How to Upgrade an Electric Meter to 200-Amp Service (Part 1) | This Old House
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Master electrician Scott Caron shows the first phase of replacing an antiquated electrical system.
Watch part two here: • How to Upgrade an Elec...
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Steps:
1. Have utility company to disconnect electrical cables from the house.
2. Remove the glass meter from the meter socket.
3. Unscrew meter socket from side of house, then use cable cutters to sever the cable connected to the socket.
4. Enlarge existing cable hole in wall using a cordless drill and 3-inch-diameter hole saw.
5. Bore through the rim joist using an extension shaft and 2-inch-diameter hole saw.
6. Attach a length of 200-amp SE electrical cable to the new meter socket.
7. Feed the SE cable through the hole in the wall and then screw the meter socket to the exterior of the house. Use a torpedo level to ensure the socket is level.
8. Install the new PVC weather head and conduit to the exterior wall, directly above the meter socket. Secure the conduit to the meter socket using PVC cement. Fasten the conduit to the house with U-shaped plastic clips.
9. Have the utility company mark the locations of any underground lines. Then, pound two copper ground rods into the ground using a 3-pound sledgehammer. Space the rods 6 feet apart.
10. Make the wire connections between the ground rods, up to an inter-system bonding termination, and into the meter socket.
11. Connect the power wires to the meter socket.
12. Plug the glass meter into the meter socket. Then, snap on the meter cover.
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How to Upgrade an Electric Meter to 200-Amp Service (Part 1) | This Old House
/ thisoldhouse
I was having trouble finding a licenced electrician who has been doing electrical work for 50 years, so I posted a youtube video touching an wire in my house and they all showed up in the comments. How convenient!
Lol
LMAO
Right? Amazing how the internet gets all the professionals interested 👏 🤣
I would have thought a good psychiatrist and the ambulance would have arrived first.
This made me laugh a lot more than it should have 🤣😂🤣😂
Electrician: ill make homeowner my apprentice
But it has to be only performed by licensed homeowner
@@7xr1e20ln8 Registered homeowner 😊
Hopefully electrician gave homeowner a discount for helping lol
@@7xr1e20ln8 Hi and Hello.
I gather people for a good cause:
I wanna provide people with Links leading to bad or toxic people.
Mobber, Racists, Sexists, Bullies, more. I got the Links and i
need help with reporting them.
UA-cam is in a bad state and i think you heard of that.
Many complain about it, its strike-system and its CEO: Susan.
But... I mean... complaining about the State of the world is nice
and dandy, but... how about acting? Doing something?
So i made a Wiki where i store Links for all to use. Yeah, unorthodox, i
know, but whatever. Its my Try to help.
You can at least pre-emptive 'block user' regarding the
Racists and all those, but you can also
do one thing more and report them.
I know this was random and also overly summarized, but
think about it and consider. You can make a difference.
I tried to explain it as good as possible, but the Wiki will tell and show
you more, i guess.
What do you think about all this? I mean, its a good cause,
improving the internet and the world, and it costs no money, just time.
Nice or not?
I'm sure this comment didnt made it all clear, but point is, i wanna
act and help others to act, not just complain. If somethings not clear,
ask Questions; that normally helps with confusion.
@@loturzelrestaurant text wall much lmao
They skipped the part where the ground rod doesn’t go in all the way and you have to cut it off lol
Hahahahahah👍😅😂🤣
Lol I was thinking the same thing.
🤣🤣🤣 . He should’ve done the old water bottle trick.
Hahaha
They are stamped on the end that you hammer on. The inspector looks for the stamp before you drive it flush with the ground. If he can't find the stamp he will assume you couldn't drive it snt deeper so you cut off the end thinking the inspector wouldn't know that you hadn't driven in the full ,,8 feet. But you wouldn't know about that because because you really didn't know the reason for the stamp in the ground rod.
30 seconds in and the facial expression of the homeowner looks like his family is being held hostage by the production team.
True!
His words were "so there's no power to the house?"
@@loturzelrestaurant Stop spamming
@@BenCos2018 I wouldnt call it spamming, for obvious reasons.
You... surely can tell those reasons, yeah? I mean, they're obvious after all?
@@loturzelrestaurant It's in every comment thread tbh
It classes as spam lol
Great title "How to Upgrade an electric meter..." then the first line is "...this should not be done by a homeowner".
Lol, I was about to go out and do it today... I guess I'll have to find a different project for today
Bullshit, i did my own
If you own it, it's yours to fix or destroy. Risks are involved with each decision. Remember laws are just rules written on paper to control the minds and actions of ppl who believe they have more control over your decision-making than you yourself.
