byteharmony
Sunny side up please.
I noticed the old electric service I'm replacing uses bare copper instead of insulated wire for the neutral. This service is using 4 AWG wire, not sure if it's THHN, can't read the sides of it yet.
I'm upgrading to a 200 AMP service. I planned to use 3/0 THHN to comply with NEC code. A local electrician said for service feed you can use 2/0 instead because it's not commercial it doesn't require the 3/0. I had my AHJ inspector over and he said it was okay to use 2/0 as well.
Here's where it gets interesting.
I may run out of the 3/0 that I purchased and planned to use for the Neutral on the service feed. Can I swap out one 3/0 THHN neutral wire for five 4 AWG bare copper neutral wires braded together just to the meter socket?
Based on my calcs that would give me a larger conductor than 3/0, it would be the same thing used in the current service, it would save me a buck a foot on wire and it would be fun and be an interesting story. One concern I'd have is if it would be difficult to feed that cluster of strands into the connectors on both ends since they are not MFG stranded.
Here are the tools for my calcs:
I'm upgrading to a 200 AMP service. I planned to use 3/0 THHN to comply with NEC code. A local electrician said for service feed you can use 2/0 instead because it's not commercial it doesn't require the 3/0. I had my AHJ inspector over and he said it was okay to use 2/0 as well.
Here's where it gets interesting.
I may run out of the 3/0 that I purchased and planned to use for the Neutral on the service feed. Can I swap out one 3/0 THHN neutral wire for five 4 AWG bare copper neutral wires braded together just to the meter socket?
Based on my calcs that would give me a larger conductor than 3/0, it would be the same thing used in the current service, it would save me a buck a foot on wire and it would be fun and be an interesting story. One concern I'd have is if it would be difficult to feed that cluster of strands into the connectors on both ends since they are not MFG stranded.
Here are the tools for my calcs: