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Service Entrance Rated Vs Non service Entrance Rated

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NickParker

Electrical
Sep 1, 2017
420
What is the main difference between service entrance rated switchgear vs non service entrance rated ones?
 
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There's not much difference. In the US, a marking of "service entrance rated" means it has overcurrent protection and that the neutral bus and ground bus are bonded together. If the neutral and ground are permanently bonded together by the manufacturer it will be marked "service entrance only".

Panels and boards downstream of the service panel have electrically separate neutral and ground buses.
 
SUSE (Suitable for Use as Service Equipment) labeling is usually the only issue, but you will only be able to ATTAIN an SUSE label on equipment that can be listed at an appropriate SCCR (Short Circuit Current Rating). The label will specifically need to SAY what the maximum available fault current is. It does NOT need to be inclusive of over current protection, you can technically get non-fused switches with SUSE labels. But in reality the SCCR on those is usually fairly low, i.e. 10kA, making them impractical for all but residential installations and since residential panels will usually be capable of having an SUSE label themselves, it becomes pointless.

Where you usually CANNOT get a SUSE label is on things like "Self Protected Starters" / "Manual Motor Starters" / "Motor Protection Circuit Breakers" etc. because even though they can be found with high AIC ratings, that often requires that they are protected up stream by something else and even though that might be as large as a 1200A fuse or CB, it remains that for Service Entrance, anything up stream would make the SUSE label moot.


" We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know." -- W. H. Auden
 
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