Service entrance cable · Georgia
We buy SER and SEU service entrance cable in Georgia
Service entrance cable in two styles: SEU with a concentric neutral wrapped around the conductors, SER with a separate insulated neutral and ground. Reviewed on metal, size and sheath.
- 6 AWG to 750 kcmil
- Copper or aluminum
- Style U and style R
01Overview
Two styles, two reviews
Service entrance cable is the assembly that carries power from a meter or a service point into a building. It comes in two styles that are often spoken of as one: SEU, style U, with a concentric neutral wrapped around the insulated conductors under a sheath, and SER, style R, with the neutral and ground run as separate conductors inside the sheath.
The styles behave differently as surplus. SEU is a three-wire assembly and is tied to a particular service configuration; SER is four-wire and travels further into panel and subpanel work. Both are sold in 125, 250 and 500 ft coils, both are made in copper and aluminum, and the metal is the first thing a review establishes because it changes everything that follows.
02Specification
What the sheath and the tag show
- Styles
- SEU (style U) and SER (style R), 600 V
- Conductors
- SEU three-wire; SER four-wire with separate neutral and ground
- Sizes
- 6 AWG through 750 kcmil, with 1/0 and larger common on services
- Metal
- Copper, or AA-8000 series aluminum on the larger sizes
- Insulation
- XLPE or PVC insulated conductors under a sunlight-resistant sheath
- Neutral
- Bare concentric strands on SEU; insulated neutral on SER
- Coils
- 125, 250 and 500 ft coils; 1,000 ft on the smaller sizes
- Use
- Service drops, panel feeders, meter-to-panel and subpanel runs
The sheath print gives style, size, metal and voltage in one line, and it is usually still legible on a coil that has been outdoors. Read it before the coil is unwrapped.
03Service cable we review
Service cable we review
SEU in aluminum
The common residential service assembly: two insulated conductors with a bare concentric neutral wrapped over them. Reviewed on the condition of the concentric strands, which are exposed wherever the sheath has been opened.
SER in aluminum
Four-wire style R, used for panel feeders and subpanels where a separate ground is required. The neutral is insulated, so a coil is judged on sheath and conductor condition rather than on exposed neutral strands.
Copper SEU and SER
Smaller sizes and shorter runs, and the version most often left over from a service upgrade. Reviewed on metal first: a copper coil of the same size and footage as an aluminum one is not the same lot and is never grouped with it.
Large feeder sizes and cut lengths
250 kcmil through 750 kcmil service and feeder cable, usually on 500 ft coils or heavier. Cut lengths from a service upgrade are common and are reviewed on measured length, because a coil tag rarely survives the job.
04Evaluation
How a service cable coil is reviewed
Metal first, then style, then size. An aluminum SER coil and a copper SER coil of the same gauge look similar on the outside and are entirely different assets, so the sheath print or a look at the cut end is the beginning of every review. Style comes next, because SEU cannot stand in for SER and a seller who describes one as the other slows the process down.
Sheath condition carries the deductions. Service cable lives outdoors, so sunlight, abrasion against a mast and rodents in a crawlspace all leave marks. A sheath that has been cut back to inspect the conductors is normal; a sheath split along its length, or one that has gone chalky and hard from ultraviolet exposure, is a genuine defect and should be described as one.
Length finishes it. Coils from a service upgrade are almost never full, and the tag is usually long gone. Measure, or give the coil weight and let the footage be worked out against published weight per thousand feet. Two measured coils are worth more than six coils with a guessed length.
Service entrance cable sits upstream of the main disconnect on most buildings. Nothing is disconnected, cut or coiled by anyone other than the serving utility or a licensed electrician, and a coil is only handled once the service has been opened and proved dead at the meter.
05Seller terms
Before you sell: how it works
Four things a seller should be able to pin down before a truck is booked.
Verification
Footage is checked against the reel tag, the sequential marks on the jacket, the wrap count against the barrel, or a published weight per 1,000 ft — whichever the reel actually supports.
Payment
Payment method and timing are agreed in writing for the specific lot before anything is loaded or moved. No verbal number is treated as an agreement.
Paperwork
A bill of sale for the lot, and for utility material the owning utility’s release reference. Neither is optional and neither is created after the fact.
Freight
Collection is arranged as part of the terms. Say what can lift the reels and whether a 53-foot trailer can reach them, and the pickup is planned around that.
Sending a reel list and photographs costs nothing. A review is not a purchase, and nothing is bought, moved or scheduled until written lot terms are agreed for that material. Request a pickup when the lot is ready.
07Questions
SER and SEU questions
Can SEU be used where SER is required?
No. SEU combines neutral and ground in the concentric wrap, which is only acceptable at the service disconnect. Anything downstream needs the separate ground that SER provides.
Do you buy aluminum service cable?
Yes, and it is the more common metal on the larger sizes. It is reviewed on the condition of the exposed neutral strands and on oxidation at the cut ends.
How do I know the size without the tag?
Measure a strand and count them, or measure the overall sheath dimensions against the manufacturer’s data. The sheath print, where it survives, is faster and more reliable than either.
Is cable from a service upgrade worth reviewing?
Often. Service replacements leave usable tails and part coils, and the larger sizes hold enough conductor to justify a review even at short lengths.
Tell us the style and the metal
SEU or SER, copper or aluminum, size and coil count. With those four facts a service cable lot can be reviewed before anyone loads a trailer.