"JC" wrote in message
...
I'm switching from a 100 to a 200 amp service. I'm going to lay new cable
from the meter, 185 feet, underground, to the entrance of the house. I
have a retired city electrical inspector (I'm out in the county where no
inspections are required) that is going to do the connections and some
inside work. He told me the other day that I needed to use #2 copper cable
unless it was over 200 feet and then would have to go to #3 (or vice
versa -- that's not the question) in schedule 80 EIGHTY!!! pipe. The
question is, why copper instead of aluminum and why in the world he call
for schedule 80??? I have cattle trucks, loaded 18 wheelers, run over
schedule 40 all day long and never have a crack. The original wire is not
in any pipe at all.

If left to my own devices I'd just run 185 feet of whatever size cable
required with no pipe. Is this guy doing some overkill here just to be on
the safe side?


Will there be a main circuit breaker protecting this service feeder from the
meter to the house? In NJ one power company requires that the underground
conduit from the pole to the meter be schedule 80. After the meter if there
is fuse or circuit breaker protection you can change to cable or schedule
40. If you are going under a driveway the conduit should be at least 24"
deep.

For a 200 amp service (310.15(B)(6) 2/0 copper or 4/0 aluminum is required.
Considering the distance of your service you will probably be better off
with an oversized copper feed to compensate for voltage drop.