"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
Jeffrey J. Kosowsky wrote:
"TURTLE" writes:


"Jeffrey J. Kosowsky" wrote in message
...

"TURTLE" writes:

"Jeffrey J. Kosowsky" wrote in message
...

We are about to upgrade our panel from 100A to 200A.
The run from the electric company drop to the panel is about 15 ft
vertical drop followed by 30 feet horizontal run within the house.

- Other than the fact that copper costs much more than aluminum, what
are the pros/cons of copper vs. aluminum?

- Is copper worth the added cost?

- Also, the supply will run through the unfinished utility portion of
the basement at joist level. Is it worth it to encase the cable in
metal (or pvc) conduit?


This is Turtle.

If you ask about the electric service being in conduit between the service
entrance and the main service box. I sure hope your going to get a
Electrician
to do this job. Yes it must be encased.

That's interesting.... because the current 100A service doesn't appear
to be conduit -- it appears to be just a fat (2x1 inch oval), gray
flexible wire.

Also, I asked our electrician who said you can always pay extra to put
in rigid conduit but it is not necessary. BTW both the electrician who
did the original job and the current electrician are licensed. Also,
the house passed inspection.

Maybe the wire is in some type of flexible plastic conduit that looks
just like wire


This is Turtle.

It was done by a friend or a None Electician before the codes were inforced
in your area.


No, house was just inspected. Electrician is licensed and no
relationship. Again, I am just stating the facts, not arguing code or
not code. Also, maybe this stuff that looks like wire counts as conduit.


That's service entrance cable (SE), and it does not need to be run in a
conduit -- in fact, I don't think you're allowed to run it in a conduit.

I don't know about the 30 feet run of it inside the house, unless you have a
disconnect at the meter (and even then I don't know if you can use SE for that
long of a run.)

Bob

This is Turtle.

This is new to me of using SE cable in a basement to connect the meter pan to
the switch box and also going one end of the basement to the other in open air.
If you would have a short in the SE cable before getting to the switch box the
only breaker you would have is the 1,000+ amp breaker for the transformer to
protect it. Like you said , The only way I could see this would be a 200 amp
breaker & disconnect at meter pan to protect it before it gets to the switch
box. I will have to pass this by my City inspector on SE cable run in open air
30 something feet in a basement and being before the switch box main and after
the Meter pan. I would not want this in my house but NEC and city codes do let
some funny things go by that I would not want , like Al. Wire for lighting
circuits.

TURTLE