Service entrance cable

[Barndog]

We were talking in the shop the other day and My boss stated the fact that here you can run the service entrance cable around the house as far as you want or the same for a crawl space but you have to terminate the cable within 5 feet of entering the house. I was wondering if anybody had any insight on this rule. I was under the impresion that the reason they limited cable was because of lack of overcurrent protection at the utility transformer. If you can run 60 feet outside why cant you do they same indoors. I am in the north west corner of Pennsylvania.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

If the cable is outside the house then it can be unfused until it enters the house however that is not the same for a crawl space. A crawl space is inside the house by definition. Art. 230.6

 

[wireguy8169]

I worked on the Western side of PA as well as East Central PA, what your boss stated is correct, where I had run into issues is the code would say a reasonable distance when you enter the structure. I had one inspector that would allow 5ft and had a few that would only allow 3ft. But again your boss is correct.

 

[goldstar]

I once worked on a house remodel where the existing service was 100 amp going up to 200. The existing breaker panel was in the back of the house (go figure). The triplex came off the pole, hit the center of the right side of the house and came straight down to the meter enclosure. From there the SE cable was wrapped around to the back of the house to the breaker panel. I left the service drop in the same spot, installed the new meter enclosure and ran underground, close to the house, in PVC to the new breaker panel. This was acceptable. The house was built on a slab and had no crawl space. You might consider doing that if the situation allows.

 

[kwired]

230.70(A)(1)

(1) Readily Accessible Location. The service disconnecting means shall be installed at a readily accessible location either outside of a building or structure or inside nearest the point of entrance of the service conductors.

Note that it does not say how far you are allowed to enter a building or structure. This leaves that decision up to the installer and the AHJ. Most AHJ have made rules on what is acceptable for the distance allowed. Many are in the 3 to 5 feet of conductor range, from what I understand from some that have posted on this site, some places will not let you enter a building at all and your service disconnect must be outside.

Where I live they have chosen 5 feet as the maximum amount of service conductor allowed to enter a building or structure. A crawl space is inside the structure. You can run the conductors on the outside as far as you wish, you could wrap the building multiple times if you wish and not be in violation of this particular section.

You can however if you wish run service conductors in the ground under the building and then penetrate the floor on the lowest level. Wherever you penetrate the floor you are now inside and whatever limits your AHJ has set start there. If under the building is crawl space with no concrete floor or less than 2 inches of concrete then it must be buried under at least 18 inches of dirt.

You can also encase your service raceway in 2 or more inches of concrete or run them in any vault that meets the construction requirements of Article 450, Part III and they are still considered outside the building according to 230.6.

I have used these rules many times to get the service to an interior room without having to have the service on the exterior of the building, or in a place that is otherwise not desired to have it by the owner/occupant. In fact my own house is this way, mechanical room is in about center of house in basement, service conductors are in the ground under the basement floor and emerge in the mechanical room and main panel with service disconnect is installed in mechanical room. Most of the larger branch circuits are feeding loads near this area so there is less length to these circuits requiring larger conductors than there would be if I had placed the service near an exterior wall, plus I would have had a disconnect or panel either outside or in a habitable room.