Please help with wire size for residential service
 

Hey guys, I have a question about a residential service and the required wire size.

In a 200A service, I will have the meter pan and an outside disconnect, I will use 2/0 copper for the hots and neutral, what size ground do I need?

Coming out of that disconnect I will have a short pipe run into the interior of the house where the main panel is. I could still use 2/0 copper here because it has the load of the entire house, so I don't have the use the normal 3/0 for 200amps. However, I am unsure of what ground size to use in this situation.

Thanks for the help!

#6 cu, and you don't even need to run that if you are running EMT or RMC continuous from the disco to the panel.

I am going to run PVC pipe so I will need the ground.

Thanks for the answer, #6 it is!

Quick question, why when I looked up copper SE cable was the ground that came with 2/0, 2/0, 2/0 always #1 and not #6? That is what got me confused in the first place.

One more question if you don't mind.

The house is on well water and plumbed with PEX so there is no water pipe ground. There is a ufer ground which has a #4 ran to it and it goes into the meter pan. This same ground will go continuously through the meter pan into the disconnect. Is that correct?

Second, will the fact that this ground is a #4 effect the ground that I take from the disconnect into the panel?

Thanks again!

answers in red