Meter Supply Wire Size

[fredge45]

Have a 15/45 meter installed. This was put in when we first had power to the property and only had a 2 hp irrigation pump and some lights in a storage bann. 16 mm cable from the meter to the breaker box.

Since that time we've built a house. I noted that the power supply to the house seems to be weak as the incandescent lights will dim when a shower water heater is being used. We never run more than one at a time.

I was going to do all of the calculations of load and distances to see what size cable I need on our side of the meter when I checked the supply side wire size - 10 mm.

PEA informed my partner today that we get full power from the 100 mm cable so there is no reason for them to install a larger cable on their side (??).

I think that the guy is blowing smoke but want to be certain.

Any suggestions on how to approach PEA on getting the size increased? A thought I've had is to offer the job of increasing our cable size (from meter to house) to an electrician if he is able to get PEA to do their job...

[Crossy]

10mm will be OK for a 15/45 on the PEA side, as their run is only 5m or so from the top of the pole the volt drop should be minimal. Let us know if the dropper is more than that from the main village wires.

How far is it from your house to the meter, how big is your water heater, other big loads (A/C etc)?

[fredge45]

Thanks for your prompt response.

I was likening the 10 mm to a bottleneck restricting the amount of electricity gowing through. The PEA run from the village mains to the meter is probably right around 5 meters or less.

The run from the meter to the house circuit breaker box is right on 95 meters. Currently have that being serviced with 16mm cable.

Water heater is 8/4kW - currently run on the 8kW setting as the water supply is on the cold side.

A/C spec sheet says that it draws 15 A. The A/C is run only at night during the hot season so I don't know hom much it pulls down the lights.

We have been careful to never run any more than one appliance at a time.

I am wanting to buy a new range, LPG with electric oven... the specs on that unit says that it will draw 18 A which menas that I would be stretching the capacity of the power.

Thanks again for your help.

[prefabs]

10mm will be OK for a 15/45 on the PEA side, as their run is only 5m or so from the top of the pole the volt drop should be minimal. Let us know if the dropper is more than that from the main village wires.

How far is it from your house to the meter, how big is your water heater, other big loads (A/C etc)?

Crossy, have a look again at the last few posts from me in my other present thread " Electric MeterWhat size do I need" My travails with PEA are starting to tee me off

[fredge45]

Crossy,

As it appears that the cable on my side will need upgrading, I'll add this further request for information so we don't thave to keep coming back for more replies.

Is it permissible to use 2x (both cables in one wrap) for the aerial 80 meters. Or should this be two seperate cables as I see is the norm.

How about 2x for the underground 10+ meters pulled through the existing conduit?

PEA has used 2 x 10mm on the supply side from village mains to meter so this got me thinking.

I note that the local electricians (more like wire twisters really) don't like combined cable at all. I bought some 3 wire for a small wiring job and the guy stripped the covering off so he had 3 seperate cables... sure had me scratching my ol' bald head!

Thanks again.

[Crossy]

In another thread Harrry cast some interesting doubt on the use of singles for aerials, his local PEA office seem to be insisting on 2 core, all our village houses are on 10mm singles. We will have 16mm singles unless Sparky says otherwise.

If you've got an underground section you need to use a cable rated for damp locations, NYY from Bangkok Cables is available as singles or multi and will also be fine for your aerial section. The local installers use THW (single insulated) for aerials, but this will not last long ion an underground conduit once it's filled with water.

[prefabs]

In another thread Harrry cast some interesting doubt on the use of singles for aerials, his local PEA office seem to be insisting on 2 core, all our village houses are on 10mm singles. We will have 16mm singles unless Sparky says otherwise.

rent

If you've got an underground section you need to use a cable rated for damp locations, NYY from Bangkok Cables is available as singles or multi and will also be fine for your aerial section. The local installers use THW (single insulated) for aerials, but this will not last long ion an underground conduit once it's filled with water.

