Westcojack
Member
Per code you can't tape the ends of #12 or #14 wire, you must run the proper color.
Wiring both power phases to my server room
- Thread starter Mr Spock
- Start date
apostolakisl
Senior Member
Sub-panel. Simple, safe, effective, easily understood by all future electricians, versatile, code compliant. 8/3 plus ground should do it.
Hell, if the server room is centrally located, just bring your main feeds to it and put the (or one of the) main house panels in the room. Then you'll never want for power and it probably won't cost a dime extra since the panel needs to go somewhere anyway.
Hell, if the server room is centrally located, just bring your main feeds to it and put the (or one of the) main house panels in the room. Then you'll never want for power and it probably won't cost a dime extra since the panel needs to go somewhere anyway.
Care to give a reference for that? It used to be allowed. They could run #10 and then they could mark with tape? I admit it's better to avoid the tape marking method if practical.
A lot depends on how far this is from the "server room" and if wires can easily be run in the future. Also how much stuff is or might be in the room in the future. This sounds like just a couple computers and some other automation type things not a bunch of servers for external use. A subpanel is nice for future flexibility, I put in a couple in my house. But a 50A subpanel is way overkill for something that is near the limit for one 120V 20A circuit. On the other hand, very few people who put in oversized circuits regret it later. Sort of like always needing a bit bigger garage or tractor.
tmbrown97
Senior Member
A lot of interesting opinions on this - I do wonder how many are truly opinion based on a little bit of residential electrical experience, and how much is from people with "real" experience. I offered a suggestion of what I'd "be tempted to do" (as I worded it). That's based on some of my real experience. And I know that, at smaller loads, it doesn't make a huge difference - and that residential meters don't care about phase imbalance as commercial meters would; that doesn't mean there's anything *wrong* with trying to keep it more balanced.
As for sub-panels, I don't like them when they can be avoided - introduces potential problems for powerline communicating devices.
As for sub-panels, I don't like them when they can be avoided - introduces potential problems for powerline communicating devices.
A few points. Most residential electrical service is only one phase. Yes there are two poles, but this is just two separate taps on the step-down auto-transformer. The only justification for balancing the load is assure that you stay within the main CB rating. e.g., a 200A service provides 200A on each of the poles. So you may not want to put lots of large, single pole devices on one side. The good news is that most large load are 240V (two pole) and are 'self balancing'.... The only way to truly balance the load on the two poles is o have everyone on the the secondary side of the auto-transformer cooperate. This might involve the neighbors...
I have a genset that can provide power to some branch circuits via a 'multi-switch' transfer switch. In this case I needed to carefully balance the circuits on the two poles of the genset. The genset main CB is a two pole 30A so I wanted to maximize my utilization of the genset output.
I have and like sub-panels. But I don't have any powerline carrier communications devices. Maybe another advantage for an RF (Z-wave, Zigbee, etc) solution. I would second Lou's suggestion for a sub-panel in the server area.
I have a genset that can provide power to some branch circuits via a 'multi-switch' transfer switch. In this case I needed to carefully balance the circuits on the two poles of the genset. The genset main CB is a two pole 30A so I wanted to maximize my utilization of the genset output.
I have and like sub-panels. But I don't have any powerline carrier communications devices. Maybe another advantage for an RF (Z-wave, Zigbee, etc) solution. I would second Lou's suggestion for a sub-panel in the server area.
apostolakisl
Senior Member
Everything I have learned about electricity jives with the above. It is easy to observe if you have telephone poles rather than in ground service. The poles have 3 wires which carry the actual 3 phases. But only one of those wires will be tapped to a transformer that steps down the voltage. So all of your juice comes from just one phase. I have been told that the transformers are unaffected by balancing or not balancing the two poles provided the max amps isn't exceeded. Commercial has 3 transformers, one on each of the three wires for 3 true phases. Our church had one transformer blow and 1/3 of our circuits went dead. The utility is affected by imbalance between those 3 phases. It is for this reason that big consumers of power are required to balance their phase load. The small potato users like us work on the law of averages since there are so many of us each consuming so little that on average it ends up balancing.
Regarding sub-panels and PLC. They really don't have any impact. The two "poles" or "phases" of your house are the only real barrier as well as devices that "suck" or are "noisy". Wire length is also a factor but subpanels don't necessarily affect inter-device length one way or the other. I have 3 panels in my house and my PLC comm is very robust.
I could be wrong here but I think it is meant for individual conductors (THHN THWN) smaller than #4.
Conductors in a cable assembly (Romex) is ok to be remarked AFAIK.
As I said...I could be wrong. I am not an electrician, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn last night...
Mr Spock
Active Member
True. I do that sometimes.
Thanks for all the comments. I'll discuss this with the builder and see what the codes are before deciding.
sda
Active Member
General rules for remarking cable/wire
In a cable, you may remark the white (neutral) wire as a colored (hot ) wire.
You may not remark any colored wire for neutral or ground.
For a feed using ##/2, this gives you a 240V only circuit.
For wire, you may remark #4 and larger as white or green.
This is because the larger wire usually only comes in black.
Refer to NEC 200.6 and 200.7 for the nitty gritty.
In a cable, you may remark the white (neutral) wire as a colored (hot ) wire.
You may not remark any colored wire for neutral or ground.
For a feed using ##/2, this gives you a 240V only circuit.
For wire, you may remark #4 and larger as white or green.
This is because the larger wire usually only comes in black.
Refer to NEC 200.6 and 200.7 for the nitty gritty.