@@TheTubejunky ok dude, come back when you burn your house down
@@frenchmontana961 salty much? I've worked on my own house along with the main service being hot. Knowledge is powerful if you use it correctly. No fires here but you sound a little burnt In my opinion. To each their own I guess. If you're uneducated in the field then don't take chances. It's YOUR DECISION.
"I'll finish it off with a sledgehammer!" - pulls out the smallest sledgehammer known to man...
That caught me off guard, too!
We call that a single Jack. Don’t know what it’s called on the East Coast. Apparently a sledgehammer. LOL
😂😂😂
Lump hammer
Ben Hawkins 😆 😂🤣
It's funny how they skipped all the headaches of getting a permit and waiting for the utility company to do their job. Not to mention the nosy neighbor peeking though the window ready to complain. :)
lol!
know all about that
Victor Rodriguez bey
After 40+ years, the producers of TOH have connections to municipalities. Towns love being featured as it creates interest in people visiting the towns or living there. Having just 50 professionals/trades peep/business owners move in is a huge lifeline to a municipality. Not just that, people making improvements on their homes, raises the prop value all around.
My electrician cut the wires himself
I updated my house with a 200 amp service about 15 years ago. Also took down the mast & had underground run. Best thing I ever did!! Those guys from the power company ran 75' underground & had everything hooked up in about 45 minutes. Yes, I am a retired electrician & have been for almost 10 years. Sure is nice when you can do all these things yourself. Only thing the inspector said was he wanted to see the 2 grounding rods daisy chained & "nice job!!"
@m rapacki Yup. When I still have all 10 fingers and 2 eyes after a complex home project, all is good.
Just learned today the “great deal” I got on a foreclosed property had 50A service to a 100A panel!
Was it expensive to bury the wire?
No, just rented a Ditch Witch.
I really like this guy.
He is a good explainer.
Farmer Dave I
Farmer Dave said
lol
Now is heath.
@@xianli6488 Heath is awesome!
Did he just seriously use plastic conduit and plastic clamps to secure that plastic conduit?
See you guys in 10 years when that shit is cracking and crumbling from sun exposure and inclement weather
Mike we call that “PVC”
It’s called PVC, Einstein and it will last indefinitely
I liked Scott. Is he still with This Old House?
Pro-tip: If you're using a maul or hammer to pound that ground rod in it is always a good idea to put the clamp on first... when pounding you may "mushroom" the head of the rod and it will be impossible to get that clamp on after that.
Wise move indeed but an angle grinder helps to cut away or grind away the smashed head
He's been gone for years - posted that his contract expired and that's that.
@@oldtwinsna8347 thanks!
Wait until a tree falls and bends the weather head. THEN WE SEE WHO "OWNS" the cables coming in to the meter.
Yeah that’s total bullshit!!!! I been there, it’s there cable and mater but some how i have to pay for repairs
He says you are responsible for the meter and feeder cables, until the drop, which is the poco’s.
Cut the freaking tree!!!
@@ovidiuciuparu6421 lmao. some ppl live in wooded areas not in a desert. Tress out number the houses and may also be on adjacent properties.
“Thin Diesel”
Why does the homeowner look like he’s being questioned about the body found in his back yard?
Where’s the Nolox on those aluminum wires?
yeah, guy didn't talk about the difference between aluminum service wires and aluminum household wiring, nor about antioxidant pastes. Antioxidant goes on at 4:51, but it's for less than a second and he doesn't explain what he's doing. I had to ask my electrician about this when inspecting a subpanel run which had thick aluminum conductors. Concerned me that the insurance company would have a fit, but no... apparently this is standard practice.
I still think the ELEC Company needs to "own" everything up into the meter box.....
Yeah but they have the money to lobby our politicians in there favor, no one looks out for the lil guy, cuz we ain’t got no money’s
But the service entrance is covered under the National Electrical Code. Linemen are NOT electricians. It actually makes sense that anything attached to your house should be your responsibility. That INCLUDES the point of attachment device that the electrician typically installs on the house for the utility wires to connect hang from. Just my opinion...
No, i paid for my meter base and wires up the mast. Power company supplies the meter and wires from the mast to the pole.
No weathering the hole? WTH?!
Meter base too low should L.B. ground rod too close to house. And who the heck uses plastic.
