How to make a 200 amp Weatherhead

In this video I show you how to make up a Weatherhead with SEU. It is important to understand the proper way to install a Weatherhead. This will be part 1 of building a 200 amp residential service. I used 4/0 aluminum SEU or service entrance cable.

[@johndavies2949]

Your neutral has to be insulated as it is a current carrying conductor. This cable is to be used for the service drop from the pole. If you put bare aluminum in a galvanized rigid or imc pipe you will have an electrolytic action between dissimilar metals. The result will be the aluminum being eaten away over time.

[@guyvirgil7413]

Great professional guidance! Yes absolutely The Number 1 thing is when working with any electrical is to be Safe Because this kinda buzz you may not come down from and if you do it’s will most definitely be a hangover you will never forget! Thanks 👍🏻

[@hamburbers]

Shop guy for an electrical company here. I prep most of the weatherheads before we send them to the field to save the electricians time and remove the elemental problem. Easy life hack, run a drill chock all the way open, pull the neutral ends all the way straight, clip them even then close the chock on the ends while pulling it tight. About 2 seconds and you've got a tight clean cable. Learned it from the old guys. Lol

[@craigmichaud-electricalins4602]

I use that everytime I do an install. This is to show how its done by hand!! Thanks for the great input!! Always like hearing things like this!! CM

[@hamburbers]

Thank you man for some easily accessible and sensible tips. Been looking for ways to make my life easier and you're offering them.

[@10Flat]

I like your explanation of making neutral a solid conductor. I usually put a thin glaze of anti oxide on neutral before twisting.

[@daishinua2845]

I was taught it was white tape to show a neutral by 12 inches, the rest black. I love this dudes videos learning so much.

[@nyrangers3150]

Thank you! Interesting to see how this is done...

[@daone7267]

Appreciate the instructions - very well spoke and helpful in describing things one step at a time. Going through my Electrician AIT training for the Army and this has been extremely helpful

[@SuicidelG]

Good video...showed up in my feed for some reason so I watched it...but as a commercial/industrial electrician I have to say running SE cable up an exposed outdoor wall looks trashy to me.

[@FloridaTwoWheelAdventures]

I like this video 💯 ! I am going to be doing mine tomorrow. I ran 2” rigid up the building from the meter can and will be using the other style weatherhead. I also bought 4/0-4/0-4/0-2/0 service wire so I sure hope there are no issues with using it. I saw where you said it’s primarily for subpanels. This installation has been a learning experience for sure.

[@craigmichaud-electricalins4602]

Thats is great!! I would have to do some research but I think you will be fine. You can always reach out to the power company if you have any questions!! Good luck!! CM

[@patrickfaricelli6745]

Absolutely helped. Thank u brother👍

[@pedrobenitez3881]

you are a good electrician instructor technician.

[@eazypeazy7743]

Hi. Quick question. When is a grounding bushing needed? Is only for concentric or eccentric knock outs ? Or even if I punch out my own hole? Will I need a grounding bushing ?

[@anthonybarker5443]

Thanks, nice video. I appreciate the step by step approach with ample reasoning. I've been looking for a video showing how to make the neutral conductor. This video really helped!

[@santiagocid5908]

👍👍👍

[@johnwinslow3776]

You just saved me 1500 dollars Blesdings from Missouri John Winslows favorite things

[@jeanfrancois7470]

thankyou for your services

[@elgranjero2284]

Very good explanation. Thanks.

[@abelincolnparth]

The nitty gritty of what I need to know. Thank you very much!

[@mikemolski8567]

Nice video but I will say I had to slightly grind the opening on the bottom of the mast where the cable clamp goes to get the conductors to slide in as the conductors were getting nicked. I also did this with the rubber grommet at top of the meter can. No reason either of these need to be that snug. The meter can at least where i'm located is required to be sealed where it enters anyway.

[@williamkreth]

Great video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I don't have money to pay an electrician to come do my weather head. so i have to do it myself. The power company is going to make the connection though :)

[@craigmichaud-electricalins4602]

Thank you very much!! I enjoy sharing my knowledge with you and will continue to do so as long as I keep getting support for you all!! Thanks for watching. CM

[@acadguru4972]

Thanks for this Video. I successfully completed my Service. Inspection this week.

[@djenkins2085]

👌 currently doing this in class

[@andrewvallejo2320]

Like the way you explain things 👍

[@dedofofo8985]

That is the great video and the best explain thank you so much for your time 👍👍

[@alpinehs]

Great 👍 video. Thanks

[@GreenAcres581]

I need to install an aerial cable on our farm, is there a video on what kind of connectors to use to join quadruplex wires to the drop to the service panel. I've used Polaris multiport connectors for non-aerial connections, will they work for aerial? great video series

[@lowdownthegr8859]

Gr8 video. I finally found a video that explained everything I needed to know. Thanks.

