New Electrical Service Q?

[bigdav160]

I bought this rural 13 acre property with only a vague idea of what I wanted to do with it. This is a pic of the current service. It has been open for a couple years. As far as I can tell this service powers the water well (200-300ft away), a 3 room cabin built in the 1960's (15ft away) and possibly a shed (about 200ft away). It's hard to tell with the shed as there is pole with it's own meter socket laying on the ground next to it. The overhead service wires are cut but it seams to be connected to the ground rod still. The property has a fairly new looking pole and transformer. Looks like #1 going from the transformer to my pole (100ft away) and #2 copper coming down the pole to my socket. The service provider indicated they may force me to move up to 200 amp service.

My immediate plan is to replace the service entrance components, have the utility install a meter so that I can test the water well pump. I'm also thinking of installing a RV pedestal for temporary use.

The shed will be removed and the cabin will most likely be tear down (lots of water damage).

I called the electrical supplier and they directed me to meter loop specifications on their webpage. I can purchase one from them for $69 or buy my own as long as it is NEMA approved.

Future property plans are to replace the cabin, add a 50x100ft barn/workshop, possibly add a solar array and since my GF is a wind tech; add a small wind turbine.

So my questions are:

Any brand preference?
Should I install a disconnect then individual breaker panels at the end points?
Install a main breaker panel under the meter socket like it currently has?
Install some type of all in one? Although I think this might be limited to 125 amp service.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Since you will have multiple buildings, i would install a meter main with multiple main breakers/disconnects.

Feed the major buildings from the main, then smaller buildings such as sheds can be fed from those.

This way the disconnects are all in the same spot.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Midwest Electric Products is one company that makes what you need. https://www.midwestelectric.com

 

[joe_padavano]

Midwest Electric Products is one company that makes what you need. https://www.midwestelectric.com

Thanks for that link. I've had difficulty finding the right configuration meter/mains panel for my farm. It appears that these panels from Midwest are GE-based and use GE breakers (especially since their Download Catalog button redirects you to the geindustrial.com website).

 

[Norcal]

Thanks for that link. I've had difficulty finding the right configuration meter/mains panel for my farm. It appears that these panels from Midwest are GE-based and use GE breakers (especially since their Download Catalog button redirects you to the geindustrial.com website).

That is because GE or should I say ABB owns them, older products used Westinghouse breakers.

 

[rburke65]

Or get a contractor or 4 out there and see what is their ideas and suggestions.

 

[brewchief]

I think the first step should be to come up with an appropriate future load, both for everything in total and each building.
You can buy meter main panels in a multitude of sizes. I would want to make a realistic plan so I didn't have to redo it in future but not overdo it and spend a bunch of money unnecessarily. A 200 amp meter main would be the smallest I would do. If the barn has large power needs and the cabin does as well then stepping up to a 320 meter main that has 2 200 breakers might be warranted but you will probably be paying a good bit to the utility company to upgrade to that large of service.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[u3b3rg33k]

have you considered multiple service drops from the power company?

 

[Jim greengo]

How far is the pole from the nearest transformer,is the power co charging to string wire to pole?
If they aren't charging you to run power to it I'd go ahead and put a 200a service in there as long as you're having it done.
As far as the meter/main goes I'd check and see what you can find at a local supply house.

 

[Matt Matt]

Looking into your delivery fees. Existing and with upgrades. Sometimes a upgrade is a an upgrade... with fees attached.

One of my rental properties I upgraded from 60 to a 200 amp service. It is a duplex. The metre was in the building from 1950-ish. I was provided the 200 amp service for free, so long as the new metre was placed “readable” by the po-co. My delivery changed immediately with the new meter. A few years later, a smart metre was slapped on without my knowledge. This wouldn’t have been done if access was required. But, I played the game and took it...

Waight out what’s good for you...

 

[u3b3rg33k]

what's wrong with smart meters? fewer visitors to your property is good, isn't it?

 

[Norcal]

what's wrong with smart meters? fewer visitors to your property is good, isn't it?

Some folks think they are harmful to their health, and privacy advocates don't like what they can reveal about your habits. Just a FYI both gas and electric meters on my house are smart meters.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Most Smart meters use 900mhz SS technology. The people claiming that theyre harmful
to ones health have no clue.

There is no evidence that low power microwave radio signals can or do harm us.

Microwave radiation is non ionizing so it cant mutate cells.

Theres microwave wireless signals all around us all day long- smart meters, WiFi 2.4 and 5.8ghz, cordless lineline phones, cell phones, first responder dispatch radio signals aka PD and fire, business radio traffic, etc etc etc

The same people who are afraid of harm from smart meters have cell phones and wifi in their homes and businesses...

 

[Bert_]

This would be my recommendation, this is a common 200A farm service.


Lots or manufactures make meter/main combo's, I have used midwest and milbank. They have a meter socket, 200A main breaker, usually 4 or 8 spaces for other breakers, and feed though lugs on the load side of the main. Something like this is acceptable to almost any utility.

Your well or small building can have it's own breaker installed in one of the spaces. The larger buildings get powered from the feed though lugs.

 

[Jim greengo]

This would be my recommendation, this is a common 200A farm service.


Lots or manufactures make meter/main combo's, I have used midwest and milbank. They have a meter socket, 200A main breaker, usually 4 or 8 spaces for other breakers, and feed though lugs on the load side of the main. Something like this is acceptable to almost any utility.

Your well or small building can have it's own breaker installed in one of the spaces. The larger buildings get powered from the feed though lugs.

 

[PCustoms]

This would be my recommendation, this is a common 200A farm service.


Lots or manufactures make meter/main combo's, I have used midwest and milbank. They have a meter socket, 200A main breaker, usually 4 or 8 spaces for other breakers, and feed though lugs on the load side of the main. Something like this is acceptable to almost any utility.

Your well or small building can have it's own breaker installed in one of the spaces. The larger buildings get powered from the feed though lugs.

Dumb question, but what are the feed through lugs?

 

[Bert_]

The lugs on the bottom of the buss are what I call feed though lugs. They are straight off the 200A main.

 

[PCustoms]

The lugs on the bottom of the buss are what I call feed though lugs. They are straight off the 200A main.

So any sub of those lugs would have to be wired with 200A rated wire, correct?

 

[Bert_]

So any sub of those lugs would have to be wired with 200A rated wire, correct?

Not necessarily. Read up on the "Tap" rules. You could run 100A wire from those lugs as long as it terminates to a single 100A breaker on the other end (panel with 100A main). Running a tap inside a building has some rules regarding wire size and length but outside has no minimum size and unlimited length.

 

[PCustoms]

Thanks Bert, I was thinking about tap rules as I typed out my question.

End hijack

 

[u3b3rg33k]

^^ just don't forget who's paying for the power dissipated in the wire on the customer side of the meter