It’s called PVC and it’s used everyday
Vin Diesel in "The Electrician"
the fate of the electrician
Damn boi thats hilarious
I don't know so much about the meters w/the electric co. but my average water bill is between $25 & $35. a month in the summer but this winter w/ in one month it was nearly $900,oo & no I did not have any leaks as in fact if so my water ran that much my septic tank would have been backed up & my yard would have been evidence as definitely it would have been a swamp. But just a couple months before they found my meter was leaking out by the road & they came out & fixed it as it was on their side of responsibility. Now all of a sudden they were billing me months later telling me I used over 19,000 gallons of water in one month in the winter which I don't have a pool or anything requires a lot of water. I had them replace my meter since then & my water bill is now back to normal. I now take regular readings off my meter to keep a check on it. I don't trust any big business as it is the more they get is the more they want until we become enslaved to them. Just the same is our taxes keep going up, up and away. I am a good man to have on hand I am Dave the handyman home repair guy out of St. Louis Mo. May God bless & only put your trust in him!
That’s a brilliant comment
Definitely
When driving the ground rod into the ground, you can use a hammer drill in the hammer only setting. It might help you if there is something hard to go through in the ground.
I just got to lay flat one out of the 2 required today cause a landscape stone lol the hammer drill was jus mushrooming the head
The hammer drill is effortless. Let the tool do all the work and it just slides down 8’ into the ground. It’s great!!
@@URBANENGINEER Only as long as there is nothing hard like a rock down their. There have been a couple of times I hit something hard that even the hammer drill wouldn't go through. If I run into something like that, I'll pull it out and ry again a few inches over. But before I try again, I'll actually grind a sharp point on the end so if it does hit something, it has a sharp end to help it drive through whatever is down their. 95% of the time it works and goes right through whatever the hard thing is.
@@KevinBenecke good idea my friend
As long as it not rock all you need is two water bottles.
Electricians tip : Instead of using a maul to drive grounding rods into ground - use HD hammer drill .
Thank you, I'd forgotten that term.
Little water and you can actually driving all the way by hand no hammer needed, didn't believe it until I did it myself, but where I work we do use the big hammer drills made for it
With a ground rod driver
@Phil Mccrevasse Please explain. Does that method increase resistance or something?
@@paulconvery680 : no, some electrical inspectors are corrupt > ( so you used water to ease the rod down? well that's going to co$t you! ) The ground is going to get wet from rain ,it has no bearing no grounding . The NEC states that the rod must be driven to 8 to 10 inches below surfacing if I remember correctly!
Don't know of any Current Codes where the Meter Base can sit so low to the ground...among other errors in this video...
That’s because you don’t know any current codes
@@electricaf365 lmao. In my area, Chicago burbs, the pedestal sits on the ground and is about two feet tall, and the meter sits on top of the pedestal.
Just to be clear...they did not "upgrade the meter" to 200 amp service. They upgraded the service to 200 amps. The meter is the same.
Correct👍
No insulation on neutral and ground rods. Lol america you need to upgrade to PME Protected Multiple Earth. I wonder how many ohms resistance there is on that grounding setup.
As soon as I saw them push those copper wires into the ground mostly by hand I knew they weren't in Texas
Nick Eckert or in MI
Nick Eckert a heavy hammer drill works like magic.
Or California lol. I've put in multiple ground rods and they all sucked.
lol yes
Nick Eckert and I put the acorn on first.unless you have a numatic drill.
Rigid for service entrance. Uni-struts to strap 1.5 or 2.0 in rigid pipe. 2/0 gauge copper service entrance. Service entrance head has to be at 3 feet above roof. And so on and so on. That's California code. .... Residential type I no longer do. I could be mistaken. I mostly work in commercial and industrial projects
Daniel Castillo wrong
Wrong about everything you just said
@@leonardholt5311 educate me than. Been doing this for over 30 years. Idk
@@electricaf365 educate me than 🤷 been doing this for over thirty years.
Where's your Noalox?
You put what looks like a 1.5 inch hole in the house, instead of having perforations that big why diddnt you just sleeve the wire with pvc into the house? Now you have a perforations and air leaks. Please to not say duct seal.
Way bigger that 1.5
The code differences between localities is insane. For example in my area you have to take that ground wire straight to the panel and bond the ground and neut in the panel. The utility won't allow it to go through the meter socket.
On the NEC states that you can do your bonding at the meter or main panel
Same here
They update the code every 3 years. I need an outside disconnect your bond after the first means of Disconnect should be outside
The purpose of the electrical code is to justify jobs. Don't expect them to make sense.
The only place the grounding conductor and the neutral connect together is at the main disconnect.
why are you using aluminum wire instead of copper wiring. I remember it being illegal to use aluminum wiring in a house???