2 PEA guys installed 2 x 25mm Aluminium aerial cables last nigh at our houset, so my information is pretty current. Dunno where all the confusion is arising, but I actually saw a 2 pair cable with 10mm cores (marked on the sheath) and it looks pretty substantial for going between pole and house. I imagine a 2 x 25mm cable will be quite big and also quite heavy when tensioning

[Crossy]

2 PEA guys installed 2 x 25mm Aluminium aerial cables last nigh at our houset, so my information is pretty current. Dunno where all the confusion is arising, but I actually saw a 2 pair cable with 10mm cores (marked on the sheath) and it looks pretty substantial for going between pole and house. I imagine a 2 x 25mm cable will be quite big and also quite heavy when tensioning

The confusion seems to be being caused by different PEA offices (actually one particular PEA office), singles has always been just fine for pole to home, until that post by Harrry.

Out of interest did you compare the cost of 16mm Cu with the 25mm Al?

[prefabs]

Crossy, I am sorry, didn't even think about 16mm Cu till you mentioned it after I bought it. The cost for 100 metres Al was 1100 baht. Given that I was totally fed up with the situation by now, I thought it wasn't worth quibbling about.

btw The job was completed today and the old blue cable removed at same time. I was surprised that it was 16mm solid drawn aluminium wire. Now we have just to wait for the meter now, dunno about how long that will be as we have already been twice to the PEA office and a total of 200kms to get this far. One of the guys who did the job is, apparently, the meter changer?????????????

[fredge45]

In another thread Harrry cast some interesting doubt on the use of singles for aerials, his local PEA office seem to be insisting on 2 core, all our village houses are on 10mm singles. We will have 16mm singles unless Sparky says otherwise.

If you've got an underground section you need to use a cable rated for damp locations, NYY from Bangkok Cables is available as singles or multi and will also be fine for your aerial section. The local installers use THW (single insulated) for aerials, but this will not last long ion an underground conduit once it's filled with water.

Any suggestion or guidance of sizing for the 95(+/-) meter run from the meter?

Thanks in advance.

[Crossy]

Any suggestion or guidance of sizing for the 95(+/-) meter run from the meter?

If you have a 15/45 single-phase meter then a 95m run is going to need a minimum of 25mm² Copper or 35mm² Aluminium cable.

If funds allow the next size up would result in less volt drop and the associated dimming of lights on large loads.

[fredge45]

Thank you so much for your time and good efforts Crossy...

I'll be checking in with the local loan shark soon to arrange a mortgage on the place so I can upgrade!

[prefabs]

2 PEA guys installed 2 x 25mm Aluminium aerial cables last nigh at our houset, so my information is pretty current. Dunno where all the confusion is arising, but I actually saw a 2 pair cable with 10mm cores (marked on the sheath) and it looks pretty substantial for going between pole and house. I imagine a 2 x 25mm cable will be quite big and also quite heavy when tensioning

The confusion seems to be being caused by different PEA offices (actually one particular PEA office), singles has always been just fine for pole to home, until that post by Harrry.

Out of interest did you compare the cost of 16mm Cu with the 25mm Al?

Was in Global House today in Nakhon Sawan. 16mm Cu single core is a whopping 5975 baht for 100 metres or another batch was 5509 for 100m. Have bothe the labels photographed in my phone if anyone needs to see them

[bankruatsteve]

Can't think if any reason to use Cu for overhead vs Al (ie: from meter to CU). Al is cheaper, dangles better, and not significant impedance over Cu. Inside is different for different reasons.

Edited February 11, 2012 by bankruatsteve

[Crossy]

Can't think if any reason to use Cu for overhead vs Al (ie: from meter to CU). Al is cheaper, dangles better, and not significant impedance over Cu. Inside is different for different reasons.

Cu has an ampacity of approx 1.6 times that of Al, so an Al cable needs to be 1.6 times the size of Cu (usually the next standard size up), so this offsets slightly the cost advantage, that said the equivalent Al cable is still significantly cheaper.

Al is difficult to connect or join properly without the correct equipment and fittings, which sadly seem to be rare in Thailand at least in a domestic wiring setting.

If done properly Al is fine and is much less attractive to metal thieves, so if you have a long run in a remote area Al is the way to go.