# 800 amp service to 18 unit apartment building



## sparkyanderson (Jan 10, 2014)

The building next to the 18 unit we are getting ready to start has a 120/240 single phase 800 amp main breaker, feeding (18) 125 amp mains and one 200 amp house meter. the contractor ran three set of 250 aluminum to the transformer. Does this sound correct???


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

Nope. That only gets you 600 I believe


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## 8V71 (Dec 23, 2011)

sparkyanderson said:


> The building next to the 18 unit we are getting ready to start has a 120/240 single phase 800 amp main breaker, feeding (18) 125 amp mains and one 200 amp house meter. the contractor ran three set of 250 aluminum to the transformer. Does this sound correct???


That's probably what the utility specified which is usually smaller gauge than the NEC. Local power company here will run one set of 250al for a 400 amp service.


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## sparky402 (Oct 15, 2013)

Ive learned never listen to what poco tells you to run for a service.


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## ampman (Apr 2, 2009)

i saw an eight unit apartment building where the poco supplied 4/0 alum xhhw


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Are these apartments all electric?


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## ampman (Apr 2, 2009)

Shockdoc said:


> Are these apartments all electric?


who are you asking


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

sparky402 said:


> Ive learned never listen to what poco tells you to run for a service.


Yeah, why listen to those that know what works? :laughing:


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

sparky402 said:


> Ive learned never listen to what poco tells you to run for a service.


That's probably one of the single most ignorant comments I've ever read on these forums.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

i think it might depend on your poco!:whistling2:


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## FlyingSparks (Dec 10, 2012)

MTW said:


> That's probably one of the single most ignorant comments I've ever read on these forums.


He never said if he ignored their instructions and used a thicker gauge wire :laughing:


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## sparky402 (Oct 15, 2013)

MTW said:


> That's probably one of the single most ignorant comments I've ever read on these forums.


Is it really. We ran what our poco told us to for a 600 amp service following what they told us we needed. Our inspector red tagged it and we had to redo 80' of ug feeders then our inspector told us that they have the final say not the poco


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

sparky402 said:


> Is it really. We ran what our poco told us to for a 600 amp service following what they told us we needed. Our inspector red tagged it and we had to redo 80' of ug feeders then our inspector told us that they have the final say not the poco


If the poco assumes ownership of the lateral (some poco's do, some don't), then the inspector has no jurisdiction over it.


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## sparky402 (Oct 15, 2013)

MTW said:


> If the poco assumes ownership of the lateral (some poco's do, some don't), then the inspector has no jurisdiction over it.


Thats what happened was poco told me everything more than once then the inspector tagged it and after that poco said nope were not gonna be responsible. Our chief inspector said not to rely on what they say just because of that.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

sparky402 said:


> Thats what happened was poco told me everything more than once then the inspector tagged it and after that poco said nope were not gonna be responsible. Our chief inspector said not to rely on what they say just because of that.


Did you check the poco's rulebook?


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## sparky402 (Oct 15, 2013)

sparky402 said:


> Thats what happened was poco told me everything more than once then the inspector tagged it and after that poco said nope were not gonna be responsible. Our chief inspector said not to rely on what they say just because of that.


Yea i was working with the head guy in that area and he wrote it all up and then when it came time to do it that guy got called to the service and the new guy said yea thats what we gotta do but then they all backtracked


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## JBEB (Feb 24, 2014)

sparky402 said:


> Thats what happened was poco told me everything more than once then the inspector tagged it and after that poco said nope were not gonna be responsible. Our chief inspector said not to rely on what they say just because of that.


Must be a regional thing. Here poco just hooks and unhooks power. From their connections on down the inspector has the say on the matter which usually conforms to the NEC.


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## Robert Thompson 6971 (Sep 24, 2013)

The POCO does not go by the NEC to size wire for services....they are only responsible up to the meter... the service wire from meter to house, apartments and etc.. is sized by the NEC .


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