Question: Type USE conductor
If underground service entrance cable Type USE conductor insulation is not marked as an RHW conductor, can USE cable be used inside for premise wiring?
Answer
Underground service-entrance cable Type USE, is not Listed for use inside for premises wiring except for termination at the service equipment or metering equipment. Multiconductor USE conductors utilize insulation that is equivalent to RHW or XHHW conductors when additionally marked as type RHW or XHHW. Single conductor Type USE cable does not have conductor insulation which is equivalent to RHW or XHHW type insulation or any other type of building wire.
Type USE cable is Listed under the product category Service Entrance Cable (TYLZ), located on page 305 of the 2007 UL White Book or on UL’s Online Certification Directory atwww.ul.com/databaseand enter TYLZ at the category code search. Type USE is Listed for installation in accordance with Article 338 of the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70. The NEC, in Section 110.3(B), requires Listed products to be installed in accordance with any installation instructions provided with the Listing. The Guide Information in the UL White Book is part of the Listing referred to in NEC 110.3(B). The Guide Information for Service Entrance Cable (TYLZ) states that types USE and USE-2 are not suitable for use in premises or aboveground except to terminate at the service equipment or metering equipment. See the following excerpt from the TYLZ Guide Information:
“Types USE and USE-2 — Indicates cable for underground installation including direct burial in the earth. Cable in sizes 4/0 AWG and smaller and having all conductors insulated is suitable for all of the underground uses for which Type UF cable is permitted by the NEC. Multiconductor Type USE cable contains conductors with insulation equivalent to RHW or XHHW. Multiconductor Type USE-2 contains insulation equivalent to RHW-2 or XHHW-2 and is rated 90°C wet or dry. Singleand multiconductor Types USE and USE-2 are not suitable for use in premises or aboveground except to terminate at the service equipment or metering equipment. Both the insulation and the outer covering, when used, on single- and multiconductor Types USE and USE-2, are suitable for use where exposed to sun.”
