Splicing Service Entrance Conductors
- Thread starter rjolley
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ryan_618
Senior Member
- Location
- Salt Lake City, Utah
Re: Splicing Service Entrance Conductors
230.46 permits this.
230.46 permits this.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Re: Splicing Service Entrance Conductors
As I've mentioned before, one should add the code year associated with answers and NEC references. For example, before the '99 code, splicing service-entrance conductors was prohibited.
I realize this answer isn't affected now ('99 vs '02 vs '05), but changes happen all the time.
As I've mentioned before, one should add the code year associated with answers and NEC references. For example, before the '99 code, splicing service-entrance conductors was prohibited.
I realize this answer isn't affected now ('99 vs '02 vs '05), but changes happen all the time.
mdshunk
Senior Member
- Location
- Right here.
Re: Splicing Service Entrance Conductors
Before '02 there wasn't a "dot" in the code reference, so the reader could only choose '02 or '05 which makes no difference to the answer.
[ May 18, 2005, 09:20 PM: Message edited by: mdshunk ]
Before '02 there wasn't a "dot" in the code reference, so the reader could only choose '02 or '05 which makes no difference to the answer.
[ May 18, 2005, 09:20 PM: Message edited by: mdshunk ]
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
Re: Splicing Service Entrance Conductors
Larry you make an interesting point, but I have always thought that unless otherwise noted, most of the posts here are from the 2005 NEC.
Larry you make an interesting point, but I have always thought that unless otherwise noted, most of the posts here are from the 2005 NEC.
allenwayne
Senior Member
Re: Splicing Service Entrance Conductors
Mine are from 02 and you`ll have to pry it from my cold dead fingers until we adopt the 05 cycle
Mine are from 02 and you`ll have to pry it from my cold dead fingers until we adopt the 05 cycle
Re: Splicing Service Entrance Conductors
Before 1999 NEC you could have splices and taps in a service entrance IF you had 2 or more service switches. Whether or not that was done with 1 meter or multiple meters was a different story. Evnetually, the rules had to be simplified for various reasons.
Part of the reason for easing restrictions on splices is that in some areas underground wiring for a service had to go into a pull box with a slack loop in it so that ground movement would not break off a meter terminal. Another problem arises if an underground service is rather long and needs to be spliced in handholes.
Even for an overhead service there may be wire pulling problems that necessitate a splice.
Also, in some annex B applications the underground wire is larger than what a meter socket or panelboard will accept, even if you can install oversize lugs. For instance, a duct bank off of a padmount transformer could have 6 ducts, 2 for the primary wires ( 1 duct used, 1 spare ) and 4 ducts serving 4 houses. If each house has a 200 amp service the conductors could easily be 500 KCM aluminum. This would have to be spliced in a pull box before each meter. In this size range the best way to terminate an aluminum wire is to use aluminum alloy weldment lugs from www.sefcor.com that would be welded to the wire using the tungsten inert gas process.
Before 1999 NEC you could have splices and taps in a service entrance IF you had 2 or more service switches. Whether or not that was done with 1 meter or multiple meters was a different story. Evnetually, the rules had to be simplified for various reasons.
Part of the reason for easing restrictions on splices is that in some areas underground wiring for a service had to go into a pull box with a slack loop in it so that ground movement would not break off a meter terminal. Another problem arises if an underground service is rather long and needs to be spliced in handholes.
Even for an overhead service there may be wire pulling problems that necessitate a splice.
Also, in some annex B applications the underground wire is larger than what a meter socket or panelboard will accept, even if you can install oversize lugs. For instance, a duct bank off of a padmount transformer could have 6 ducts, 2 for the primary wires ( 1 duct used, 1 spare ) and 4 ducts serving 4 houses. If each house has a 200 amp service the conductors could easily be 500 KCM aluminum. This would have to be spliced in a pull box before each meter. In this size range the best way to terminate an aluminum wire is to use aluminum alloy weldment lugs from www.sefcor.com that would be welded to the wire using the tungsten inert gas process.
kentirwin
Senior Member
- Location
- Norfolk, VA
Re: Splicing Service Entrance Conductors
Regarding what code cycle we're working under, in this jurisdiction we're still under '99 last time I heard. However, as I expect this fair city at some point in the distant future will adopt '02 I'm using that myself. 2005? I haven't even bothered to buy it yet. I may be wrong (it happens sometimes :roll: ) but I wouldn't be suprised if most jurisdictions nationally have not yet adopted 2005.
[ May 19, 2005, 10:22 AM: Message edited by: kentirwin ]
Regarding what code cycle we're working under, in this jurisdiction we're still under '99 last time I heard. However, as I expect this fair city at some point in the distant future will adopt '02 I'm using that myself. 2005? I haven't even bothered to buy it yet. I may be wrong (it happens sometimes :roll: ) but I wouldn't be suprised if most jurisdictions nationally have not yet adopted 2005.
[ May 19, 2005, 10:22 AM: Message edited by: kentirwin ]
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