# Voltage drop on a 200 amp service



## Mkudelka (Nov 30, 2011)

Need to run a 200 amp service to a house panel 250 ft away from the meter under ground. Voltage drop calculator says 300 kcmil al. Think 4 ot will do the trick. I mean really you aren't gonna use all 200 amps. 80 is 160 amps. Give me some true electrician input.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Mkudelka said:


> Need to run a 200 amp service to a house panel 250 ft away from the meter under ground. Voltage drop calculator says 300 kcmil al. Think 4 ot will do the trick. I mean really you aren't gonna use all 200 amps. 80 is 160 amps. Give me some true electrician input.


If it calls for 200amp, just do it. Why guess? Is this a side job?


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Mkudelka said:


> Need to run a 200 amp service to a house panel 250 ft away from the meter under ground. Voltage drop calculator says 300 kcmil al. Think 4 ot will do the trick. I mean really you aren't gonna use all 200 amps. 80 is 160 amps. Give me some true electrician input.


You can load a service to 200 amps so the 80% is for continuous load. 

You need to do a load calculation and the VD is based on the load not the service size, however if there is a chance the service will be greatly increased then you should figure a bit more.

4/0 alum or copper?


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

do the load calc then redo the vd. you will probably end up being able to use 250cu, but not necessarily.


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## rdr (Oct 25, 2009)

Master electrician asking THAT question? Just saying.....


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

rdr said:


> Master electrician asking THAT question? Just saying.....


That is his first post cut him some slack.:thumbsup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Mkudelka said:


> Need to run a 200 amp service to a house panel 250 ft away from the meter under ground. Voltage drop calculator says 300 kcmil al. Think 4 ot will do the trick. I mean really you aren't gonna use all 200 amps. 80 is 160 amps. Give me some true electrician input.


A true electrician would never use #4 for a 200a service.


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## crazymurph (Aug 19, 2009)

Mkudelka said:


> Need to run a 200 amp service to a house panel 250 ft away from the meter under ground. Voltage drop calculator says 300 kcmil al. Think 4 ot will do the trick. I mean really you aren't gonna use all 200 amps. 80 is 160 amps. Give me some true electrician input.


What is 4 ot?


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> That is his first post cut him some slack.:thumbsup:


I tend to cut some people some slack but if the poster is a newbie, it is a good time to let them know that it isn't necessarily a good thing to cut corners.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Mkudelka said:


> Need to run a 200 amp service to a house panel 250 ft away from the meter under ground. Voltage drop calculator says 300 kcmil al. Think 4 ot will do the trick. I mean really you aren't gonna use all 200 amps. 80 is 160 amps. Give me some true electrician input.


Is you total connected load that much?

Do a load calculation you may be able to get away with a 150 amp service that will save you on the wire.:thumbup:


Welcome to the forum...:thumbup:


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> Is you total connected load that much?
> 
> Do a load calculation you may be able to get away with a 150 amp service that will save you on the wire.:thumbup:
> 
> ...


The key word in his first post was "NEED" to. Someone has told him what they want.


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## rdr (Oct 25, 2009)

480sparky said:


> A true electrician would never use #4 for a 200a service.


No kidding I thought 3/0 copper 4/0 aluminium was pretty common knowledge but looking at a VD calc that's telling him go 300 and he doubts it wants to run 4/0? That's TWO wire sizes. You're supposed to put a #12 on a 20A circuit? Oh ok.....#16 will do the trick I got some in this extension cord here.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

480sparky said:


> A true electrician would never use #4 for a 200a service.



He put 4 ot i think he meant 4 ought.


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## crazymurph (Aug 19, 2009)

4/0 al would do the job. Just do it right.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

I'm still wondering about "80 is 160 amps."


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## crazymurph (Aug 19, 2009)

80% of 200 is 160


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Not saying what to do but typically if the major appliances are gas, the actual load is minimal. I’d bet the average house could get by easily with 100 amp service in lieu of 200 amps, depending on the source of power for the appliances.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

crazymurph said:


> 80% of 200 is 160


Gawd I hate this IM crap.


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## rdr (Oct 25, 2009)

brian john said:


> Not saying what to do but typically if the major appliances are gas, the actual load is minimal. I’d bet the average house could get by easily with 100 amp service in lieu of 200 amps, depending on the source of power for the appliances.


Good point. 

This thread is useless without a load calc.


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## crazymurph (Aug 19, 2009)

I stand corrected, 300 kcmil al is correct for that calculation. 240V at 160 amp load X 250 feet.


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## crazymurph (Aug 19, 2009)

480sparky said:


> Gawd I hate this IM crap.


Sorry, just saw it in the easy math. Too fast for you CornHuskers.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

crazymurph said:


> Sorry, just saw it in the easy math. Too fast for you CornHuskers.



I ain't in Nebraska. :no:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

crazymurph said:


> Sorry, just saw it in the easy math. Too fast for you CornHuskers.


:laughing::laughing:


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## rdr (Oct 25, 2009)

480sparky said:


> I ain't in Nebraska. :no:


Iowa? Kansas? same difference.....


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

rdr said:


> Iowa? Kansas? same difference.....



Not really. Kansas is known for........... um....... wait................. Never mind.


Kansas is like Paris Hilton. Flat and easy to get in to.


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## crazymurph (Aug 19, 2009)

480sparky said:


> I ain't in Nebraska. :no:


It's also part of the text language, but that is hard to do on your rotary phone.:whistling2:


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## s.kelly (Mar 20, 2009)

All right I'll bite. What is Iowa known for then?

Rode thru there a few years ago. Only thing I can remember about it was the rim that blew out on my buddy's bike on a Sat on the interstate. Other than that the flat was the only thing in Iowa too.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

s.kelly said:


> All right I'll bite. What is Iowa known for then?


Don't post with your mouth full.



s.kelly said:


> Rode thru there a few years ago. Only thing I can remember about it was the rim that blew out on my buddy's bike on a Sat on the interstate. Other than that the flat was the only thing in Iowa too.


Don't blame Iowa for your buddy's poor tire choices. If you want flat, go to Kansas.


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## Mkudelka (Nov 30, 2011)

Thanks for the input . A Master Electrician Yes, Master speller No.Worked 7 years with local 72 in Waco tx got the Masters and got offered a job at a building automation company. The main thing I miss the most is going to work with electrical questions and getting about seven different ways to accomplish what I was doing from the different Journeyman who taught me.The school didnt teach me much but the time in the feild, well that was priceless. Saw this app and thought it would be cool to look into. Anyone can google a voltage drop calculator. Just wanted to see how different electricians would do it.


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