You must’ve mis-remembered
@@electricaf365 no, over 20-30 years ago, itwas a fire hazard to use aluminum in homes
@@richardscarlett7942 aluminum as a service entrance conductor is used all across North America.
Expansion cupling above on overhead service ? Wierd.
remember to dig a hole around where you will drive the ground rod so you can completely bury the rod, preventing possibly hitting it with a lawn mower or weed trimmer
I agree ain't that a bitch especially the lawnmower☹️
+brian phillips Not all ground wire to rod clamps are certified for burial. Thus an inspector can fail the install if the wrong clamp is used. Even if legal to bury the rod the local inspector can have his own rules too thus you may want his input.
3beltwesty i have been dealing with inspectors for over 30 years if they have their own rules and i disagree i go over their head
+brian phillips After Katrina "stormers" descended here and all wanted to "go over the local inspectors heads". Thus they just did not get permits, they joined the crowd who wanted exceptions and had to wait in line for months. ie maybe they wanted to use 14 awg wire in a city that bans that size wire for a decade already. Or maybe they want to use weird breaker brands that are common in LA or New Jersey but are not used locally.
Thus going over the persons head goes to a lay person and you get to plea at a city "fight with the inspectors meeting" in weeks or a few months in which the city has a consultant that will find more of you stuff wrong. ie you ticked them off and they will mess with you more
Thus if you want to teach the inspector your way you just burn up your labor costs. In the bury the ground rod clamp the inspector here might just give in and let you pay the labor and cost when the utility adds another rod with its rod above ground. They just tack this cost on install bill as an added change.
ie it is not just the inspectors, but what does the Utility require? After the Katrina event we had Utility guys for phone and cable from Canada; a Power guys from all over the South East.
There are places where when Copper was high idiots stole the copper ground wires and the building owner just stuck a loose piece of wire in the ground, instead of finding the rod when it was buried. Thus when restoring power if the wire is off and they cannot find the rod quickly they will add another rod. In my neighborhood this just meant that some folks had to wait another week to get their meter area acceptable if the area was too cluttered of the wire ground gone. They actually would cut the wires at the transformer too on houses that they declared not ready for power again.
One county in a rural area has a code guy who wants the wired AC smoke alarm on ground faults breakers. That is nuts. His goofy reasoning is "safety items" should be on GFI breakers.
Here in smaller towns there are only one single code inspector person and after a storm he get saturated.
In good hearted free labor like Habitat for H. workers they would constantly get rotations of folks and all wanted to change the designs of the starter houses. ie Guy from Michigan wanted a basement, but the house would float up. Or Minn guy wanted ice dams for the roofs, or LA guys wanted to use weird breakers and have no AC units at all or use swamp coolers.
you bury the rod after inspection not before inspectors have rules to follow laid out in the law. city rules must or equal or better than state. inspectors ideas of what should be or not be must follow those rules other than that his opinion is nothing. 14 gauge wire is not large enough for a main box ground it is large enough for a bonding ground on a 20 amp device. this is why 12/2 wg often uses a 14 gauge wire for it's bare ground. many romex cables have a bare ground one size smaller than the other conductors. inspectors here will crawl under your house and through your attic as well as look to make sure all metal boxes are bonded, closets and storage are lighted, main panels are grounded with 2- 4 gauge copper conductors to separate rods 6 feet apart. ground clamps in this area all meet code if not they can be easily changed and reinspected before burial. gfi receptacles are used where water is possibly present, i.e. outdoor receptacles, bathroom receptacles, receptacles near a kitchen sink. bathroom lighting exhaust fans, etc... are usually wired in series with the gfi receptacle so touching a switch to turn on an exhaust fan with wet hands is covered
4:01 that moment you notice the job is a lot harder then it seemed.
Simplestatic haha.. the looked like the sun was starting to set. Had to come back the next day
I used a fence post setter to drive them
They only showed the easy part. The hard part is replacing the service panel and standing in front of it for hours trying to remember what circuit goes where.
I chose to upgrade to 200amps so that I can run 25 toasters all at the same time
Wait... Theres people out there that don't run 25 toasters...? *MIND BLOWN*
HAHA I'm going to your house for breakfast
@Joe Copa don't you have 4 slice toasters?
25 toasters at once would put you at roughly 187.5 - 250A on your 200A service... You might want to invest in a 400A service. Just sayin' 😋
@Joe Copa look at Copernicus over here!
Upgrade? Huh?
Run an extension cord to your neighbor's box and an upgrade is a can of green spay paint
Brown if don't water your lawn
No seal on the cable that goes through the wall of the house!?
