Meter base question!

[IDASHO]

I am FINALLY getting around to running the new service to the garage/shop. The snow is gone, the sun is out, and Im rolling again.

Question though!

I have a new meter base bolted to the outside of the garage. Load center is on the inside. Power coming in is coming from the ground, into the meter box from the bottom punch-out, and thru the wall using the rear punch-out. From there, the line goes in-wall to the load center.

Here is the question.......

When wiring the meter base, what terminals to I use, TOP or BOTTOM? Is there a typical way to do this? I could wire to either, but figure electrical providers probably have a preference as to which terminals they wire the supply leads to.

Thanks for any help

 

[Junkman]

The wire from the breaker panel goes to the top terminals on the meter socket. This is wrong. The power comany line goes to the top terminals. The breaker panel wires go to the bottom terminals. Also, you should use a sliding coupling on the PVC pipe just under the meter socket. This will allow for any movement of the pipe as the ground settles without putting undue strain on the meter socket. Your breaker panel needs to be mounted on the other side of the wall from the meter socket from what I remember when I did mine.

 

[IDASHO]

Thanks for the quick response!

Top it is!

As for the breaker panel, it is in wall.

There is conduit in-wall from the meter base to the breaker panel.

Carlon LB, and a straight shot up to the box. Like a glove!

Thanks for the tip on the meter box conduit slip joint. I hadnt thought of that

 

[Aceman]

The wire from the breaker panel goes to the top terminals on the meter socket.

NO IT DOESN'T!!!!

Line side lands on the top, load side lands on the bottom(the panel side). It's scary how information is given out on these boards and assumed to be correct...

 

[kbs2244]

They are labeled.
I have seen them both ways.
"Load" goes to your breaker panel, and "Line" is for the power co.

 

[Junkman]

NO IT DOESN'T!!!!

Line side lands on the top, load side lands on the bottom(the panel side). It's scary how information is given out on these boards and assumed to be correct...

I stand corrected. I called Milbank Mfg. Co. who manufacture a wide assortment of meter sockets, and they did confirm that the line comes in at the top and the load is at the bottom. I was going on my memory, but my memory isn't as good as it once was. One more reason, as the man said, that both the line and load are clearly marked inside the meter socket.

 

[IDASHO]

Ah shat

Guess I get to go change it up..... if they *****. I'll call them in the morning.

And my panel does not indicate it, either way. But with the orientation of things, I dont see how either way would be beneficial.

 

[W-Cummins]

It's going to be a lot cleaner to have it the correct way around. You should use some duct seal on the feed into the building. BTW the way you have it ( at least with the older style meters) would have the meter running backwards!

William...

 

[Aceman]

You need to swap the wires for sure. They look plenty long so it shouldn't be a problem. Also, like Cummins said, you'll need duct seal to since there will be a temp difference between your meter and panel inside.

Why do you have a ground wire chasing through the meter base?

 

[IDASHO]

So... whats wrong with the meter running backwards???

For sure I am glad I didnt cut short when I needed more length.
It will be no problem to trim the wires a bit and wire it up correctly.

Right on the other side of the wall is an LB. As far as the duct seal goes, could I just use foam? Like the expanding stuff that comes in a can?

Also, that ground wire is a secondary ground for the load center. It goes to a grounding rod. The primary ground is to a UFER ground.

 

[Junkman]

Around here, I don't think that they would give a second thought to installing a meter up side down. They no longer read the meters manually. The truck drives in the driveway, and then drives out. Never leaves the truck to get the meter reading. It is even easier here since I have a circular driveway!

 

[VDubJoe]

Here at progress energy in Fla.all line side goes to the top lugs. And on the left hand side only. Right hand side you can install a surge protector. Here their read remotly the van dosent even slow down. But it willflag a upside down mtr.
Joe

 

[Rickochet]

The best thing to do is contact your electricity provider and they will let you know their standards. That way you are certain they will be happy and you won't have to rewire anything. Take a look at the American Electric Power standards here.


https://www.aeptexas.com/global/docs/Meter/Meter_Service_Guide.pdf

 

[May Pop]

LINE ALWAYS ON TOP LOAD PANEL ON BOTTOM. NO OTHER WAY. 20 yrs exp as an e
lectrian.
Ron

 

[tommyj3]

Did you coat the ends of that alum wire with electric paste( for alum wire ) before you tighten the lugs? Around here that is required.

 

[IDASHO]

I got them swapped out today. Much cleaner the correct way, but MUCH more difficult to route those wires. I nearly fell over trying to push them into the terminals

And yes, all of the aluminum wire connections have anti-corrosion paste on them.

