4/2, 4/1 wire for a 200 amp service?

[kassim503]

Before I started changing my house over to 200 amps I checked that the meter, meter box, feeder wires were rated for 200 before I stuck the 200 amp breaker box in, and now I'm thinking that the feeder wires is not rated for 200 amps, and might be 4 gauge (which would be for a 70 amp circuit, and thats mighty little.) The feeder wires say they are AWG 4/2 and 4/1 on it, im guessing the hot is 4/2 and the 4/1 is for the neutral. Are they the same as the 4/0 wire? or the 4/0-4/0-4/0 wire? They look like they are 4/0 wire t its better to be safe and ask around before cranking up my electrical usage and be on the nightly news, for all the wrong reasons.

[legacyelectric]

The rating for a 200 amp service is 4/0 aul. which is different than just #4 wire. The rating size goes from #4,#3 #2 #1 then it jumps to 1/0 size 2/0 etc. For a 200 amp service you need 4/0 aul. wire going from the meter, up the riser to the power companys wire. Then after the meter you still need the same 4/0 aul wire going to the main breaker in the panel. You also need #4 copper going from the main panel to within 5 feet of where the water comes into the house as a water bond to ground the system as well as a 8 foot ground rod with a #6 wire attached to the ground in the main panel as with the #4 wire for the water pipe ground

hope this makes sense

Larry