitney said:
Because it's installed in a part of the country where the convention is not to go around attacking cables on the sides of buildings? As opposed to other parts of the country, where people worry that may happen.

Cheers, Wayne
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Looking at the pic it looks like the cable is laying against the corner of the cabinet. SER won’t hold that curve without laying against something or strapped real tight.
also, as Dennis pointed out, it isn’t strapped correctly.
But I guess someone could attack the cable if they were so inclined...
I‘ve installed SER going in just like that one at the bottom.
Inspector required a strap..
 
Hv&Lv said:
Looking at the pic it looks like the cable is laying against the corner of the cabinet. SER won’t hold that curve without laying against something or strapped real tight.
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Hard to tell because of the camera angle, and there are strap above and below that offset.

Otherwise, I agree with what you said, but my comments were limited to the question you raised about "subject to damage."

Cheers, Wayne
 
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