Good Point. Maybe He sealed from the inside in order to push his sealant against the meter pan which would act as a stop for proper filling of that hole, But without a follow-up video we will never know! lol
Lucky you didn't drill the hole saw into wires at the panel in the basement. A better method would have been to drill a pilot hole into the basement and then drill the larger hole from the inside. Otherwise good video.
He was using existing hole he just enlarged, pretty sure hes safe there chief. Come on man thats what the thing you wanna dig on this about???!!! do better
Fancy screws to prevent water for entering the meter enclosure fancy pole head glue and all and nobody sealed the big old hole he did to get into the house🤦🏻♂️
Hi and Hello.
I gather people for a good cause:
I wanna provide people with Links leading to bad or toxic people.
Mobber, Racists, Sexists, Bullies, more. I got the Links and i
need help with reporting them.
UA-cam is in a bad state and i think you heard of that.
Many complain about it, its strike-system and its CEO: Susan.
But... I mean... complaining about the State of the world is nice
and dandy, but... how about acting? Doing something?
So i made a Wiki where i store Links for all to use. Yeah, unorthodox, i
know, but whatever. Its my Try to help.
You can at least pre-emptive 'block user' regarding the
Racists and all those, but you can also
do one thing more and report them.
I know this was random and also overly summarized, but
think about it and consider. You can make a difference.
I tried to explain it as good as possible, but the Wiki will tell and show
you more, i guess.
What do you think about all this? I mean, its a good cause,
improving the internet and the world, and it costs no money, just time.
Nice or not?
I'm sure this comment didnt made it all clear, but point is, i wanna
act and help others to act, not just complain. If somethings not clear,
ask Questions; that normally helps with confusion.
Why not make sure that you are truly saved by Jesus Christ and practice this way. Remorsefully confess with your heart your sins to Jesus Christ who is God and tell Him that you right now are repenting of your sins and you want to be born again of the Spirit from above. Tell Jesus that you are remorsefully sorry for breaking His commandments and that you are begging for forgiveness from Him. Allow His blood from the cross to wash away your sins. After this is done with your heart successfully the Holy Spirit will come to live within you and He will rebuild you from the inside out.
Look for signs that you are saved. Things like spreading the good news from Jesus, getting other people saved, a craving for the word of God, reading the Bible, etc… These things are known as a calling and fruit bearing. If you're not bearing fruit then keep doing it. Sometimes it takes time to get saved. Read Matthew chapter 13 from the King James Bible. God bless!!!!!
It bothers me when electricians describe the two ungrounded service conductors as having 120V each. That’s not really the correct way to say it. It will confuse people trying to learn and conceptualize the system. It’s 120V between each ungrounded conductor to the neutral conductor. It’s 240V between the two ungrounded conductors.
Thank you from a beginner who wants to thoroughly know and understand my trade
@Frank Ruiz incorrect, sir. “Out of phase” is used to describe multiphase systems, most often three phase systems that are 120* out of phase relative to each other. In a single phase system, nothing can be out of phase because it’s all one phase. Voltage is always a potential between two points. Refer back to my original comment about the voltage clarification for the poor explanation in this video.
@@RB-xv4si One of the sinusoids is 180 degrees phase shifted from the other allowing for a 240 v potential difference between both lines. Otherwise it wouldn't be possible for each conductor to have a 120v potential from the same neutral.
@@RB-xv4si the two 120V conductors are 180deg out of phase from each other.
This is 240VAC SINGLE PHASE 3-wire service.
🙋🙋🙋🤩🤩🤩👷💚👁️👁️😻😻😻😍🌹💞💞🏡🏡🏡🏡❤️❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰👍👍🥰👷🌹🌹🌹💞💞
always check with the electric company first...where I live the weatherhead has to go through the roof...and is use all metal weatherhead and pipe...
A mast only has to be used when there is not enough ground clearance
If you have the proper height or clearance, then you don’t need to penetrate the roof
Metal mast corrodes in time.
LOL 😂 where the heck do you guys live that you're able to push a ground rod in halfway and then finish it off with a mini sledgehammer?
Not a chance in hell where I'm from
There was no need for the expansion coupling. With the top only having a weatherhead it will move up and down as it expands and contracts. Throw the sludge hammer away and get a ground rod driver before you bust your finger.
+TheSeattlegreen yeah it was way to low, I'm guessing it was just for quick demonstration. And by rights the mast should have been a 2" steel mast as well
@@HazardousGuru420 Yes I’ll agree with you on the Steel but it’s not a code violation that I know of.
a bit of a miss.. No mention on how 200 amps wire get from the wires above the hose aka the pole to the street to your box and the cost to do such.
