# Service drops to different out buildings on a farm



## mike9666 (Jul 28, 2015)

I haven't done any service type stuff on a farm, but a friend of mine wants a couple of his overhead drops switched over to underground. What he has is 2 lines run overhead from his meter to each building. But just wants a section of the overhead line ran underground. Are you allowed to make splices in the overhead line? Also can you run one larger cable underground to pick up both overhead lines and splice together? Also what kind of lugs should be used for this? One feeds a 40amp panel, the other a 100amp. So i'm thinking i would need a 2/0 USEB to pick up both. I hope this makes sense... Thanks for help.


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

Depends where you live, who your poco is etc but here the poco splices overhead lines all the time to run to separate meters. 

Normally this would be done with a 320 meter base can. 
250mcm to the main panel from the meter can and then pipe ran out to each additional building back to the meter can with wire ran to meet amperage requirements and fed into main breakers in each panel or backfed into a breaker with a tie down kit. 


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## mike9666 (Jul 28, 2015)

Drsparky14 said:


> Depends where you live, who your poco is etc but here the poco splices overhead lines all the time to run to separate meters.
> 
> Normally this would be done with a 320 meter base can.
> 250mcm to the main panel from the meter can and then pipe ran out to each additional building back to the meter can with wire ran to meet amperage requirements and fed into main breakers in each panel or backfed into a breaker with a tie down kit.
> ...


They are all off the same meter. There are existing panels with main breakers already. Just want to switch from overhead to underground, but just a section of it.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

mike9666 said:


> They are all off the same meter. There are existing panels with main breakers already. Just want to switch from overhead to underground, but just a section of it.


I have see some do have mixed bag of overhead and underground but once you touch the new section ( changeover to underground ) some area the codes may ask you put in 4 conductor cable instead of 3 conductor cable ( common for older overheads ) so keep it in your mind on that.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

frenchelectrican said:


> I have see some do have mixed bag of overhead and underground but once you touch the new section ( changeover to underground ) some area the codes may ask you put in 4 conductor cable instead of 3 conductor cable ( common for older overheads ) so keep it in your mind on that.


You are dead on on this but it is also one of the dumber codes we have. I bet dennis put that is as a proposal.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

sbrn33 said:


> You are dead on on this but it is also one of the dumber codes we have. I bet dennis put that is as a proposal.




Most likely. He's told me he submitted 23 this year alone..........


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

4 wires on farm feeders isn't dumb. Neutral currents running all around the ground is felt by livestock. Cows stop milking if it's bad enough. Or so I've heard.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

RePhase277 said:


> 4 wires on farm feeders isn't dumb. Neutral currents running all around the ground is felt by livestock. Cows stop milking if it's bad enough. Or so I've heard.


It is true RePhase277 and I know in wisconsin there were few case been going on before with stray voltage so that why they are try to slove the issue with it and one of common methold is run full 4 conductor on single phase system and 5 on three phase system ( seems three phase have somehow less issue than single phase system )


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