Malayan Colleges Laguna

School of Architecture

ARC141P
Building Utilities 2:
Electrical, Electronics, and Mechanical Systems

RESEARCH
EARCH WORK NO. 1
ELECTRICAL SERVICE ENTRANCE

Submitted by:

De Leon, Angela Mae S.

A69

Date Submitted:

December 9, 2022

Submitted to:

Ar. Patrick Rodriguez

Contents:

1. Introduction: Electrical Service Entrance

2. Cables used in Service Entrance
3. Standard Residential Electrical Service in the Philippines
4. Calculation of Residential Electrical Service Entrance
5. Installing Electrical Service Entrance

Electrical Service Entrance

Electrical Service Entrance is part of an electric installation where the cable connects to the post
that generates the main power supply of electricity in able to supply electricity for the house or a
building. Service entrance is located outside attached to a post. Figure 1 shows the parts of an electric
service entrance:

GROUNDING

Figure 1. Electric Service Entrance

Service Entrance Conductors – wires carrying the main supply of electricity to the electrical service
entrance, it flows first to the service entrance cap, and then to the rigid steel conduit then to the electric
meter.

Service Entrance Cap – used as a point of connection in an overhead service entrance and can be
mounted on threaded or unthreaded Rigid, IMC or EMT conduit. Its purpose is to protect the service
entrance in the rain.

Rigid Steel Conduit – (can also use IMC or Intermediate Metallic conduit) a tube that connects to the
electric meter/ kilowatt-hour meter to the panel board.
Kilowatt-hour Meter – measures the customer's energy use. The base of the meter ter is attached first
connected by the rigid steel conduits,, and the meter will now be installed once it has been approved by
the electric source supplier. There are two electrical service meters, one with a rotary dial display and
one with a digital display. Kilowatt-hours
hours (kWh) are the energy units used by the power grid. A
kilowatt-hour
hour is the quantity of energy utilized in one hour, which may be calculat
calculated as:

P= power in watts (W) 1000 in the denominator of the equation

t= time in hours (h) converts the power to kilowatts (kW).

G.I. Conduit U Clamp – used to constrain, secure, and guide tubing or conduit for a variety of
plumbing, heating, and electrical applications
applications.

Service Equipment – Disconnect – is an Externally Operated (EXO) Switch that is inserted between
the service meter and the electrical panel. The inside of this equipment can be a circuit breaker or
disconnect switch, this is only provided when the service entrance is far from the location of a panel
board. But there are some instances, if the service entrance is near from the panel board they often not
require service equipment- disconnect.

PVC Conduit – (can also use se IMC/Intermediate Metallic conduit or RSC/Rigid Steel conduit) a tube
that protects bare copper wire connecting to the ground rod.

Ground Clamp – a metal strip for making electrical connection with a ground
ground.

Bare Copper Wire – came from the service eq equipment-disconnect.

disconnect. It originated to the white cable
from the service entrance conductor called as grounded neutral from electric power from the service
provider.

Ground Rod – or grounding electrode, is a conductive item that connects directly to the earth or
ground. The purpose of it is to keep power line noise out of the way of the tiny biopotential signals of
interest.

Service drop – An overhead power

connection from the utility lines to the
service entrance.

The three conductors comprising the

service
ice drop consist of two hot wires
and one neutral. Each hot wire as a
potential of 120V to the neutral line.

Advantages:

· It is easy to expand the capacity of a

service line.
· A defect is simple to discover and
rectify.
· Erection is direct and inexpensive.

Figure 2. Service drop

Contents:

1. Introduction: Electrical Service Entrance

2. Cables used in Electrical Service Entrance
3. Standard Residential Electrical Service in the Philippines
4. Calculation of Residential Electrical Service Entrance
5. Installing Electrical Service Entrance

Under Article 3.38 – Service Entrance Cable: Types SE and Use from the National Electrical
Code of the Philippines, discusses the use, installation, and construction specifications of service-entrance
cable. Service entrance cable is a single or multiple conductor components either with or without a
general cover, used most commonly for services. It has two types:

Type SE Type USE

· Flame-retardant covering · Identified for underground use

· Moisture-resistant covering · Moisture-resistant covering
· Not required to have a flame-retardant
covering
Two types of SE cable:

· SER
A circular service electrical wire with a
bare neutral and up to four conductors.
It is designed to use above the ground in
feeder panels and branch circuits.

· SEU
An unarmored Style U flat service
electrical cable with two-phase
conductors and a concentric neutral.
mostly used as a panel feeder in multi-
family residential buildings and branch
Figure 3. Service Entrance cable
circuits.

Branch circuit – the circuit conductors between the final overcurrent device protecting the circuit and
the outlet.

The service entrance conductors should be insulated and has a minimum size of 8.0 mm2 (3.2 mm dia.)
copper or 14 mm2 aluminum or copper-clad aluminum. There must be at least 900 mm between service
conductors installed as open conductors or multiconductor cables without an overall outer jacket and
windows that are intended to be opened, doors, porches, balconies, ladders, steps, fire escapes, or other
similar areas.

Service entrance conductors permitted to support cable trays and spliced or tapped. It is also subject to
protect by a rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, Schedule 80 rigid nonmetallic conduit,
Electrical metallic tubing.
Contents:

1. Introduction: Electrical Service Entrance

2. Cables used in Electrical Service Entrance
3. Standard Residential Electrical Service in the Philippines
4. Calculation of Residential Electrical Service Entrance
5. Installing Electrical Service Entrance

In the Philippines, Meralco is the largest private electric provider, serving 36 cities and 75
municipalities. Based from its guidelines, Meralco specifically cover applications for residential
customers as they comply with all the provisions of the Philippine Electrical Code (PEC).

