Looking at a house which needs a upgraded service. Currently the service enters the house at the front gable and the meter is in the attic. There is no main panel. Rather than mounting the panel in the attic, I was thinking that it would be better in the basement. Per the utility, they probably won’t need to restring the existing service-if it’s in good condition. Should the wire need to be replaced it will only be a couple of hundred. Typically, OH services (that I can recall) are hung off the house, enter the mast and then a metal conduit is run outside the house down to the meter box and then penetrates the sidewall before entering the panel. Is this a code requirement or something done for the ease of construction? To run the conduit inside a wall is there anything special which needs to be done? For the difficulty of threading a conduit down the wall (inside or out) would be cheaper with a underground service? The utility wanted $1400 for a ug service.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
This 654-sq.-ft. ADU combines vaulted ceilings, reclaimed materials, and efficient design, offering a flexible guest suite and home office above a new garage.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Fine Home Building
Follow
-
Fine Homebuilding
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial Now -
GBA Prime
Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
- Home Group
- Antique Trader
- Arts & Crafts Homes
- Bank Note Reporter
- Cabin Life
- Cuisine at Home
- Fine Gardening
- Fine Woodworking
- Green Building Advisor
- Garden Gate
- Horticulture
- Keep Craft Alive
- Log Home Living
- Military Trader/Vehicles
- Numismatic News
- Numismaster
- Old Cars Weekly
- Old House Journal
- Period Homes
- Popular Woodworking
- Script
- ShopNotes
- Sports Collectors Digest
- Threads
- Timber Home Living
- Traditional Building
- Woodsmith
- World Coin News
- Writer's Digest
Replies
In my area the service you describe would be a (very rare) 30 amp 120 volt service.
The need for a masthead is determined (in part) by the required 10' clearance between the OH service and the ground. Local practices may come in, also.
The need for conduit between the attachment point and the main panel is also a matter of local usage, although be aware that there is a max allowed interior stretch between where the service enters and the main disconnect.
Local practices and requirements rule for this, however.
The NEC will not allow unfused conductors in the house that are over a minimal length. This is why the conduit is run outside in addition to the "ease of installation" reason.
I love my community utility in Albany, Georgia. They've had so much trouble with overhead lines in our old city full of live oaks and tall, tall pine trees, they will install your service underground for only $100, yes, I said $100, even on an existing.
I had a 150 year old live oak split during one of the 4 hurricanes of 2004. About $6,000 damage to the house, which I turned into a $12,000 general spruce-up, including a new roof. Most was paid by insurance. I had to pay the electrician, but even that cost was minimal - instead of the weatherhead, we just capped the top and ran conduit down to the ground, and the public utility did the rest.
Upgraded to 200 amp service, all nice and neat, total cost less than $500. From the meter base to the transformer in the alley, I guess they trenched 180 feet.
What a deal !
Greg
Around here they've
Around here they've discovered that buried is more trouble than overhead, even given ice storm and falling limbs. Too many cases of the buried lines getting dug up.