Uf cable as service entrance

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Yeah an AHJ or poco rep....my first thought is to come off those bottom double lugs into a disco tagged onto the whole shebang....~RJ~
 
growler said:
Is this pedestal part of the utility transformer or is it a non-fused disconnect (power pedestal)?

If this is the service I'm thinking that the house is wrong haveing the neutral and ground bond at the main panel.

Is this house a mobile home?

This set up is odd enough that I wouldn't feel funny asking a few questions of the AHJ. They should of had an inspection when they turned power on for the house but things don't seem right to me.
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Guess I am unsure about question whether it is utility transformer. It has utility lock on meter side. Could ask power company to verify.
It is not a mobile home.
Trying to think if neutral is normally insulated from can on normal meter.
Normally underground comes from transformer and feeds into meter on outside of residence home. Then goes to panel three wire to panel and bonded to ground there.
This is more of a farm application where it goes to central distribution point. Metering the outbuildings at one central spot and supplying each building separately. My thoughts are transformer is not included and thus more a power pedestal.


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Family man said:
Trying to think if neutral is normally insulated from can on normal meter.
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The neutral is not insulated from a normal meter can. I don't know if this one is or not.

The lock on the meter (seal) and maybe a barrel lock or other anti-theft/tamper lock would be normal.

Most of the power pedestals I have dealt with are in mobile home parks. Grounding and bonding are done at the pedestal . After that there is a feeder to the moble home (4 wire ). This is similar but probably supplied by the power company (green color ). You may have to give them a call.
 
Who makes that enclosure? Never seen one like it. With the green color it makes me think it's a utility transformer, meter, and transfer switch all-in-one??
 
growler said:
The neutral is not insulated from a normal meter can. I don't know if this one is or not.

The lock on the meter (seal) and maybe a barrel lock or other anti-theft/tamper lock would be normal.

Most of the power pedestals I have dealt with are in mobile home parks. Grounding and bonding are done at the pedestal . After that there is a feeder to the moble home (4 wire ). This is similar but probably supplied by the power company (green color ). You may have to give them a call.
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I was thinking I had a site isolation device, but now am unsure.
547.9(A)2 states that it must be located on a pole and not less than height specified in 230.24. (It is located on the ground).
547.9(A)(10) says it must be permenantly marked. ( it is not marked).
It may be a series device but not don't think so because utility is present.
Than in 547.9(b) talking about over current present at buildings ( which I have)
547.9(B)(2) supply conductors shall be installed in accordance with part 2 of 225. Branch circuits and feeders.
547.9(B)(3) grounding and bonding must meet 250.32 and following conditions- number 2 reads that the grounded conductor and equipment ground must be at site isolation device.



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If I am reading correctly this destroys my idea of how a site isolation device is to be wired. And it also say's that the house is wired wrong. In some way's I hope I'm wrong because I have wire them the same.


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Cow said:
Who makes that enclosure? Never seen one like it. With the green color it makes me think it's a utility transformer, meter, and transfer switch all-in-one??
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Could not find info on enclosure. Believe at this point it is Durham. Not exactly sure about transformer.
It is some sort of distribution point, but doesn't fit all criteria of site isolation device.


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petersonra said:
Is that a transfer switch of some sort?

is that the neutral bar across the bottom? it appears to be bolted to the frame.

are the wires at the top coming from the meter?
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Family man said:
Could not find info on enclosure. Believe at this point it is Durham. Not exactly sure about transformer.
It is some sort of distribution point, but doesn't fit all criteria of site isolation device.


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Though you never see a pedestal type like OP has, we do have pole mount versions of that all over the place around here. They are not listed, the POCO provides them, and for less then a contractor can install a manual transfer switch in accordance with NEC. I have one at my place - was still cheaper then I can put in my own manual transfer switch in accordance with NEC.

Multiple load side lugs is also convenient on farm places for feeding multiple buildings.

Everything leaving that setup is still considered to be service conductors by all the inspectors around here.

I believe the units here are Durham also. Only the Rural power companies for the most part are the ones that use them.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
That is my opinion also as I stated earlier. Power company trany so the wires to the garage are service conductors
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Ok. I agree with that but wording through me for a loop for a minute, but practice says I've seen them installed three wire with no equipment ground. Guess I dig it up and do right. Thanks for all your input. It has been educational. If anyone has interpretation of the article with equipment ground bonded at distribution point I would be glad to hear.


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Family man said:
Ok. I agree with that but wording through me for a loop for a minute, but practice says I've seen them installed three wire with no equipment ground. Guess I dig it up and do right. Thanks for all your input. It has been educational. If anyone has interpretation of the article with equipment ground bonded at distribution point I would be glad to hear.


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I am saying that you only need 3 wires since they are service conductors so no equipment grounding conductor is needed and everything is bonded together at the garage.
 
About 30 feet 24 inches down. Landscaping would prohibit truck it won't be to bad as the trench was dug by hand and filled by hand. A little bit of sweat and a few hours and I can have it. Might enlist some help, but mainly my pride of having to own up to it to the homeowner, but better now than the inspector come and the ground freezes.


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I don't see any place for overcurrent protective device such as fuses so the wire to the garage could not be a feeder just by definition.
 
Put a breaker or fused disconnect out right on or adjacent to that pedestal - that becomes the service disconnect for the feeder to the shed. You can then use the already buried UF cable - will need to utilize the equipment grounding conductor though because it is a feeder. Before 2008 NEC you could have just run a grounded conductor and bond it at the second structure, but now you must run a separate EGC with such a feeder.

If you do dig it up to do it over, consider running at least 1 inch PVC. Even if you only pull #10 through it now, you have room to go up to 100 amps without digging it up later.
 
Uf cable as service entrance

kwired said:
Put a breaker or fused disconnect out right on or adjacent to that pedestal - that becomes the service disconnect for the feeder to the shed. You can then use the already buried UF cable - will need to utilize the equipment grounding conductor though because it is a feeder. Before 2008 NEC you could have just run a grounded conductor and bond it at the second structure, but now you must run a separate EGC with such a feeder.
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That is still an option. Going to meet with the homeowner tomorrow and see where we go from there. Have to buy an outdoor rated disconnect anyway, because USE cable needs to be in raceway all the way to the panel, and I have conduit entering in and then going through a joist before going upwards to panel. Thanks for the thought, I hope it works that way.


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