Outside Meter/main new service

[Djeszelda]

I live in the Spokane, WA area, have a 20x34' pole barn. Just poured a new concrete floor and getting ready to have power dropped to the barn. It is way to much of a pita to pull power from the house. PoCo will pull power from a transformer 52' from the barn to a new service. I am thinking of putting a combination meter base/ main panel on the outside of the barn. 200 amp, 12 circuit. The inside of the barn is framed now in such a way as to not allow the meter base to penetrate the barn and have the load center directly behind it (poor planning on my part). Alternative would be to have the base on the outside and then run conduit 11' around a corner and down the side of the building to penetrate. Thoughts???

 

[188slo50]

Pics?

 

[Aceman]

I live in the Spokane, WA area, have a 20x34' pole barn. Just poured a new concrete floor and getting ready to have power dropped to the barn. It is way to much of a pita to pull power from the house. PoCo will pull power from a transformer 52' from the barn to a new service. I am thinking of putting a combination meter base/ main panel on the outside of the barn. 200 amp, 12 circuit. The inside of the barn is framed now in such a way as to not allow the meter base to penetrate the barn and have the load center directly behind it (poor planning on my part). Alternative would be to have the base on the outside and then run conduit 11' around a corner and down the side of the building to penetrate. Thoughts???

My advise would be to read your power company service requirements manual, most of them are online in a pdf and see if it'd be possible to move the metermain down the wall to where you want it so it'd be back to back with the panel inside.

Otherwise, I'd run conduit underground from the metermain and stub it up outside the building and LB through into the panel. I try to avoid running conduit down the side of a building if at all possible, I don't think it looks very clean.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Can you modify some framing?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

My advise would be to read your power company service requirements manual, most of them are online in a pdf and see if it'd be possible to move the metermain down the wall to where you want it so it'd be back to back with the panel inside.

Otherwise, I'd run conduit underground from the metermain and stub it up outside the building and LB through into the panel. I try to avoid running conduit down the side of a building if at all possible, I don't think it looks very clean.

+1. I like panels back to back.

And a 12 space panel is WAY too small for a garage!

 

[joe_padavano]

I live in the Spokane, WA area, have a 20x34' pole barn. Just poured a new concrete floor and getting ready to have power dropped to the barn. It is way to much of a pita to pull power from the house. PoCo will pull power from a transformer 52' from the barn to a new service. I am thinking of putting a combination meter base/ main panel on the outside of the barn. 200 amp, 12 circuit. The inside of the barn is framed now in such a way as to not allow the meter base to penetrate the barn and have the load center directly behind it (poor planning on my part). Alternative would be to have the base on the outside and then run conduit 11' around a corner and down the side of the building to penetrate. Thoughts???

What's wrong with a combo meter/main panel outside and a subpanel inside? Weatherproof combo panels are readily available and not horrendously expensive.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The combo panel with all the breakersin it, means the breakers, while in a rainproof enclosure, are exposed to damp air, and corrosion, and problems are more likely. If in a dry environment, like Nevada, I can see it, but in a damp environment all I would want outside is a meter and main disconnect combo. Put the breaker panel inside the building, and put in at least a 30 space panel.

What kind of framing is that that you cannot install the meter/disconnect combo a few inches different than where you planned?

Charles

 

[joe_padavano]

The combo panel with all the breakersin it, means the breakers, while in a rainproof enclosure, are exposed to damp air, and corrosion, and problems are more likely. If in a dry environment, like Nevada, I can see it, but in a damp environment all I would want outside is a meter and main disconnect combo. Put the breaker panel inside the building, and put in at least a 30 space panel.

What kind of framing is that that you cannot install the meter/disconnect combo a few inches different than where you planned?

Charles

I'm talking about a combo meter/mains panel. It has the meter and a main breaker (or two), period. You can buy these designed for outdoor use. Run a line from the main breaker to a subpanel in the garage. Problem solved.

Here in VA, this is common and called a "farm panel". Typically for a farm you'll have the meter and main breakers on a pole, with one main feeding a subpanel in the house and the other feeding a subpanel in the barn. Again, these combo panels are weatherproof, designed to be outdoors, and readily available. I've had a setup like this outdoors for the 15 years that we've owned our farm. It gets REALLY humid here in the summer, and no issues with the breakers whatsoever.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

The combo panel with all the breakersin it, means the breakers, while in a rainproof enclosure, are exposed to damp air, and corrosion, and problems are more likely. If in a dry environment, like Nevada, I can see it, but in a damp environment all I would want outside is a meter and main disconnect combo. Put the breaker panel inside the building, and put in at least a 30 space panel.

What kind of framing is that that you cannot install the meter/disconnect combo a few inches different than where you planned?

Charles

In California, it is very common to have a outside meter main combo panel WITH ALL of the branch circuit breakers in the same panel. In all my service work, its rare and Ive seen very very few panels that have issues because of being exposed to damp outside air.