I need to connect a new building from the main house 200A with direct buried cable to get at least 100A available is 2-2-2-4 enough?

No. The 2-2-2-4 cable is not ideal for this situation. This is because the dyke quadruplex Aluminum is best for 3 phase power.

Can l put this in conduit for 100 amp sub panel 2-2-2-4 Dyke Quadruplex Aluminum Conductor 600V URD?

Yes, you can add the 100 amps sub-panels. This is possible provided that your termination connections are well-rated temperature-wise. A quick check of conductor-fill in conduit and raceways shows 1-1/2" should be good for the two hots, the ground and a neutral. Buying the 100' roll of black wire is likely to be more pocket-friendly as compared to pay per foot.

How much would it handle if it is going from the meter to a new breaker box?

An electric meter has a center neutral bus bar as well as two hot wire connection points for in and outgoing connections. If going from the meter to a new breaker box it can handle up to 200 amps rated for dwelling conductors serving 200 amp panel. In the event you choose to install a 100 amp main service rated as the main breaker then you need to have a means of protecting the main service rated switch in the box.

What is the most voltage that wire can handle?

The outdoor dyke 2-2-2-4 quadruplex aluminum cable is constructed according to the B-231 international standard. It can supply 155 amps of up to 600 volts. This is the allowable ampacity when the cable is operating below 90 0 C. when used in direct burials and ducts the ampacity rates is reduced due to the changes in temperature. This comes down to 115 amps. It is thus essential to understand which area and for what purposes one would like to use the cable.

Is the 2-2-2-4 URD dyke the same as 2/0-2/0-2/0-4/0?

No. The 2-2-2-4 URD dyke is not 2/0-2/0-2/0-4/0. When it comes to operation, the 2-2-2-4 dyke serves as a direct burial cable whereas the 2/0-2/0-2/0-4/0 wire serves as a service entrance cable. The 2/0-2/0-2/0-4/0 is primarily used as a panel feeder in several unit dwellings as well as branch circuits. The 2-2-2-4 cable is for multiple outdoor applications.

Although both have aluminum conductors transmitting power at 600 volts, the conditions of the environment in which they operate in are different. The 2/0-2/0-2/0-4/0 cable can perform at a temperature range of between 60 0 C and 90 0 C. The 2-2-2-4 cable works at a temperature of below 90 0 C. They both have four conductors but of different sizes. 2-2-2-4 means it has three conductors of 2 AWG size and one of 4 AWG. On the other hand, the 2/0- 2/0-2/0-4/0 is a much larger cable as the 2/0 means the cable comes with three conductors of two aught gauge size and one of four aught gauge size. The number before the '/' denotes the number of zeros that come before the '/' For instance, 4/0 stands for 0000 while 2/0 means 00.

Can the URD Dyke 2-2-2-4 be used inside a house and garage plus be a direct burial cable?

Yes. The URD Dyke 2-2-2-4 cable can be used inside a house or a garage as a direct burial cable. More so when the cable is used for secondary distribution service. It can be used for either direct burial or in ducts. When used as a direct burial cable the allowable ampacity is 155 amps. All these are possible because the aluminum conductor is stranded and compressed so the cable has more resistance to environmental exposure and textile strength. The stranding provides a large surface area for electric current to flow. This makes the cable ideal for outside applications and as a secondary cable.

What does it mean when the wiring says 2-2-2-4?

The 2-2-2-4 cable is to say that the dyke quadruplex aluminum cable is a multi-conductor cable with four conductors. Three of the conductors are phase conductors each with a 2 AWG size while the fourth one is a neutral conductor with a capacity of 4 AWG. The fourth has a yellow stripe on the surface of the insulator for easy identification during installation.

What is the difference between the 2-2-2-4 dyke quadruplex Aluminum 600V URD vs the 2-2-2-4 Aluminum Mobile Home Feeder cable?

The dyke 2-2-2-4 quadruplex aluminum cable is entirely different from the 2-2-2-4 aluminum mobile home feeder cable concerning purpose, construction, and even the physical appearance. The aluminum mobile home feeder cable is used as a service entrance cable and uniquely designed for portable structures, unlike the Dyke quadruplex aluminum which is used correctly for many outdoor applications and areas which call for secondary energy distribution. The conductor of the aluminum mobile home feeder comprises of a conductor made from soft drawn 8000 series aluminum strands.

The conductor is made as per the ASTM B-800 and B-801 international standards. On the other hand, the dyke quadruplex comprises of a concentric lay stranded 1350-H19 aluminum conductor. This is in line with the ASTM B-231 standard. The mobile home feeder has a neutral conductor that can be identified by a longitudinal white stripe whereas the dyke quadruplex aluminum has a neutral conductor that can be identified by a yellow line.

The mobile home feeder cable transmits electric current at 100 amps of 600 volts. This ampacity rate is in line with the NEC 2005n edition and section 310-15. The allowable ampacity of the dyke quadruplex aluminum cable is 155 amps at a temperature of 90 0 C but when used for ducts the allowable ampacity rate is cut down to 115 amps due to the temperature changes.

How many amps is the 2-2-2-4 wire?

The concentric stranded aluminum multi-conductor cable has an ampacity of 155 amps. It operates at this allowable ampacity at temperatures of below 90 0 C. The allowable ampacity rises to 115 amps when the cable is used in circuit ducts. This variation in ampacity is due to the factors affecting conductor ampacity. Generally, the ampacity of a conductor is affected by changes in temperature, environmental conditions surrounding the conductor, physical and electrical properties of the conductor. And if it has insulation, then the insulator to has a bearing on the ampacity.

is this a direct burial cable

yes it is direct burial