# Overhead triplex



## runruh (Sep 19, 2012)

MEISENBURG said:


> What size overhead triplex is good for 150 amp service residential?? Thanks guys


When dripping from an alley to a house (less than 80') our power company runs #4 aluminum overhead to a 100 amp service which has #2 aluminum in it. 
They run #2 aluminum overhead to a 200 amp service which has 4/0 in it. 
They say they don't have to follow the N.E.C. but I can tell that already.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

i dont understand these numbers. is #2 a designation other than the size of the wire?


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

MEISENBURG said:


> What size overhead triplex is good for 150 amp service residential?? Thanks guys


My question is, why the hell are you running a 150 amp service? Is this for a dwelling? 2/0 dwelling, 3/0 non dwelling.


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## Blayney86 (Jan 18, 2013)

backstay said:


> My question is, why the hell are you running a 150 amp service? Is this for a dwelling? 2/0 dwelling, 3/0 non dwelling.


why the hell not? I've done 100's, 125's and 150's ? Not that often but for example I just did a 900sqft house that had a 50amp zinsco panel. upgraded it to a 100amp. no reason to go 200amp and saved the old couple some money. 

As for the triplex for the poco I don't think their is rules haha they do what they want. 

It should be #1 cu or 2/0 al.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Since you said service, I'll assume this is concerning the poco's service drop wire size and maybe you question the fact that they be runnin that little #4 al wire and packing all that 150 amps down it., well, take heart, I get to see how they ran 200 amp services off the same size many times in my travels about town. Now though they will send a #2 al down or a 1/0 for 200 amps, but thats now. Not always in the past. The poco's know what the real life loading demand is on the houses, they can do what they like, it is all on them if it stops working right.


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Blayney86 said:


> why the hell not? I've done 100's, 125's and 150's ? Not that often but for example I just did a 900sqft house that had a 50amp zinsco panel. upgraded it to a 100amp. no reason to go 200amp and saved the old couple some money.
> 
> As for the triplex for the poco I don't think their is rules haha they do what they want.
> 
> It should be #1 cu or 2/0 al.


Because 150 amp services are more expensive than 200. And twenty years from now someone will be standing in front of it saying"I don't know why they only put in a 150".


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

MEISENBURG said:


> What size overhead triplex is good for 150 amp service residential?? Thanks guys


Generrally any conductors before weatherhead attachment point is on POCO side they will know what the conductor size they will use and it is NOT on the NEC code at all ..

The POCO will generally follow NSC or other one depending on the location..

The 150 amp service is not too super common but i done few but not often..


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Took lots of staycations to Marin County California in the eighties. Saw lots of 150 amp services, they were all over the place.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

My 2000 sf all electric house has a 150 amp service, it's very rare that we ever draw more than 7kw with everything on. Except for that high end piece of shlt 22kw tankless water heater someone gave me and, like an idiot, I installed it in place of my beautiful 4.5kw storage tank.
The tankless is on maybe its third year, never saved me a dime, and the flow switch in it is only working intermittently. 
Everyone has their own ritual to conjure up hot water.
First turn on the sink and let it run, then the shower, then turn off the shower twice and then turn of and on the sink. If the moon is waning, that works.
If the moon is waxing, you have to flush the toilet between the first sink run and the shower run.


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

Blayney86 said:


> why the hell not? I've done 100's, 125's and 150's ? Not that often but for example I just did a 900sqft house that had a 50amp zinsco panel. upgraded it to a 100amp. no reason to go 200amp and saved the old couple some money.
> 
> As for the triplex for the poco I don't think their is rules haha they do what they want.
> 
> It should be #1 cu or 2/0 al.


Conductors in free air have a much higher ampacity.
#2 AL is good for 165A


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

emtnut said:


> Conductors in free air have a much higher ampacity.
> #2 AL is good for 165A


I did calculate for free air. 1-3 AL , 75C conductors in free air are 3/0 for non-continuous load. And 1-3 conductors in conduit are the same(36-40C ambient)


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

backstay said:


> I did calculate for free air. 1-3 AL , 75C conductors in free air are 3/0 for non-continuous load. And 1-3 conductors in conduit are the same(36-40C ambient)


http://www.prioritywire.com/specs/Triplex Service Drop.pdf


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

MEISENBURG said:


> What size overhead triplex is good for 150 amp service residential?? Thanks guys


**Note**
pocos (Hydro:whistling2 don't follow NEC. They could run #2 AL in this situation.

Depending on your application, I would think you'd have to go with NEC rules and use Backstay's calcs.

Maybe someone can confirm that.


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## Anathera (Feb 16, 2016)

Man I'm feeling bad now I put in a 200 amp meter combo back to back with a 200amp sub and a 100 amp on my shop for a 1300sqft house and 800sq shop. Overkill much?

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk


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## PlugsAndLights (Jan 19, 2016)

Years back when a service was upgraded from 100 to 200A, the Hydro One 
guy said something like - "We'll reconnect the old triplex. If it burns off, we'll
change it then."

Don't see them do this anymore. Think their profit is pretty high on triplex 
upgrades.


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## MEISENBURG (Mar 28, 2012)

thanks for your guys help, yeah the triplex from power pole is #2 Alu. So should be good for 150amp..


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

jrannis said:


> My 2000 sf all electric house has a 150 amp service, it's very rare that we ever draw more than 7kw with everything on. Except for that high end piece of shlt 22kw tankless water heater someone gave me and, like an idiot, I installed it in place of my beautiful 4.5kw storage tank.
> The tankless is on maybe its third year, never saved me a dime, and the flow switch in it is only working intermittently.
> Everyone has their own ritual to conjure up hot water.
> First turn on the sink and let it run, then the shower, then turn off the shower twice and then turn of and on the sink. If the moon is waning, that works.
> If the moon is waxing, you have to flush the toilet between the first sink run and the shower run.


You should call my brother JJ up and have him install a solar water system at your house. It's south Florida for crying out loud. You will use electricity maybe 4 days a year for heating your water, the rest is sunshine powered.


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