XHHW-2 Wire run on outside of house

[mspicka]

So I'm in Vermont and a friend of mine is building a barn and I noticed that his service has xhhw-2 wire run on the outside of the wall. I've never seen that before. We would not do this in Colorado. Is this normal around the country?

 

[Dsg319]

So I'm in Vermont and a friend of mine is building a barn and I noticed that his service has xhhw-2 wire run on the outside of the wall. I've never seen that before. We would not do this in Colorado. Is this normal around the country?

Pretty typical around my parts. Although it’s an eye sore and in some scenarios is “subject to physical damage”.

 

[infinity]

Yes it's normal. That is SE cable which is run exposed everywhere around here.

 

[ptonsparky]

I see it occasionally, but it hasn't caught on here yet. PVC more often than it used to be.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I see it occasionally, but it hasn't caught on here yet. PVC more often than it used to be.

Same here but what I have seen is older stuff. The newer services are in conduit of SE cable but sleeved.

 

[mspicka]

We would always use pvc.

 

[Rick 0920]

I've only used it when making a repair. Otherwise I use THHN/THWN-2 in conduit.

 

[electrofelon]

SE cable super common surface mounted around here. Personally I think it looks totally fine when run neatly, looks much better than PVC IMO

 

[retirede]

looks much better than PVC IMO

Especially when needed expansion joints aren’t installed. Happens quite a bit here.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

SE cable super common surface mounted around here. Personally I think it looks totally fine when run neatly, looks much better than PVC IMO

I agree, overall SE in opinion looks neater and blends in better.
I'm not exclusive to either one PVC or SE.
I install what works out best.

 

[AC\DC]

You guys run uf exposed on outside of building? Never see se cable exposed like that. Only seen if once!

 

[Rick 0920]

You guys run uf exposed on outside of building? Never see se cable exposed like that. Only seen if once!

Here in Florida a lot of homes built in the 50's and 60's had SE cable strapped to the block and used an SE weatherhead. It's not common today, but most AHJ's will still allow you to use it for repairs.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Here in Florida a lot of homes built in the 50's and 60's had SE cable strapped to the block and used an SE weatherhead. It's not common today, but most AHJ's will still allow you to use it for repairs.

What right does the authority having jurisdiction have to turn it down. It is compliant. Personally I would never use it but it's done alot in the NE. I remember Bob Badger saying he ripped out a job(maybe his own home) that had pvc and he install se cable as the riser. To each his own

 

[ptonsparky]

It was used extensively when REA first hit the area. Not so much from the 60s on.

 

[infinity]

I don't see a problem with it run exposed and as mentioned it can look better than a raceway because it's less conspicuous. We run it into and out of the meter pan when there is no likelihood of physical damage. If the meter is over a driveway or sidewalk where it could get hit by a snow blower or vehicle then we would use a raceway for protection but for something like a flower bed the SE runs right into the house.

 

[electrofelon]

What right does the authority having jurisdiction have to turn it down. It is compliant. Personally I would never use it but it's done alot in the NE. I remember Bob Badger saying he ripped out a job(maybe his own home) that had pvc and he install se cable as the riser. To each his own

Yup. I would probably do the same thing, rip down the PVC and put up SE cable, I hate PVC above ground

 

[Rick 0920]

What right does the authority having jurisdiction have to turn it down. It is compliant. Personally I would never use it but it's done alot in the NE. I remember Bob Badger saying he ripped out a job(maybe his own home) that had pvc and he install se cable as the riser. To each his own

The right they have I guess is that they have the authority to supersede the NEC if they are more stringent. In Orlando, for example, your (2) small appliance circuits can't have more than (2) duplex receptacles on them. (That's how it was when I left there in '98) In 2008, Oklahoma City's Building Dept. requires you to use the colors black, red, blue for respective phases on 120/208 systems. So we had to start buying MC that was red, white and green and blue, white and green.

 

[AC\DC]

That’s

The right they have I guess is that they have the authority to supersede the NEC if they are more stringent. In Orlando, for example, your (2) small appliance circuits can't have more than (2) duplex receptacles on them. (That's how it was when I left there in '98) In 2008, Oklahoma City's Building Dept. requires you to use the colors black, red, blue for respective phases on 120/208 systems. So we had to start buying MC that was red, white and green and blue, white and green.

unless it’s in your state electrical amendment they cant
go beyond the code.
When it a vague rule then they have some power other than that they much follow state and nec