SEU Cable

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jakeo

Member
Being new here i must ask you professionals opinion.
My brother built a 4500 sq. ft. home in Michigan (Shelby Township) and the contractor used 4/0 seu cable from meter socket to the 200amp panel.
This means there is 2 hots(to the breaker) and the bare wire used as neutral and the ground. The seu is not even protected on the outside of the house.
Anyone ever see or do this......i think its totally WRONG!
Thank you all.
 
Re: SEU Cable

"SE" stands for "service entrance"

SE cable is used as you describe in many areas.

My own house has 2/0 copper SE from service head to meter then meter to interior panel.

What do you find "WRONG"?
 
Re: SEU Cable

I understand the seu being used from service head to the metersocket but never from the metersocket to the panel. There is a reason they put in ground lugs and neutral lugs i believe.
Thank you for your opinion but not the way i was taught or teach anyone.
 
Re: SEU Cable

Jakeo, welcome to the forum. Now, what is your question, are you thinking there should be a parallel grounded conductor from the meter to the panel?

Roger
 
Re: SEU Cable

Originally posted by jakeo:
I understand the seu being used from service head to the metersocket but never from the metersocket to the panel. There is a reason they put in ground lugs and neutral lugs i believe.
Thank you for your opinion but not the way i was taught or teach anyone.
Click to expand...
To be clear does the meter socket have the service disconnect in it or is it just a meter socket?

Are you saying you teach people to run a forth conductor (Grounding conductor) from the meter socket to the panel?

If it is just a meter socket without a service disconnect in it you are teaching people to violate 310.4

[ December 06, 2004, 07:13 PM: Message edited by: iwire ]
 
Re: SEU Cable

jakeo I should have welcomed you also. :)

Rogers post with the smiles is an 'inside' joke but do not think it is aimed at you. :)

The joke is that Roger and I often answer the same posts at the same time.

Bob
 
Re: SEU Cable

Originally posted by iwire:
jakeo I should have welcomed you also. :)

Rogers post with the smiles is an 'inside' joke but do not think it is aimed at you. :)

The joke is that Roger and I often answer the same posts at the same time.

Bob
Click to expand...
This is true Jakeo, so please don't think my second post was meant to make fun of this topic, it wasn't.

Bob and I have a way of doing this not only on this forum but others as well.

Roger
 
Re: SEU Cable

Thank you all and no appologies ever needed.....learn something daily. The reason i brought this up is here in Ohio, from the metersocket(w/t out)disconnect it is the "rule" to run out of panel 3 conductors,2 "hots" and a insulated neutral.Then from the mb panel must run appropiate size ground wire to the waterline and jump the water meter. Also from the metersocket we must run #6 copper wire to ground rod.
Thanks all........just telling u what we have to do here and appreciate all opinions.......i sure didnt write these rules.
 
Re: SEU Cable

I am from Ohio and to clearify a few things. We have two major utilities here. Americam Electric power and First Energy (Edision companies). Edision prefers that you bond at the meter base (but not in all areas and in some areas they demand it) even if you have passed inspection they will not reconnect you.(Of course being lineman I have a snap press and one time I when up and did the crimps myself while the A-Hole from Edision was calling his boss. Was he pissed.)I had my fights with them many times. Now I call the local office and call the ahj make sure everyone is on the same page. If we bond at the meter base then you still run SE (3 conductors) to the panel and the grounding conductor is continuous through the ground rod to the panel. The bonding jumper is removed in the panel.
 
Re: SEU Cable

Jakeo, the SEU is fine if the meter does NOT have a disconnect, and I think you meant to say you run a #4 to your ground rodS...assuming you are still talking about 200 amp services.

Dave
 
Re: SEU Cable

Originally posted by highkvoltage:
If we bond at the meter base then you still run SE (3 conductors) to the panel and the grounding conductor is continuous through the ground rod to the panel. The bonding jumper is removed in the panel.
Click to expand...
This seems very odd.

So the fault path from inside the house back to the utility is like this:

Panel out to ground rod(s) then to meter socket.

This is a IMO a poor arraignment.
 
Re: SEU Cable

Here in Toledo......its from ground rod to metersocket. A few years ago it was from panel or disconnect to ground rod.
And as far as us hooking up the overhead feeder, the edison gets upset now days but its done every day......lol
tx again all
 
Re: SEU Cable

Learnin' new things every day!

So, when using a main breaker panel with no service disconnect, three-wire is run between the meter and the panel. The panel, being the first means of disconnect, has a #4 run to the water bond, and a #6 run to the ground rod secondary.

Two things: I'm assuming the panel is mounted immediately behind the metersocket, in the garage? And isn't it easier (given my assumption) to just run a #6 from panel to metersocket to ground the meter can? Why the ground rod?

But, given the controversy, I'm guessing my panel location guess isn't right? I thought the service disconnecting means needed to be where the service conductors enter the building, or immediately behind that spot?

And why did I leave my codebook in the truck? :)
 
Re: SEU Cable

Well lets explain this......
1) Panel is in basement.(for example)
2)3-#4/0 aluminum conductors are run thru a 90% elbow and thru slb and up into bottom of metersocket.
3)2 are feeders that run into breaker,1 is neutral.
4)From panel u run grnd wire to water meter and loop past meter(incase meter is ever removed?????)
5)From panel you run appropiate size wire to bond nearest cold water line.
6)Outside from meter socket you run appropiate size wire from edison lug in socket to ground rod and attatch with acorn type clamp.
I hope this explains how we MUST dop it the Toledo area.
Not saying i agree with it all but rules r rules.
Thank You All!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top