Electrical Service Entrance Box

It s the steel box that holds your home s circuit breakers.

Electrical service entrance box.

Electrical panels go by many names. Where electrical power enters a building or other source the national electrical code nec requires electrical distribution equipment rated as service entrance such service equipment usually consists of one main breaker disconnect or space for up to 6 main disconnects. In general this restriction in the nec encourages you to determine the circuit breaker box location and from that determine the service entrance equipment location. Service entrance strap zinc plated steel se and seu cable 3 3 0 and 4 0 cable.

You should not locate a box on the opposite side of the home from the meter. The main service panel is usually a gray metal box located somewhere along the inside surface of an exterior wall. Well connected to service entrance cable sec frayed sec cables expose inner wiring to damage or deterioration and are a source of water entry in the electrical meter box as well as into electrical panels if the panel is located lower than the sec. The service entrance equipment includes the meter meter base outside disconnect and the mast.

What the main service panel does. Service entrance equipment the service entrance conductors raceway and fittings or service entrance cable and fittings which are installed on the customer s premises to connect the electric service to the wiring inside the building. Electric service panels have a number of different names. Abandoned sec cables may not have been properly disconnected electrocution hazard.

The service drop illustrated in figure 1 has two 120v lines and a neutral conductor. Get free shipping on qualified electrical boxes conduit fittings or buy online pick up in store today in the electrical department. The main service panel is the distribution center that splits the main electrical service into individual branch circuits that run through your home to power the lights outlets and individual appliances. Circuit breaker service panels and fuse boxes.

When needed the circuit breakers turn off or trip the circuits that carry power throughout your home. An overhead power connection from the utility lines to the service entrance is called the service drop. The three lines may be independent conductors or housed in a three conductor cable called a triplex cable as shown in the figure.