200 Amp Service Feed To New Home

[@Taras-Nabad]

Nice work, very clean.

[@electricianron_New_Jersey]

The LB underneath the panel is fine but conductors other than service conductors are not permitted in the same conduit as the service conductors. Not sure if you knew that already. NEC 230.7 is the code reference.

[@JimSperanza]

@electricalron this is the service cable. Not sure what you are referring to?

[@electricianron_New_Jersey]

@@JimSperanza Right, only service cables are allowed in that conduit. You cannot add other conductors in that raceway.

[@stm4839]

This isn't a service entrance, it's a feeder. The service (and main) are at the road. He clearly stated it's a sub panel, hence the separate EGC.

[@dane9175]

The easiest way to deal with your situation is to bring in 480 Volts. Your wire size would have been much smaller which means less expensive . You would not have any voltage drop the only disadvantage is buying a step down transformer. This is if your utility company will cooperate with you.

[@stuntcardriver]

Not only the line drop, underground cable doesn't dissipate heat like overhead. Most underground services are under 200 feet.

[@JohnThomas-lq5qp]

That's not what cheap lazy PECO told me when I changed over a 100 amp service in center city old house to a 100 & a 200 amp services that was feed by 80 year old #6 Guage copper rubber covered very frayed ( RHW ) wire. They told me that the 60 amp rated wire was cooled because it was underground and large enough to feed a total of 300 amps.

[@rupe53]

Heard you say it was going to be around $12k to run cable and get a transformer but didn't catch the price difference doing it this way... obviously cheaper. Last time I did a long run of 0/2/0 I believe it worked out to 50 amps usable at the end of 1,000 feet. (from memory) Bought a full spool at a substantial discount and had it delivered to the job. That was about 10 years ago so I am sure the price is way up now.

[@JimSperanza]

Cable was around $3200 plus junction boxes and polaris taps. So about $4k all in.

[@rupe53]

@@JimSperanza Yeah, I would say that was a good call to go in that direction. You are right about never needing the full 200 amps but to meet code / inspection you have to plan for it. For the average home I would feel comfortable adding another panel for a garage. Even with a future EV and several tons of AC they'd never draw the 200 amps.

[@alerighi]

@@JimSperanza Cheaper but you have to factor the loss that you pay in your electricity bill. If you have a voltage drop between the meter and your house, it's heat that you pay for since you have the meter back at the street (reason why the power company didn't want to install it near your house). Now to account a difference of 8k it would probably take decades, of course.

[@BitCounter]

The conduit appears to end at the bottom in the ground and bare wires look to run from there. I thought it all was to be in conduit and is that deep enough?

[@JimSperanza]

@BitCounter it is direct bury cable. The final grading has still yet to be done which will make it deep enough.

[@Sylvan_dB]

That looks nice! So do you have a disconnect down at the road as well? For more space inside your junction box, I'd have cut two of the wires shorter so that there would be two high and two low, alternating.

[@JimSperanza]

@@Sylvan_dB kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6ulnWR4is52o5Isi=QVqdq7SJI6m0JJcJ

[@JohnThomas-lq5qp]

In my area they are demanding that you install an expansion joint when a conduit comes from underground even to a meter socket only 30" off the ground. Reason being for ground settlement. Have saw too many 11/4 & 2" PVC conduits pull out of male adapter at bottom of outdoor meter cans. Waste if money the ulitity company denanding that you install a spare conduit if you went the other way.

[@JimSperanza]

@JohnThomas-lq5qp I install expansion joints on every junction box and panel. Especially on a new build. The ground will definitely settle and even an inch can rip off a conduit. You can see the expansion joint below the junction box in this video.

[@JohnThomas-lq5qp]

@@JimSperanza ok. Dumb ass me did not have my bifocals on and completely missed the expansion joint. The first 1/2 & 3/4" PVC expansion joints in big box stores did not have marks or instructions and one homeowner installed one during a cold day and had it set at extreme expansion range so come summer he had a open to the air expansion joint. At a 100 degree temperature spread 10' of PVC will expand 0.4".

[@A..n..d..y]

Are you sure you don’t need a disconnected on the outside of the house? Just a suggestion, no way to de-energize the house at the house from the outside.

[@PhillyFixed]

Is the jacket on the conductors from the Polaris taps to the panel dual-rated USE-2/RHW? Without the RHH or RHW rating, you technically can't use it indoors.

[@mikep8861]

Never heard that one before. Only rhw can be used indoors?

[@JimSperanza]

@@PhillyFixed the cable is the same type that would be used if I used a 4/0 directly to the panel.

[@mikep8861]

Nec 314.28 Code violation on those LB’s

[@SHKEKEKE]

Do you need a separate grounding rod for this subpanel?

[@Sylvan_dB]

Need, no. And it appears he ran a ground and that is sufficient. However, I'd put in a ground rod or bond to the metal in the foundation. Two grounds is better than one, as long as adequately bonded together.