100 Amp feed to Shop- Interior protection?

[kaferfahrer]

I will admit i didn't search for this topic so please bare with me.

Location: Canadian/Ontario building code

I have three 2/0 aluminium wires traveling from the main panel in my house (200 amp) to my shop (100 amp, 150 feet away). The wires travel through the ceiling of my basement where the exit the rear exterior wall (above ground) and go underground to the shop. These are underground rated (wet) wires and are individually insulated, not grouped.

Question: Where they travel through the ceiling (floor joists) of my basement, do i need to protect them in some type of conduit. Ifso, must the conduit be hard PVC, flexible metallic PVC or just flexible PVC?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MattAune]

I am not an electrician, however my the inspector was just here looking at what my guys did to install a sub-panel in my shed. It involved 4/2 aluminum wire running in the ceiling joists of the basement without any conduit and he did not question it.

As always requirements vary depending on location.

 

[pattenp]

I think CEC follows very close to the US NEC and individual conductors not covered in an overall sheath need to be in conduit. Also NEC calls for 4 conductors if the feed is for 120/240V.

MattAune, if your wire was individual conductors it should have been in conduit.

 

[MattAune]

My line is 4 individually insulated wires all inside a grey housing. I had no idea that separate wires were even an option. Seems like a lot more work, although watching the electrician bend the 4/2 looked like it wasn't much fun.

 

[pattenp]

Sounds like the wire that was used is SE, which is fine without conduit. SE inside is installed just like NM (Romex).

My line is 4 individually insulated wires all inside a grey housing. I had no idea that separate wires were even an option. Seems like a lot more work, although watching the electrician bend the 4/2 looked like it wasn't much fun.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I think the OP is referring to something like Mobile Home Feeder, know as Quadplex. Four open wires twisted together. In the US it would be multi marked USE-2/RHH/RHW.

If only marked USE-2 and not having other markings, NEC will not allow it to be used above ground (except to splice it to something else) and never inside a building, I have to assume CEC is similar. USE-2 (only) usually has a yellow neutral rather than a white striped one.

OP needs to know the coding on the wire they are using and whether CEC allows it in a building.

Wires are different in CA

Charles

 

[pattenp]

Kinda getting off subject, but actually Mobile Home Feeder is not Quadruplex. It is a quadruplexed type of RHH/RHW/USE-2, but the Southwire product Quadruplex is their UD cable which only carries the USE-2 rating.

 

[GYPSY400]

I will admit i didn't search for this topic so please bare with me.



Location: Canadian/Ontario building code



I have three 2/0 aluminium wires traveling from the main panel in my house (200 amp) to my shop (100 amp, 150 feet away). The wires travel through the ceiling of my basement where the exit the rear exterior wall (above ground) and go underground to the shop. These are underground rated (wet) wires and are individually insulated, not grouped.



Question: Where they travel through the ceiling (floor joists) of my basement, do i need to protect them in some type of conduit. Ifso, must the conduit be hard PVC, flexible metallic PVC or just flexible PVC?



Thanks in advance.

I've never seen any type of this wire, I've only ever seen grouped wire.. So, IMO, I think you would need conduit of some sort to provide a second layer of protection to the bare conductor. Romex type wire in Essence has two layers ( the white outer being the primary, and the individual wire cover being the secondary)..
My garage is wired the same way, but I have Romex running through the ceiling, which is then junctioned before going underground- the underground wire is tec90
Keep in mind, I'm not an electrician, but most of the electric code is common sense.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sberry]

Regardless of wire type we are now aware there are only 3 conductors,,, there can be no other metal connecting parts between buildings and now the N and the G are bonded. If it is the way it is,,, then we need to land grounds on the N bar in the second panel.

 

[theoldwizard1]

This is Southwire MHF. It can be direct buried. Above ground and inside buildings it must be in a conduit.

This is Southwire Quadruplex. "Neutrals are triple yellow extruded stripe" USE-2 Note, it is also 4 conductors.

Very similar, but not the same.

 

[kaferfahrer]

going to bump this one back up with additional requests. My wire situation is very much like what theoldwizard1 shows as Southwire MHF. Its basically three individual wires that are 2/0 aluminum wrapped in a thick black jacket. They came off different spools meaning they were never jacketed together.

I am 99% sure that i need to run these in conduit. I ran by my local HD yesterday and fortunately found my go-to-guy there. Don't judge that i am relying on a HD employee- this guy is extensively educated and trained, unfortunately in a different country then what Canadian standards recognize, and given his age he is ok to just ride it out at HD.

Anyways he made an interesting comment- I may not be able to conduit these wires using grey PVC as i have outside underground. He's not 100% sure but believes Ontario Building Code or Electrical Safety Code prohibits more than 5 feet of PVC inside the house due to toxicity in the case of a fire.

Is there any Ontario Electricians that can confirm this for me and make suggestion on what is easiest to use. I would really like to stay away from metal (EMT) conduit due to the cost and effort required. Any other solutions. I do not want to put a junction in my wires.

 

[pattenp]

I find it hard to believe PVC electrical conduit would not be allowed inside. In the US the NEC allows rigid PVC conduit to be installed inside. Electrical PVC conduit is fire resistant.