Main Service Entry spliced within Panel

[mgbinspect]

Breaker panel upgraded at some point to 200 AMPs. Main service cable extended, within the breaker panel, about a foot, with what appears to be probably a screwed together connector made for the job, to reach the main breaker.

Been a while since I've seen this.

No pics as I'm out in the field.

Is it Kosher?

Thanks.

PS. Gound wires merely twisted together without wire nuts and 33% of the strands for the aluminum service entrance ground snipped away gives me more reason to be questioning the main hot splices.

[Marc]

08' NEC:

230.46 Spliced Conductors. Service entrance conductors shall be permitted to be spliced or tapped in accordance with 110.4, 300.5(E), and 300.15.

About the only time that I ever see SE conductors spliced is when the splice is situated within a gutter.

Marc

[hausdok]

I don't think there is a prohibition against it as long as the connections are made with the proper type of splice connector and are fully wrapped. If I get some time later, I'll double-check it in DH's book.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[mgbinspect]

Thank you kind sirs. I would love a final ruling if possible. It's a bit amusing that a splice in the ground cable is unacceptable, but is OK on a main entry cable.

[Jim Katen]

Thank you kind sirs. I would love a final ruling if possible. It's a bit amusing that a splice in the ground cable is unacceptable, but is OK on a main entry cable.

I can't help with a final ruling, but I'm not aware of any prohibition on splicing service entrance conductors.

The concern with splices in grounding electrode conductors isn't the splice itself, it's the possibility that someone could undo the splice. If someone undoes a GEC, then you have a quiet, unobtrusive problem that won't manifest itself until something goes wrong --- then the GEC won't be there to perform its duty. Whereas if someone undoes a splice at a service conductor, stuff just stops working.

(Unless it's the neutral, in which case everything gets really bright & runs really fast before it stops working.)

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[mgbinspect]

Thank you kind sirs. I would love a final ruling if possible. It's a bit amusing that a splice in the ground cable is unacceptable, but is OK on a main entry cable.

I can't help with a final ruling, but I'm not aware of any prohibition on splicing service entrance conductors.

The concern with splices in grounding electrode conductors isn't the splice itself, it's the possibility that someone could undo the splice. If someone undoes a GEC, then you have a quiet, unobtrusive problem that won't manifest itself until something goes wrong --- then the GEC won't be there to perform its duty. Whereas if someone undoes a splice at a service conductor, stuff just stops working.

(Unless it's the neutral, in which case everything gets really bright & runs really fast before it stops working.)

- Jim Katen, Oregon

As always, makes perfect sense.

Regarding the lack of a neutral, I was pretty lucky this spring. The home I live in now has a plug that looks like a standard three-prong, but it's actually a 220 (the house is old). I plugged my through the wall 110 air conditioner into it and hit the switch. As you said, it buzzed and carried on like an old sparky electric chair, yet nothing really functioned. I guess it was just the compressor working double time? But, the fan didn't come on. I tried it twice before tested it and figured it out. I had a neighborhood electrician convert the plug to 110 and that AC unit has worked just fine all season. Maybe the shock therapy added a little life to the old unit.