[@WeatherNut27]

Great video. I have to change my service drop and meter pan. Wondering if I should leave the current 2" conduit running up the side of the house and leave the old weather head or just strap the 4/0 to the siding with new weather head. I'm in CT

[@KevinNichols222]

Installing a new primary 200 amp breaker box on the exterior of a house...next to the meter can. Will have about 23 circuits. Can I just run two 2" conduits out of the crawl space and LB up into the bottom of the box? Split the 23 wires into separate conduits?

[@Lucio..]

Awesome again!!!!!

[@craigmichaud-electricalins4602]

Thank you!! I appreciate your support!! CM

[@stevenbernstein1978]

I am not an electrician but is cost the reason why aluminum is used over copper for those large service cables yet copper conductors are used inside my house?

[@craigmichaud-electricalins4602]

You would be correct on that!! CM

[@jimwilliams2327]

Graig you the man!!

[@glennbrooks9933]

Thank you, very good video.

[@blakeehmke007]

What if you need to run it through the roof? Would you run it in galvanized conduit? And if you do that, you need flashing, and a different weather head right?

[@jahkimallyne9920]

Good video.

[@ociebenterprises]

Can a weak neutral connection coming from the power companies main service line cause an electrical fire. It is being held together by two strands before it makes connection to the weather head on 100 amp service.

[@ridemfast7625]

Finally found some one who is using an SEU cable for Service Entrance into a Weatherhead. Is this NEC code compliant? I only ask because every picture and vids of weatherheads and cables have all three of the cables insulated. As if their using an SER cable and removed the non-insulated cable and through it away. I am upgrading a 50 year old panel. Thank you!

[@dizzydogg19]

Nice video Craig! I have a question, what's the difference between SEU and SER cable?

[@craigmichaud-electricalins4602]

Great question!!! The SER has an insulated Neutral wire. It is marked with a WHITE tracer. This is used primarily for feeding a sub panel!!! Thank you for the question and watching!!! CM

[@javierpuerta8074]

good job

[@craigmichaud-electricalins4602]

Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed it! CM

[@BearStar1]

I don't know exactly where you are at , but in IL & TX , One is NOT allowed to use a SE Cable up along the side of a house to feed power to a Meter enclosure !! We use 2 inch RIGID STEEL Galvanized Conduit Pipe with a 2 inch Metal Weatherhead and the Service Conductors are ran up inside of the Conduit !! The ONLY time SE Cable is allowed to be used is when a Power Feeder goes across a attic to a Main Electrical Panel Inside the structure that is being fed from an Outside Main Service Disconnect Panel located next to the Meter ! And Most Electrical Contractors prefer to use COPPER Conductors instead of Aluminum Conductors !!

[@benjaminsher28]

yes in calif i never see seu. it's always in rigid conduit. isn't alum wire used as its easier to bend? (plus cheaper).

[@BearStar1]

@@benjaminsher28 , True, but most Contractors in Tx prefer to use CU Conductors , 2-0 for a 200 Amp Service . Some do use AL but you have to go to the next size larger , 3-0 for 200 Amp Service

[@Anton-le7gd]

Very informative video, well done. I have a question about the bend radius of the wire going through the weatherhead. It appears to be less than what code allows. Is there an exception for weatherheads?

[@bostonchoir]

Seeing this video accidentally as a no-electrician, I am wondering where's a neutral or ground line. If you use the lines you twisted to make a neutral, you don't have a ground line. Also, although you twisted them tightly for 3 feet, the portion in the sheath is in loose.

[@joshmeldrum6733]

The ground wire is only used after the first disconnect, which in a house is the main breaker in your panel. It is the same thing as the neutral upstream of that.

[@mrOnlinePolice]

Does NEC require for the SE to be in a conduit?

[@kchilz32]

Awesome video! As an electrical graduate of a vocational high school this brings back memories. I’m currently deciding to upgrade my two family home from 200 amp service ( each unit is 100amp panels) would it be worth it to upgrade and if so how much do you think would cost? Also judging by the way you speak, you must be a fellow New Englander. I’m in western Mass

[@ryanthepianoman27]

Yikes

[@jimwilliams2327]

Duck seal baby, good vid brp

[@amirthompson1900]

Can't you use 3/0 for 200A service (assuming terminals are rated at 75°)

[@10Flat]

3/0 copper is rated 200 amps @ 75 degrees . 3/0 aluminum is rated 155 amps @ 75 degrees. Reference: National Electrical code. Hope this helps

[@CupidFromKentucky]

So for 200 amp it's 4/0 AL and 2/0 CU?

[@halalphilly]

Hey Craig can you make a video for how to size an equipment grounding conductor? Thanks

[@craigmichaud-electricalins4602]

I Absolutely!!! I have a running list of requests!! I will add this one for sure. Keep a look out for it, because it will be a month or so before I can get to it!!! Thank you for watching and your support!! CM

[@halalphilly]

Certainly will keep an eye out thanks!

[@jagdeep324]

👍

[@kevinf3642]

Do you always use aluminum wire between the weather head and the meter? Or can copper be used instead?