# SEU / SER cable



## Mike2401 (Aug 3, 2009)

What is the difference between SEU cable and SER cable? Where is each type used?

Thank you,
Mike


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## Proby (Jul 17, 2010)

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=86942


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## kbsparky (Sep 11, 2008)

They are both "type SE" cable. 

Type SE style U has a concentric grounding conductor, with individual strands wrapped around the insulated, current-carrying conductors.

Type SE style R has a regular grounding conductor usually bare and stranded.

Both styles have an outer PVC jacket on the cable assembly. 

Here is a spec sheet from one manufacturer on these cable assemblies.


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## sirsparksalot (Oct 16, 2010)

Do SE Style U and SE Style R have different applications?

For example, I have a house that I'm upgrading, as pic'd below. There's no disconnect involved outside, so the panel inside is the main panel. It is to be 200amp. My plan is to use 4/0 SEU AL from service drop to meter, and from meter to panelboard. Will this be compliant?

At this point, all power to the house is turned off, and I plan on finishing it this weekend.


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## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

As long as it is allowed in your area, SE-U would be fine for that application.


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## WillK (Aug 29, 2010)

I've been through this and other issues relating to my own project to upgrade my service, except I'm moving the service entrance so we'll have the old service in use until the POCO comes to disconnect it at the same time they connect the new.

The thread linked above is interesting but was focussed on SE-U vs. USE, although it later also included a photo of SE-R as well.

Try to find out if your POCO has information about service entrance wiring online because I've found that my POCO has info and it is possible to find other POCO online where things are done differently. 

For example, DTE (still can't help thinkng of them as Detroit Edison) does not want the ground enterring the service meter socket. In my general internet searching on the topic I found a PoCo in Mississippi that does.

So for my installation, SE-U was more appropriate than SE-R. SE-U has 2 hot conductors and a third which the strands are around the 2 hot conductors. SE-R has 4 conductors. In my installation, the 4th conductor would've been unused. Since I'm using rigid metal conduit for service mast, I'd have to cut off that 4th conductor where it goes out of the weatherhead and where the cable enters the socket.

Another option might have been to go with individul conductors, but SE-U was available at Home Depot. 

(I had actually been to an electical supply to get indivdual conductrs for my underground run to the garage, and was also sold SE-R for the service upgrade - but it's a major inconvenience for me to goto the electric supply because their hours are entirely hours when I'm at work.)


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## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

SE-R is typically run to a subpanel.


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## sirsparksalot (Oct 16, 2010)

So the difference, then, is that style U has two ungrounded conductors and a stranded ground (which is to be used as the neutral), while style -R has 2 ungrounded conductors, an insulated neutral and a stranded ground?


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## sirsparksalot (Oct 16, 2010)

bumpers


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## WillK (Aug 29, 2010)

Here is one company's pages on SER and SEU cable, this is the brand carried at HD and Lowes I believe at least locally:
http://cerrowire.com/default.aspx?id=37
http://cerrowire.com/default.aspx?id=31

Since we're talking about 4/0 aluminum for 200 amp service, I'll use that as an example. The SEU has 2 4/0 XHHW-2 cables with 19 strands that bundle to 4/0. The SER cable has 3 XHHW-2 conductors at 4/0 and an uninsulated conductor at 2/0.

I'm not sure what manufacturer the electric supply house I went to uses, but the SER cable I got there actually had black, red and white colored insulation on the 3 wires. I think sometimes you might get black with a red stripe, black and black with a white stripe.


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## sirsparksalot (Oct 16, 2010)

Deleted


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

sirsparksalot said:


> So the difference, then, is that style U has two ungrounded conductors and a stranded ground (which is to be used as the neutral),


It's not a stranded ground, it IS the neutral conductor... 







sirsparksalot said:


> while style -R has 2 ungrounded conductors, an insulated neutral and a stranded ground?


Yes, but you can also order it with 3 ungrounded conductors, 1 grounded conductor and a bare grounding conductor.....


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

Mike2401 said:


> What is the difference between SEU cable and SER cable? Where is each type used?
> 
> Thank you,
> Mike


SEU - 2 insulated conductors, 1 uninsulated concentric neutral conductor

SER - 2 insulated conductors, 1 insulated neutral conductor, 1 uninsulated grounding conductor.

SEU would be used before your first disconnect where a grounding conductor is not required, once you install your service disconnect anything after that requires SER type cable.


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## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

This thread was from over 3 years ago.


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## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

Jim Port said:


> This thread was from over 3 years ago.


Who brings this **** back to life? :huh:


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