 

[Rickochet]

This is what you are looking for... Most electric utilities want this......

 

[IDASHO]

Here we go....

And after doing a bit more research, I removed the secondary ground wire from the panel as well. Now it goes thru a hole in the wall, and straight down to the grounding rod.

And.... just on the other side of the wall...

 

[Aceman]

Looks better, but I have a few questions. Why did you add a ground rod when a ufer is allowed by itself? What is the reason for the yellow taped conductor? It looks like it lands on the neutral bar, it should be taped white or green depending on it's function. And to answer your previous question, duct seal is what's required, I doubt an inspector would pass expanding foam as a substitute. Is your garage service on a hillside? From the pictures, it looks like the meter would be 2' off the ground if not.

 

[Junkman]

Where is the expansion joint that I mentioned earlier? If the ground shifts, the meter socket is going to be pulled off the building as a result. When I did mine, it was mandatory to have the expansion joint at the meter socket.

Section 347-9 of the National Electric Code® requires that expansion joints be installed for rigid nonmetallic conduit to compensate for thermal expansion and contraction where the length change is anticipated to be 0.25 in. (6.36mm) or greater, in accordance with Table 347-9 of the 1999 NEC, in a straight run between securely mounted items. Securely mounted items are boxes, cabinets, elbows, or other conduit terminations.

 

[W-Cummins]

Where is the expansion joint that I mentioned earlier? If the ground shifts, the meter socket is going to be pulled off the building as a result. When I did mine, it was mandatory to have the expansion joint at the meter socket.

That section you quoted dose not appear to apply here as the "ends" are not attached to "Securely mounted items" However there is another section as far as I can remember ( and of course I can not quote it with out looking it up and I'm too lazy to look tonight That requires that, if the conduit is NMC that it must be sec 80, or have the expansion joint if not, when it enters/exits the ground.

I had to install 2 of the expansion joints on my feeders to the switchboard as I couldn't use sec 80 because it has a lower fill rate ( I was right at the fill rate for 350kcml in the 3" as it was, so I had to run 2 sets of them)

William...

 

[IDASHO]

Junkman:

Inspector actually recommended AGAINST the expansion joint, due to the fact that the wire is direct buried. So no expansion joint.

Looks better, but I have a few questions. Why did you add a ground rod when a ufer is allowed by itself? What is the reason for the yellow taped conductor? It looks like it lands on the neutral bar, it should be taped white or green depending on it's function. And to answer your previous question, duct seal is what's required, I doubt an inspector would pass expanding foam as a substitute. Is your garage service on a hillside? From the pictures, it looks like the meter would be 2' off the ground if not.

The inspector requested a "secondary" ground, so thats what I did. Primary to UFER, secondary to ground rod.

Yellow taped conductor is incoming Neutral. Conductor has a yellow stripe, so it gets yellow tape.

And yes, the build is on a hill-side.

 

[IDASHO]

if the conduit is NMC that it must be sec 80, or have the expansion joint if not, when it enters/exits the ground.

How it is here ALL conduit between the load center and the street (any wire owned by utility company) MUST be schedule 80.

That includes any conduit between the street and the meter, as well as any conduit between the meter and the primary load center.

 

[Aceman]

Expansion joints for conduits exiting the ground aren't always necessary. We've just had a new inspector move into our area that's going to start requiring them, because they were required where he's from. He doesn't realize the ground doesn't shift here like it does there...

You can try to pass the yellow tape IDASHO, but we've always taped them white. 200.6(A)

 

[Junkman]

How it is here ALL conduit between the load center and the street (any wire owned by utility company) MUST be schedule 80.

That includes any conduit between the street and the meter, as well as any conduit between the meter and the primary load center.

Same here in Northeast CT, except that the piece of pipe that goes up the pole must be steel if it is on the street. In my instance, I have multiple poles with the transformer on the last pole before the building. I was able in this instance to use all PVC from end to end. Where the electrical company starts there wire going into the PVC, I supplied a service entrance cap to keep water out of the pipe over time. Usually they use clay to seal the end. Problem is that the clay will eventually leak, and the pipe will fill with water. This is what happened at work, and when the insulation on the high voltage lines failed and shorted out, it caused a lot of damage to the pipe. That pipe was all steel from end to end. It was replaced with overhead service.

 

[varunner]

What size is the conduit between the meter base and the breaker panel? thanks

Here we go....

And after doing a bit more research, I removed the secondary ground wire from the panel as well. Now it goes thru a hole in the wall, and straight down to the grounding rod.

And.... just on the other side of the wall...