That’s because the power company does that part
@@electricaf365 yup i know but they should cover that and the cost of that from the electric company. Because id like to upgrade to 400 or 600 amps . i can wire the rest as seen in the video just dont know the cost of the other part
@@SuperJimmyBennett it’s a short video.
1:04 lets the home owner cut the mains just in case there's still power. j/k
😂😂😂
is #6 gauge copper wire ok to use reguardless of 100amp or 200amp main panel or subpanel?
for the 200A service? no. based on some charts, the "best" you could get would be 165A, but that's with special ratings/housing. but always check with local building codes/references.
Yes
What about no-lox on the connections......we use no -lox in georgia
it's not required on current applications as the alloy of the aluminum is different/improved from the old days. however I don't see how it would negatively affect anything should you choose to apply it.
Can not use PVC pipe to the overhead service. NEC and Utility company's require Rigid Conduit.
Tim Candee not true. Rigid only required when it supports the service wires.
NEC does not require that you bozo
I like your patient, pleasant voice during this simple, straight forward tutorial. Thanks
Would have liked to see the completed project.
Man I wish this guy had his own channel. Very thoro and smart.
And completely ignored code...wow seriously Dood!?
My Guy videos eight-years-old code changes every 3 and then it depends on Authority having jurisdiction
A lot has changed code wise since this video was made folks so don’t always rely on UA-cam 👍🏻
PVC conduit will crack and fail and warp as welll...
not if installed correctly
No the hell it won’t
Why bother showing how this is done if it is just for a licensed electrician? Very irresponsible.
V it's an informative video. It's not saying hey you homeowners out there, go ahead and do this. He clearly states at the beginning of the video that this is to be done by an electrician. Not a handyman with basic electrical knowledge.
Sparky 97 Dangerous, man. Lots of people might get in danger. You know the saying, little knowledge is very dangerous.
Homeowner can do their own work in most jurisdictions. This isn’t difficult or particularly dangerous
I really do appreciate the details like which parts are your responsibility vs the utility. Nice!
It is not called '' duck seal '' it is called butal tape
I didn't think you could glue pvc conduit with the conductors in place due to possible damage to the wire insulation.
You can do anything as long as you don't screw it up
"Sledge hamma"
I like to curl the SEC 360 degrees, making a curly-cue. It’s more work but has 3 advantages. 1 it looks better. 2, it offers a bit a slack if needed. 3 it provides a drip loop is for some reason a seal fails and water does enter the cables, it won’t enter the house.
Aluminum connections are supposed to have an anti-corrosion paste added, by the way. I didn’t see that performed.
Good luck trying to “curl” 4/0 aluminum 360 degrees 🤣🤣🤣
@@electricaf365 lmao
Your comment didn't perform
He did put the noalox on the aluminum it is a different brand though. I had rather use the copper conductors than aluminum
The NEC in the USA does not require paste if the connector is rated AL-CU. But I have always used the paste myself. I hate aluminum wire period. I only use copper on new and retrofit installations.
Video is dangerous. Homeowners should never try this.
Not dangerous at all. Power was disconnected 🤣🤣
The wire from the ground rods should go to the service panel neutral bus bar.
It can go to the meeter aswell
@@nyrbn I don’t think so, especially using NM. That’s why we bond at the panel. How are you supposed to bond a ground on the panel when it’s in the meter? I think, unless I’m misunderstanding this.
This is not up to code the wire in the meter pan is a fire hazard she did not put lubrication on The wire those aluminum wires might overheat and that's never good there is a reason to stop making wires with aluminum
stop trolling. You're dumb. Scott DID put Noalox on the aluminum wires (get your eyes tested). Start citing NEC code if you 'think' something isn't right... but you can't because it was all done to code and inspected. So, go play in the sand, troll
I upgraded my panel on my home. Turned out great and I have a lot more slots for new circuits now.
what a horrible service. cheap pvc mast. cheap aluminum conductors. that is the last project on a home or building that needs to be cheap. ive replaced dozens of snapped plastic masts after storms.
the lazy coupling at the bottom haha😭
Aluminum is used all across North America for service entrance conductors. You don’t know jack
4:56 Scott, NO CRITISIM, just a tip:
As I was an apprentice 15 years ago, I learned: Always make a little loop of wire.
1. In case you cut too short you can still use it.
2. In case it breaks, burns (bad contac), you cut it and don´t need a new wire.
3. It is easier to connect (not so tight).
Greetings from german
good luck making a loop with that size of wire inside that box.
