Building out electric on my property

[arlen4720]

1. Go with the aluminum feeder. It is cheaper than copper.
2. Nothing wrong with direct burial either
3. Call your Coop, you need to ask them these questions....
....3a. How much they will sell you the aluminum direct burial wire for. Then compare that to lowes/menards. My coop is FAR cheaper than any box store
.....3b. Find out what type of meter box they plan on installing. You may be wasting your time with the disconnect breaker. Our local coop switched and from now on, they use a combination box, that has the meter in the top, and breakers in the bottom, with a GFI contractor plug as well. It is a more expensive box, but they save the money in not having to go out and set up temp service, and the going back to hook up the permanent. Rather the electrical contractor can do that since the meter dont need pulled cause of the breakers.

So if they use a box like that, you dont need the disconnect.

Good advice... In my area, the customer supplies the meter socket, and the combination ones are a great way to go.
I love copper conductors, but it is triple the money of aluminum. Like someone mentioned above, aluminum takes more care to terminate properly, but it is so much cheaper. The 8000 series alloys that have been around for the last 20 years or so have solved allot of the problems with aluminum feeders.

 

[buickanddeere]

For a couple of extra bucks the first panel at the service can be a combo discontent and generator transfer switch and have a space for four full sized breakers .
I think this link may include the switch?

Products | Reliance Controls Corporation

Ground everything, every panel with at least a 10ft ground rod and #6 bare copper.
Only bond to earth on neutral is to be at the service entrance/utility pole. Remove the neutral to ground bonding screw in all downstream panels. You don't want neutral current flowing on the ground system.
Proper grounding is important as your estate will become a lightning magnet.

 

[arlen4720]

For a couple of extra bucks the first panel at the service can be a combo discontent and generator transfer switch and have a space for four full sized breakers .
I think this link may include the switch?

Products | Reliance Controls Corporation

Ground everything, every panel with at least a 10ft ground rod and #6 bare copper.
Only bond to earth on neutral is to be at the service entrance/utility pole. Remove the neutral to ground bonding screw in all downstream panels. You don't want neutral current flowing on the ground system.
Proper grounding is important as your estate will become a lightning magnet.

buickanddeere is alluding to it, but didn't come out and say it.... Since your service disconnect by your meter socket is going to be your service point, you will need 4 wires going to everything from there: 2 hots, 1 neutral, and 1 equipment ground. While a 10 foot grounding rod is good, they are not commonly found. A standard ground rod is 8 feet. LIke he said, bond the neutral and the ground at the service point, then they are kept separate after that...VERY IMPORTANT. When you drive additional ground rods on your downstream panels, the #6 soild copper wire will go to the GROUND BAR, NOT THE NEUTRAL BAR.
If you are going to drill a well, the well casing makes an excellent supplemental ground in addition to the ground rods.

#6 copper is the biggest that you ever have to use to go to a ground rod, but for a 200 amp service #4 is required for the grounding electrode system, and any bonding jumpers.

 

[lantxinNETX]

Thanks to everyone for the input so far.
I am rethinking the idea of 200 amp service.
The RV just takes 30 amps. 100 amp total would probably be fine.

To answer some questions and clear up some things -

The meter base that my coop provides is not a combo. They actually mentioned me putting the disconnect on the pole with the meter. I like that idea so that I can just easily kill everything basically right at the meter if needed. And they don't offer any wire for sale either.

Yes, this is possibly all going to be 'thrown away' or repurposed for the out building once the house gets built and electric service is brought to the house.

One of our design criteria for this electrical system was to try to keep the poles out of sight. As such, the meter pole is going to be about 100 feet away from where I plan on putting the load center. I realize that the run from the disconnect at the meter to the load center would be 4 wire.

And I know that I can get combo boxes for the RV and other outlets. If I had included a complete site drawing, I think you would see that having a separate RV outlet from the other outlets.

And yes, I didn't mention it in my plans, but I was going to ground everything. Thanks for the extra advise on that topic.

And keep your suggestions and comments coming!

Martin

 

[arlen4720]

Yes 100 amp is a smart move. You can put a 100 amp breaker in your loadcenter, and the wire will be more affordable (even copper), conduit would be easier if you choose to go that route. It helps to talk all this out doesn't it?