2-2-2-4 aluminum wire is service-entrance and feeder cable rated 600 volts, most often run from a meter or disconnect to a main panel, subpanel, or mobile-home panel.
The number on the spool describes the conductors inside, not one product you can buy blind. One wrong pick means pulling cable back out of a trench or wall cavity, because the same 2-2-2-4 assembly comes in cable types approved for completely different places.
What matters is the printed type marking on the jacket — SER, USE-2, RHH/RHW-2, or URD — because that marking, not the number, decides whether the cable can sit in a wet location, go underground, or stay indoors in a raceway.
What The Numbers Actually Mean
2-2-2-4 describes four aluminum conductors: two 2 AWG phase conductors, one 2 AWG conductor, and one 4 AWG conductor. The last number is smaller because it carries the neutral or ground, which doesn’t need the same ampacity as the current-carrying phases.
In the most common configuration, the assembly is built as two 2 AWG phase conductors with a 4 AWG neutral or ground conductor. Construction is typically compact stranded 8000-series aluminum alloy with XLPE insulation, and the whole assembly carries a 600-volt rating.
One SER listing shows a slightly different build — three conductors plus a 4 AWG ground — which is why you read the spec sheet instead of assuming the number tells the whole story.
Where 2-2-2-4 Aluminum Wire Gets Installed
The cable’s job is feeding a panel from a meter, a service disconnect, or another panel. It shows up in residential, light commercial, and mobile-home work, and ampacity depends on cable type and installation method.
- Main panel feeds — service from the meter base into the house panel.
- Subpanel feeds — supplying a second panel from the main one.
- Detached garage and workshop feeders — power to a separate building.
- Mobile-home feeder wiring — connecting a manufactured home to its service point.
- Meter-to-panel service entrance — the classic SER aluminum service entrance run.
SER and mobile-home feeder cable is commonly marketed as a 100-amp cable for these jobs. Underground URD cable differs — one listing shows 153 A for direct burial and 115 A when pulled through duct, because soil and conduit dissipate heat differently.
Does 2-2-2-4 Aluminum Wire Need To Match The Location?
Yes. Permitted use depends entirely on the cable type marking and the environment it’s installed in, and mismatch between the two is the most common mistake with this wire.
| Cable Type | Typical Rating And Use | Key Limit |
|---|---|---|
| SER aluminum service entrance | 600 V, 90°C, indoor service and feeder runs | Raceway or approved indoor routing, not bare wet-location burial |
| USE-2 / RHH / RHW-2 mobile home feeder | 600 V, wet or dry locations | Direct burial only when the product marking allows it |
| URD / Dyke quadruplex | Underground service entrance | Buried runs only, generally not for indoor panel feeding |
Southwire’s mobile-home feeder product page states the cable is intended for connecting mobile homes as specified in the National Electrical Code, and that it suits direct burial only when the product marking and type permit it. Dry-location SEU/SER use is separate from wet-location or direct-burial USE-2 and URD use, even when the spool says the same 2-2-2-4.
Pull the printed type marking off the jacket before you commit, and if you’re choosing between brands and listings, this comparison of 2 2 2 4 aluminum wire options sorts out which types fit which installation. The General Cable 2-2-2-4 mobile home feeder specification sheet lists conductor sizes, insulation, and temperature rating for one widely stocked version.
How To Tell Which 2-2-2-4 You’re Holding
Read the jacket printing first, then match it to the job. The type marking is the only reliable answer to what a given assembly is approved for.
- Find the printed type on the cable jacket — SER, USE-2, RHH/RHW-2, or URD.
- Confirm the installation location: indoor raceway, wet location, or direct burial.
- Match the cable to the governed requirement — Southwire’s SER page and its RHH/RHW-2 or USE-2 mobile home feeder page spell out their own intended connections.
- Check ampacity for your installation method, not the headline marketing number.
- Verify the conductor arrangement, since some listings run three conductors plus a 4 AWG ground instead of two phases plus a neutral or ground.
Done in that order, the job clears the first time. Skipped, it usually means re-pulling the run after the inspector reads the jacket and finds a type that isn’t rated for where it sits.
FAQs
Is 2-2-2-4 aluminum wire really a 100-amp cable?
It is commonly marketed as a 100-amp cable for SER and mobile-home feeder use, but ampacity shifts with cable type and installation. One underground URD listing shows 153 A for direct burial and 115 A when run through duct, so treat the 100-amp figure as a typical rating rather than a fixed limit.
Can 2-2-2-4 aluminum wire be buried directly in the ground?
Only when the cable is marked USE-2 or otherwise listed for direct burial. Southwire’s mobile-home feeder page says the cable is suitable for direct burial when the product marking and type permit it. A dry-location SER assembly is not a substitute, even though the conductor sizes match exactly.
Why does the ground wire have a smaller number?
The fourth conductor is 4 AWG because the neutral or ground doesn’t carry the full load current the way the phase conductors do. That smaller conductor is why the assembly reads 2-2-2-4 instead of four identical sizes, and it’s normal in service-entrance and feeder cable.
References & Sources
- Southwire. “SER Aluminum Service Entrance Cable.” Supports the SER service-entrance rating, configuration, and indoor feeder use.
- Southwire. “RHH/RHW-2 or USE-2 Aluminum Mobile Home Feeder.” Supports the 600 V rating, direct-burial condition, and National Electrical Code application note.
- General Cable. “2-2-2-4 Mobile Home Feeder Specification Sheet.” Supports conductor sizes, insulation type, and temperature rating.