@@Flightstar
I said a LITTLE Loop.
Greetings from germany
He more less means leave some slack, it can easily be done.
I sure hope he read your tips! If not he will lose his license!
@@Albrecht8000 that gauge of wire won’t loop in that space.
Omg did he use little blue flags in the soil XD
American wiring systems are so bad its unreal.
Tus explicaciones sobre instalaciones electricas son de mucha ayuda para mi que tengo 5 meses aprendiendo electricidad saludos desde la ciudad de Mexico
I've done over 200 service upgrades and this would never fly in Colorado.. PVC for a riser? not good. will Turn black after a couple of years, Use EMT if your not going through the roof and secure with Mini's or metal 2 hole straps..
Use EMT? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Love the clear explanations and clean work. Great Job
This guy is a joke, pvc for a raiser? Are you kidding me, a master electrician does not know how to use conduit, and on top of that run cable to the load center, this guy is FAKE AS HELL!!!
Hector, you don’t know jack
Ground rods are for voltage regulation - not for fault current. They are a part of the grounding electrode system. The equipment grounding conductor is for fault current return to source (the neutral). Also, if your electrician wants to run a PVC riser - just don't. And with PVC straps? It is allowed in some places, but there is no way in hell I would EVER hang a PVC riser on PVC straps.
It comes down to budget some people don't want to pay for premium because they can't see or understand that EMT or Ridgid at better material than PVC or copper is a better conductor that withstand oxidation way better than aluminum and has less resistance or the contractor wants to maximize profits....my opinion only
@@javierhernandez215 so the material they using to upgrade is cheap? Cooper instead of aluminum? Ridgid instead of PVC. What wrong with PVC. Doing my homework in understand. Will be upgrading this year
@@Bear_83 on an overhead like that using standard PVC isn’t the best option, that pipe is what holds the stress of the overhead lines from the utility. I’d use sch80 pvc if I had to, and steel 2 hole straps. 90% of the time those are run in IMC or rigid though
My guy installed pvc with it strapped to a length of thick angle steel. Very strong.
LOL . I can't believe I didn't see this before now. This would be one electrician I wouldn't want on my house . I seen so many violations in that install it makes me wonder it the guys house burnt down a year later.
Name one
Yes pls point out the violation which will result into his house being burnt down or a fatality or any other basic errors, we need to know!
The grounding rods do not prevent electrocution. They provide a path to ground for lightning strikes and transit voltages.
Your neutral wire should have been insulated as it is a current carrying conductor. The twisted strands are to be used as a grounding conductor.
so are we not supposed to seal the hole behind the new meter where the wire goes through the wall into the house?
Why do you need to know? You are not supposed to do anyway
.
Yes with duct seal. Practically adult play doh
Always use Oxgaurd or Nolox on aluminum connections or burn your house to the ground.
Service masts have to be RMC around here.
ironmatic 1 only if they are supporting the service wires
*"around here"*
Power company will not sell you power with a plastic mast.
ironmatic 1 where?
San Antonio
ironmatic 1 what if it’s underground?
Why would you want to upgrade! Now we want to conserve energy. Use less electricity! This Old House is getting stupid. Using a level to install a panel, get your eyes checked,
Getting an upgrade doesn’t mean you will be using any more power
He didn’t use any GB OxGard.
He put nolox on it dude
How come he didn't use oxgard on outside alum. wires?
In Greece we have the option for 1 phase or 3 phases power supply starting from 40 amps (we have 230-400V 50Hz and we do not require so many amps). All phases are the same, 120 degrees opposite to each other (no split phase).
The most common grounding system is the TN, the grounding wire from the rods will be connected to a common bar along with neutral in the meter box although there are separate wires for neutral and ground coming from the building. All meters are equipped with automatic circuit breakers with delay so only if the main fuses of your installation fail they will trip. Also the electric meters are the property of "DEDDIE" / "HEDNO" (Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator) . They own the network and are responsible for measuring the meters no matter in which power company you belong to. Power companies use this network to provide electricity). Nobody has the authority to intervene to a meter except the hedno
This 200A entrance is 240V single phase (3 wire 120/240), the reason of many amps. The equivalence in 3phase of 48kW @ 127/220V its 125A.
How much does this cost to install? I was quoted $3600.00.
1600
Hats off to the Electricians out there....you have my respect!
