RE: A/C Power From the Pole to the House

Cable Asylum

Interconnects, speaker wire, power cords. Ask the Cable Guys.

In Reply to: A/C Power From the Pole to the House posted by The Dill on August 11, 2012 at 17:01:10:

the power company typically stops their wire at the meter (base) and not the service head as shown in the picture. They do not have to be in compliance with NFPA/NEC code. The load side wire to the house from the meter to the house main does have to meet code. The power company bases all their calcs for wire and transformer sizing based on load "diversity". Which really means (approximatley for this exercise) that 99% of the time they believe your house will only draw 10% of the rated mains current. Don't ask me how their wire does not melt the insulation on a 100 degree day when you are running your air conditioning as hard as it will go, cooking dinner on the electric range while washing and drying clothes, every light in the house on and someone is taking a shower making the hot water heater run.

Sometimes the power company's wire insulation does melt and the wire burns into. Happened to the owner of the company I used to work for who lived in a mansion with six 5 ton heat pumps. They went on ski vacation for 2 weeks in the winter. Came home to a cold (mansion)because they had set the thermostats back via their central home automation system. They turned on all six heat pumps and heat strips in the air handlers via the home automation system and the power company wire coming into the house promptly melted and burned into where it turned up into the CT cabinet from underground. I got called out to meet the power company with 6" of snow on the ground. They had to trench in thru the snow, a new (bigger) line to the house that morning. The existing wire that burned coming into the house was no bigger around than your pinky finger. That for a 9000 sq.ft. house (mansion).

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - A/C Power From the Pole to the House - The Dill 17:01:10 08/11/12 (9)

RE: A/C Power From the Pole to the House - jea48 17:01:47 08/14/12 (2)

RE: A/C Power From the Pole to the House - The Dill 21:19:04 08/14/12 (1)

LOL, my bad..... nt. - jea48 06:24:04 08/15/12 (0)

RE: A/C Power From the Pole to the House - jimmyjames 05:06:38 08/12/12 (1)

RE: A/C Power From the Pole to the House - jea48 07:26:32 08/12/12 (0)

Your A/C provider is a cheap tightwad? Also.. - Elizabeth 18:03:54 08/11/12 (3)

Your guess is the correct answer. nt - Jerry P 06:39:37 08/12/12 (2)

RE: Your guess is the correct answer. nt - 6bq5 17:10:47 08/14/12 (1)

RE: Your guess is the correct answer. nt - jea48 06:39:39 08/15/12 (0)

Follow Ups

RE: A/C Power From the Pole to the House - jimmyjames 05:06:38 08/12/12 (1)

RE: A/C Power From the Pole to the House - jea48 07:26:32 08/12/12 (0)

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