[eblend]

Hi guys,

I am in Canada and was going to order electrical cable that will run from the pole mounted transformer to my remote meter base. It will be for 200A service so will be 4/0 cable, 3 conductors, aluminum USEI90.

The company lists two version of the 4/0 cable, one with 4/0 for all cables, and one with 2/0 for the Neutral conductor.

Which cable should I be getting for this particular application? I was all set to buy the 3x 4/0 cable, but looking online many places list the cables with smaller neutral and got me confused.

Thanks!

 

[AllanJ]

You will have to check your city's electrical code. It might be just the CEC but then there may be some local variations published in a separate brochure. Or an inspector might be willing to give you some hints.

You will not go wrong selecting the cable with the same size neutral.

Some industrial applications allow a neutral smaller than the hot conductors.

 

[dcwired]

I do not know about Canada, but is the drop from transformer to meter your responsibility? Or is this metered at the transformer, then a sub meter remotely?
Normally here 2 sizes smaller neutral is ok.

 

[pumpkin11]

I am in Canada and was going to order electrical cable that will run from the pole mounted transformer to my remote meter base

as far as i know, everything up to the meter, is the power companies responsibility

beyond the meter is the home owner

 

[u2slow]

CEC 4-018 covers details about when you may reduce the size of the neutral.... but no reduction is allowed at 200A or less. This can of course be ammended by the local AHJ, and the utility has their own conductor sizing rules.

Edit: best to contact your utility. Mine doesnt allow a secondary cable off their pole directly into underground. You would provide your own pole for the service, and then you can go underground after the meter.

 

[eblend]

Thanks guys for the info. Yah over here in Alberta, Fortis basically makes you provide everything for them, and they will do the hookup. The only thing they will provide is the actual meter + standoff brackets for the conduit up the pole, everything else is on the homeowner. So what I have been instructed is to basically dig up to the bottom of the post, leave them a 1Mx1M excavation to do the work, and provide 3 lengths of 2" conduit, a weather head, 10M of extra cable, and have my meter base on an independent post 1.5M away from property line. The meter base will be about 4 meters away from the utility pole, and power to and away from that meter base will be underground.

On the bright side, everything they will be doing is at no cost, but I have to provide the cabling and conduits and the digging.

I am shopping around for the cable and many places had the reduced neutral available, and not that many were all same size conductors, so it got me thinking. Can't go wrong with same conductor so will just go with that! Thanks everyone for the input!

 

[pumpkin11]

Can't go wrong with same conductor so will just go with that!

that is what i would do

 

[Shadow99]

Hi guys,
I am in Canada and was going to order electrical cable that will run from the pole mounted transformer to my remote meter base. It will be for 200A service so will be 4/0 cable, 3 conductors, aluminum USEI90.

The company lists two version of the 4/0 cable, one with 4/0 for all cables, and one with 2/0 for the Neutral conductor.

Which cable should I be getting for this particular application? I was all set to buy the 3x 4/0 cable, but looking online many places list the cables with smaller neutral and got me confused.

Thanks!

The reduced neutral is fine. For 200A service, it can be as small as the bonding jumper (Table 16 CEC) .
So for a 200A service, you can actually have a #4 Al conductor for the neutral.

I'd pick the cheaper cable. It's allowed by code, and done all the time.

 

[Shadow99]

that is what i would do

Now you're going way and beyond code ! There's hope for you yet my lil Pumpkin

Honestly though, what levels of return current would you expect on a 200A residential service ?

 

[SW Dweller]

remote meter base distance is a HUGE factor at the size you need.

I just installed a 200 amp service used 250 mcm for phases and 4/0 for the neutral. Wire sizes are because of a heat derate.

 

[C'est Moi]

In the nec I can't remember the last time I used a full sized neutral for a 200 amp residential panel. Total unnecessary as it is highly unlikely that you will have so many 120v circuits. Put in a few 240V circuits and the need for fulll size neutral drops. But this is the NEC code. I thought the CEC had a similar section in the code.

 

[Andrew.99]

In the nec I can't remember the last time I used a full sized neutral for a 200 amp residential panel. Total unnecessary as it is highly unlikely that you will have so many 120v circuits. Put in a few 240V circuits and the need for fulll size neutral drops. But this is the NEC code. I thought the CEC had a similar section in the code.

Not only is it highly unlikely, it’s also mathematically impossible. This is why the code, (NEC at least) allows smaller neutral for feeder circuits.

 

[Shadow99]

In the nec I can't remember the last time I used a full sized neutral for a 200 amp residential panel. Total unnecessary as it is highly unlikely that you will have so many 120v circuits. Put in a few 240V circuits and the need for fulll size neutral drops. But this is the NEC code. I thought the CEC had a similar section in the code.

We do
I think ours allows for even a smaller neutral than NEC. But for the cable the OP is looking at, that would fly here or in the NEC as well.

 

[Shadow99]

Thanks guys for the info. Yah over here in Alberta, Fortis basically makes you provide everything for them, and they will do the hookup. The only thing they will provide is the actual meter + standoff brackets for the conduit up the pole, everything else is on the homeowner. So what I have been instructed is to basically dig up to the bottom of the post, leave them a 1Mx1M excavation to do the work, and provide 3 lengths of 2" conduit, a weather head, 10M of extra cable, and have my meter base on an independent post 1.5M away from property line. The meter base will be about 4 meters away from the utility pole, and power to and away from that meter base will be underground.

On the bright side, everything they will be doing is at no cost, but I have to provide the cabling and conduits and the digging.

I am shopping around for the cable and many places had the reduced neutral available, and not that many were all same size conductors, so it got me thinking. Can't go wrong with same conductor so will just go with that! Thanks everyone for the input!

I didn't see this post before I posted.

The CEC rule for reduced neutral only covers from the Meter can to your service panel. It also covers the mast from the meter to weatherhead if wired overhead.

If you want the reduced neutral cable, Fortis would have to approve it. They don't follow CEC.

Moot if your going with the full size cable.