Hi I’m looking to setup a 200 amp panel 100 ft away (above ground, through the attic) I’m wondering which phase sub panel I need for that? Running 4-5 20 amp 110v lines and 2x 20-30 amp 220v lines. Also I’m wondering if this cable will be the correct cable for me to run box to box?:
4/0-4/0-4/0-4/0 Appaloosa Quadruplex Overhead Aluminum Conductor
This needs to be done by a licensed electrician... Proceeds to show everyone how to do it themselves
This has shown me how to bypass the meter for free electric.
I might be an anomaly, but I use a lot of these videos to be an informed consumer of professional services.
@@gteaz power company puts a tag on the meter, if it’s broken they can charge you for tampering.
@@danlux4954 I'm breaking your tags.
@@gteaz i know the hydro guys. They give me the tag when i have work done.
I would have fired him in first five minutes such a hack of an electrician
Yet you couldn’t point out any code violations. Can’t fire anybody if you don’t have any employees
One of the best videos on this topic that I've ever seen
Here in Arkansas, you are not allowed to remove the meter from the socket for any reason, not even for upgrading. The electric company must come out and do it or you will be charged a $225 "Tampering" fee.
It’s a show, I’m sure the power company came to remove the main power.
@@danlux4954 You saw in the video that he removed the meter himself.
Do I need to notify the city about me updating my panel?
Yes you have to pull a permit for that
@@jhormanlopez268 not technically, depending where you live
Yes
why aluminum wires instead of copper
No ground to the main panel? or did I miss it
Guess they ground at the meter base wherever this is. Was puzzled by this also.
You can do it this way only if the panel is within 2ft of the meter base and you have the ground and neutral bonded inside it, an important code item he didn't explain, also check with the local codes and standards because every utility company I've dealt with want the top of the meter base at 6ft, and no PVC and aluminum out the top to the weatherhead. Also anytime using aluminum it's really important to use NO-OX on the connections. He basically shows the cheapest way to get by but not really against code.
It's a 3W system. The distance to main panel is irrelevant. You nonfat the first means of disconnection. It depends also on the AHJ if you have to go 4W to the main panel AND install a meter-main panel.
In part 2 he bonds the main panel to the water line inside.
@@markbest4230 please try to remember their are dipshits watching this like me that don't know the lingo or have the slightest clue wtf youre saying.
Are you allowed to use PVC service mast?
Ran Kong some states yes, some states no... check out your own states building codes for clarification and correct amswer
Ryan He is not using the PVC as a mast......
He is simply “sleeving” the SEU up the wall to protect it.
The power co. overhead line is secured to the structure by a insulated clevis, or a screw in type insulator, just not shown in the vid....maybe should of shown that.
The “mast” only has to be Rigid or IMC Steel Conduit when the mast is used as the attachment point for the overhead line from the power provider.
Yes
@@leonardholt5311 Interesting, I failed this one on the Canadian Electrical Test, as in Canada PVC service mast is not allowed.
Ryan refer to Mr. Worman’s explanation above.
Man, I'll tell ya, LOVE ASK THIS OLD HOUSE! GREATEST TV SHOW ON TV! CAN'T GET ANY BETTER.
What a cheap job he used pvc conduit it's gonna end up warping over time and it looks ugly too
I was thinking the same thing can’t believe they let them get away with pvc. I would use rigid metal conduit for my riser. And a chase nipple not a romex connector.
Piece of cake. Come to Chicago. lo
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! :D
And if you go to Chicago, be sure to bring an armed security force
Does anyone know why this electric box does not have a shut off latch at the box to disconnect the incoming power from the wires going into the house?
The neutral wire carries any imbalance current back to the "pole" (center-tap of your stepdown transformer). If the electrical load in your home is perfectly balanced (same current flowing on the black and red hot wires), no current flows on the neutral.
In 220v only countries yes. The above is true in the USA if you ONLY HAVE 220V CIRCUITS. The USA NEC defines the neutral as a "current carrying conductor", the reason for this is that in a USA single phase system the current must return to its source in order for the device that is connected to it to work. Each 120V circuit is a connection from one phase to neutral. Not phase to phase. Current goes out on the phase and returns on the neutral. Voltage from the neutral to ground is determined by the resistance of the neutral. If sized right voltage on the neutral will be less than .1 to 2v. In a "balanced" 3ph system the vector sum of the neutral is zero, then there will be no current on the neutral. I have been a licensed Journeyman Electrician for over 50 years in Memphis Tennessee USA.
I'm going to show you how to commit a felony by tampering with the utility company's meter whilst we upgrade your service! 🤣
In NJ He did what is done here. The Electric company ties in the service with bugs and they go no further.
You sure used a big enough whole saw
Almost no one needs 200 amp service.