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320/400 service

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Baja_XJ

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Jul 10, 2011
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32
Location
Bedford, IN
Hey everyone, curious if someone can help me out on some meter base/socket & disconnect info.
I’m wanting to run a 320/400 meter, then branch two 200 disconnects off that. One disconnect would go thru the wall into the breaker panel for the garage, the other disconnect would go underground to my house 150’ away.
I’m trying to not have to spend $3k+ on a combo unit that has the meter and disconnects together that has to come from a speciality store.

I am a duke energy customer so the meter has to be MEG certified, the Eaton meter that I was looking to buy, turns out is not MEG cert so I can’t use it.
Curious what has been done by some of you others that worked out in a situation like this, or what your recommended products/solution would be.

Pic for reference as too what I’m trying to do so that it would be a $1,500 job with components from standard big box hardware stores instead of a $3k+ combo unit from a specialty store.

IMG_7556.png
 
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Bert_

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Dec 24, 2016
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NW Iowa
I'm sure they have a service book. Find a meter only socket that they accept.

If you want (2x) 200A they just get 200A enclosed breakers. Those are pretty cheap. You can use any brand you want.

On a farm site like I normally wire i would much rather have a single 400A disconnect.
 
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brewchief

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Sep 20, 2008
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Michigan
Duke energy has a listing with all approved meter bases, find either a meter only base or a combo base on the list, before buying i would verify with your local service planner that it acceptable.
 
OP
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Baja_XJ

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Location
Bedford, IN
I do have the local duke engineering rep coming out next week to review things with me. I have looking back and forth at that listing of approved bases and think I have a couple options found that are affordable. Before sealing this deal I was curious what some of the other people were doing just to make sure I have looked at all my options
 
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larry_g

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oregon

Mini Farm Build

I have been reading this forum for 14 years and I have finally gotten to a point where I feel like I have something worth starting a thread over. Over the past 4 years my now 11 yo daughter has been getting into horseback riding and showing. We just finished our first full show season and she...
www.garagejournal.com www.garagejournal.com

In the above thread you'll find some discussion on your subject. It doesn't all apply to your situation but it may.

lg
no neat sig line
 
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pembol

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Feb 13, 2014
Messages
276
I have a 320/400 main feeding two 200A subs - it uses a RONK meter/breaker combination, which are about $1300.
www.toboaenergy.com

RONK MSB320LF-UG Meter Socket Circuit Breaker

The RONK MSB320LF-UG-amp meter socket circuit breaker combo (MSB) units are designed for underground with lightweight & easy installation.
www.toboaenergy.com www.toboaenergy.com

Much faster and cleaner install than what you are showing above.
 
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gregs

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Mar 16, 2007
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1,622
My setup is very similar to the picture you posted above. At the time I built it I was able to get 2- 200 amp "coffin" boxes from the Home Depot for $100 each. My POCO sold me the meter base for $50. Then I put it all together and mounted it to the wall.
 
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mm08822

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NJ
PCustoms said:
Yep. Just watched them hookup my transformer with #2, and I have 200A service. Funny how wires have to get a whole lot bigger when I pay for them....
Click to expand...
There are different ampacity tables for open air single conductors and bundled conductors and probably use 90C terminations, so all of that increases reasonable permitted ampacity. (I'm not implying POCOs use the NEC tables.)

Then there is the demand factor.........POCOs have millions of data points to easily defend (from a business cost perspective) why they don't need to wire up a service for fully ampacity. Pulling only 8 amps on a 200A residential service is not uncommon. There are regional shifts in the data points (e.g. - all electric homes). Last time I asked, the lineman said they only standard stock #2 and 2/0 AL triplex on the trucks. Obviously commercial and industrial services/demands change the default methods.
 
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Bert_

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NW Iowa
fitter30 said:
That wire feed doesn't look big enough for 400ampss and the 200 amps?
Click to expand...
Pretty common to see a 320A meter fed with 350mcm aluminum underground. That's 250A wire in the nec. But it doesn't really matter what nec says.

Even the nec allows several sizes smaller wire for overhead. 1/0AL is good for 200A
 
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dave*99

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May 5, 2009
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Location
Coastal NJ
Indoor wiring often contacts combustibles. Outdoor......well there are those pesky wildfires.:(
 
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dscheidt

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Apr 26, 2017
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PCustoms said:
Yep. Just watched them hookup my transformer with #2, and I have 200A service. Funny how wires have to get a whole lot bigger when I pay for them....
Click to expand...
I have #6 aluminum triplex feeding my house, connected to the 4/0 aluminum I had to pay for that connects the mast to the meter and then the panel. the splices are pretty comical. I said something to the utility guy when the work was done, and his answer was basically "if it melts, we'll replace it with bigger." They have an engineering calculation based on the size of the house, and since that didn't change when we installed the 200A service, they don't change the supply unless you have evidence to support the need. They do things slightly different for new construction, so we'd have a bigger gauge of triplex (probably #2, I think) if it were new and not a retrofit.
 
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PCustoms

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VT
dscheidt said:
I have #6 aluminum triplex feeding my house, connected to the 4/0 aluminum I had to pay for that connects the mast to the meter and then the panel. the splices are pretty comical. I said something to the utility guy when the work was done, and his answer was basically "if it melts, we'll replace it with bigger." They have an engineering calculation based on the size of the house, and since that didn't change when we installed the 200A service, they don't change the supply unless you have evidence to support the need. They do things slightly different for new construction, so we'd have a bigger gauge of triplex (probably #2, I think) if it were new and not a retrofit.
Click to expand...

Yep, I had #2 triplex.

When I ditch the mast on the house a few years back they cut it (live!) walked it over to the new mast, cut 50' off and crimped it to my 4/0 and 2/0.

Last week they swapped the pole and moved the transformer up about 4', so they added a couple feet of #2.

Be interesting to see if this fixes the lights flickering, as I suspected the connection at the pole was poor.
 
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