The metering facilities for

Meralco must be erected next to the
service entrance pole so that they
can be reached for reading,
maintenance, and inspection. After
the installation of the service
Electric meters and service
equipment must adhere to current
Meralco specifications.

The meter base shall be

installed using tox with metal screw
for a concrete pole. The line side
service entrance conduit shall not
extend more than 0.3-m (!') from the
top of the service entrance pole and
shall have a strap or clamp for every
760-mm (2.5') interval. Use of
plastic clamp or support is not
allowed.

Figure 4. Meralco Service Entrance

Location

The pole shall be located at a place designated by Meralco, either:

· Within or along the customer's property line within the 30-m length of the service drop; or
· Outside the customer's property provided all the necessary right-of-way clearances are secured
from the lot owners concerned. This right-of-way form shall be properly executed and duly
notarized.

The required minimum distance between the points of attachments of service drop and
communication cable at the pole shall be 1000 mm. Meralco service drops running above and parallel
to communication service drops shall have a minimum separation of 300 mm at any point.
List of Materials size and material need for service entrance of a typical house in the Philippines:

§ Service Entrance Cap – 25mm dia.; 4m above the natural grade line
§ Rigid Steel Conduit – 25mm dia. matched in service entrance cap
§ G.I. Conduit U Clamp – 25mm dia.; usually has a spacing 1m to 1.5m
§ Service Equipment – Disconnect – 30amp circuit breaker/disconnect switch in NEMA 3R
§ PVC Conduit – 20mm dia.
§ Ground Clamp – 16mm dia.; material=brass/copper
§ Bare Copper Wire – 8.0 sq. mm /8.0 sq. mm green TW wire (insulated)
§ Ground Rod – 16mm dia. with 2.4m long steel copper clad (steel grounding electrode)
§ Oval eyebolt - 16mm dia.
§ Service entrance conductor - 8.0 sq. mm THW wire (Black/Red/White)
exception: with a floor area of 50sqm and below house can minimize the diameter of the min. given.

Contents:

1. Introduction: Electrical Service Entrance

2. Cables used in Electrical Service Entrance
3. Standard Residential Electrical Service in the Philippines
4. Calculation of Residential Electrical Service Entrance
5. Installing Electrical Service Entrance

Under Article 2.20 – Branch-Circuit, Feeder, And Service Calculations from the National
Electrical Code of the Philippines, provides the general requirement for calculation methods.

For estimating branch-circuit and feeder loads, nominal system voltages of 115, 115/230, 208Y/120, 230,
347, 400Y/230, 460Y/265, 460, 600Y/347, and 600 volts must be used, unless other voltages are
indicated. In cases when computations produce fractions of an ampere that are less than 0.5, such
fractions may be discarded.

Receptacle Outlet

Receptacle outlets must be estimated at a minimum of 180 volt-amperes for each single or for
each multiple receptacle on one yoke. At least 90 volt-amperes must be computed for each outlet on a
single piece of equipment with multiple receptacles made up of four or more outlets.

Luminaires (Lighting fixtures)

Based on the maximum volt-ampere rating of the equipment and lamps for which the luminaire
(lighting fixture) is qualified, an outlet supplying luminaire (lighting fixture) must be determined.

Other outlets shall be calculated based on 180 volt-amperes per outlet.

Contents:

1. Introduction: Electrical Service Entrance

2. Cables used in Electrical Service Entrance
3. Standard Residential Electrical Service in the Philippines
4. Calculation of Residential Electrical Service Entrance
5. Installing Electrical Service Entrance

For the Service entrance pole, it should be a concrete or a solid wood that has a
dimension of (6"x6") minimum. It is not advisable to use coco lumber and used scraps
as a replacement.

The service drop ought to be fastened to a wall or the service entry pole. The distance
from windows, doors, and other wall openings must be at least one meter.

Attached the weather head cap.

Fasten the third wire (Grounded Service Conductor) colored with white/grey.

Drip loop - at least 24" long (0.6m)

Secure it with U - clamp, with a spacing of 2.5' (760mm)

Line side Conduit: ONLY use RSC

Install the meter base straight up and centering it.

Attached the Load side conduit in the meter base with the right fittings.

It is required to install the service equipment (circuit breaker or safety switch in the
service entrance pole if the distance of the protective device in the unit of the consumer
has a distance of 50 feet (15m).
Attach the Ground Service Conductor in the ground terminal/bus of the service

From the ground terminal/bus, place the Grounding Electrode conductor into the
Ground rod.
Insert the Ground electrode conductor into the RMC or PVC pipe.

Secure it with the U-clamp.

Install the Grounding electrode conductor into the ground rod with the use of ground
clamp.
Bury the ground rod that has a 5/8" dia. with 8 feet long. Use the hot dip, galvanized
steel rod or copper coated.
References:

https://www.academia.edu/33808118/National_Electrical_Code_of_the_Philippines

http://corporate-downloadables-electric-service-standards-
hmb.s3.amazonaws.com/8a3845af9610549c55613d08c1c68e86.pdf

https://www.bartleby.com/subject/engineering/electrical-engineering/concepts/service-entrance-
equipment

https://www.doe.gov.ph/duprofile?withshield=2&page=15

https://nassaunationalcable.com/blogs/blog/ser-vs-seu-the-pitfalls-and-secrets-of-service-entrance-cables

https://www.scribd.com/document/153330146/Service-Entrance-by-Meralco

https://youtu.be/-5Umvuqvu20

https://youtu.be/oivDCet1lNM