New 100a service install. What would be the best way to do this?

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JohnDS

Senior Member
Location
Suffolk, Long Island
Occupation
Electrician
Customer does not want to disturb the other existing services. I'm thinking I can either:

A) Install meter to the left of other meters, out top with galvanized, sweep to the right and up, through lower soffit and then up to other weatherheads.

B) Install meter on right side of existing meters. Go up with pvc, 90 degree left and then offset over both existing risers.

C) Same as "B)", except screw pvc to the bottom of top soffit instead of offsetting around existing risers?

What would you guys do and do you see any potential issues with Utility and/or inspector? I cannot sell the customer on combining one of the meters into a 2gang meterpan and he does not care about physical appearance otherwis i would have just did a 3gang meterpan.

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growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
What would you guys do and do you see any potential issues with Utility and/or inspector?

I'm kind of wondering how your service disconnects are going to work out. Then there is grounding and bonding, if this is one structure. Are all the panels going to be side by side?

If I were you I would talk to the inspector before even starting this project. Some areas are lax and others are more strict when it comes to this sort of thing.
 

JohnDS

Senior Member
Location
Suffolk, Long Island
Occupation
Electrician
The existing electrical panels are located just on the other side of the wall in the basement side by side. The new one will be located just beside the others. I am thinking if i treat this new service as a separate service, it does not matter what is existing as long as I ground/bond properly for new service.

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growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
The existing electrical panels are located just on the other side of the wall in the basement side by side. The new one will be located just beside the others.

That may work out well for the disconnects ( worked for first two).

Is this like a duplex where they are trying to add another apartment? Are you trying to install a house panel for site lighting, common areas, that sort of thing?
 

JohnDS

Senior Member
Location
Suffolk, Long Island
Occupation
Electrician
That may work out well for the disconnects ( worked for first two).

Is this like a duplex where they are trying to add another apartment? Are you trying to install a house panel for site lighting, common areas, that sort of thing?
This is a rental property with a few tennants. All I am doing is adding a 100a service. I am having inpector send temp certificate to POCO. What landlord does after new service is in, is not my concern. That is my plan.

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Sierrasparky

Senior Member
Location
USA
Occupation
Electrician ,contractor
This is a rental property with a few tennants. All I am doing is adding a 100a service. I am having inpector send temp certificate to POCO. What landlord does after new service is in, is not my concern. That is my plan.

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Really new service to existing building and no plan. If I was the inspector I'd want to know what the new meter is for. Maybe for a illegal 3rd unit..or .... or ........

Good luck with your plan.
 

JohnDS

Senior Member
Location
Suffolk, Long Island
Occupation
Electrician
Really new service to existing building and no plan. If I was the inspector I'd want to know what the new meter is for. Maybe for a illegal 3rd unit..or .... or ........

Good luck with your plan.
I believe the landlord wants the new service for another tennant, or to separate some electrical being used for another apartment possibly. But as long as it is wired correctly, does it really matter to the inpector what it is being used for. So how would you go about installing this service. A), B), or C)?

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growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
If I was the inspector I'd want to know what the new meter is for. Maybe for a illegal 3rd unit..or .... or ........

I believe the landlord wants the new service for another tennant, or to separate some electrical being used for another apartment possibly. But as long as it is wired correctly, does it really matter to the inpector what it is being used for. So how would you go about installing this service. A), B), or C)?


This really isn't a new service but addition to the existing service ( one service at a structure). That's why the panels will need to be grouped togather and bonded.

If this new panel is for an apartment they should want a building permit from a General Contractor and not issue an electrical only permit. This is to make sure the new apartment meets building codes, fire walls and that sort of thing.

As far as installing the mast I would see what's easiest to install the panel inside the basement to keep everything grouped togather. What is considered close enough not to need an outside disconnect changes from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
Really new service to existing building and no plan. If I was the inspector I'd want to know what the new meter is for. Maybe for a illegal 3rd unit..or .... or ........

Good luck with your plan.


Yes, a job like this can be very tricky in many jurisdictions. Where I live they wouldn't issue an electrical only type permit for a "new service", they would want a building permit. They send out the zoning people to see what you actually plan to do and inspect the site and then maybe they would issue a permit.

The OP doesn't say where he's located and it may be easier there.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
If the electrical inspector is from a stand alone agency, then all they inspect is electrical, but he also knows there is new service equipemt with no connected load and that future work is likley going to connect something to it, and will expect future permits for that work, but depending on how the rules work locally that generally sort of gets OP off the hook on that future work if all he is filing a permit for is the service portion.

If the EI is one segment of a larger municipal AHJ, he very well may have to report what he finds to other departments and they will follow up on whether building permits should have been filed for other work.
 

JohnDS

Senior Member
Location
Suffolk, Long Island
Occupation
Electrician
Yes, new panel will be located beside other panels, which are within 5' of se cable penetration. This location is Bayshore, Long Island. My main concern at this point is the outside install. Does anyone see anything wrong with the A), B), or C) install?

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growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
Yes, new panel will be located beside other panels, which are within 5' of se cable penetration. This location is Bayshore, Long Island. My main concern at this point is the outside install. Does anyone see anything wrong with the A), B), or C) install?

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As long as it's properly secured and the weatherhead is above the point of attachment there isn't much they can say. You said the owner isn't worried about how it looks.

You are not going to be able to use table 310.15 (B) (7) for your cable size. Panel doesn't supply all loads to the structure. This may effect the conduit size when a larger cable is required.

You did ask if there may be any other problems. These are things that may come up.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
As long as it's properly secured and the weatherhead is above the point of attachment there isn't much they can say. You said the owner isn't worried about how it looks.

You are not going to be able to use table 310.15 (B) (7) for your cable size. Panel doesn't supply all loads to the structure. This may effect the conduit size when a larger cable is required.

You did ask if there may be any other problems. These are things that may come up.

Unless each panel feeds an entire dwelling unit, then 310.15(B)(7) would be permitted to use to determine conductor ampacity.

If a common feed to all three meters were to be used it wouldn't necessarily need to be a 300 amp conductor either, would only need to be sized for art 220 feeder/service load calculations, say if total load only came up to be 80 amps one could supply all three meters from an 80 amp conductor.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
What landlord does after new service is in, is not my concern. That is my plan.

You are not going to be able to use table 310.15 (B) (7) for your cable size. Panel doesn't supply all loads to the structure. This may effect the conduit size when a larger cable is required.

Unless each panel feeds an entire dwelling unit, then 310.15(B)(7) would be permitted to use to determine conductor ampacity.



Kwired for it to feed all loads of a dwelling unit that gets us back to the fact that they don't have a plan.

If they do plan to have a third apartment then a building permit would be needed. You can't even do a load calculation for something that doesn't exist ( at least on paper).

If they do plan to build a third apartment they could get a building permit (probably) and then have the power turned on as temp power for construction purposes.

Pointing out the fact of not having a plan makes this more confusing than it nneds to be.
 

JohnDS

Senior Member
Location
Suffolk, Long Island
Occupation
Electrician
Thank you for everyone's time and input. And, I will probably going up with pvc and bang left and screw to bottom of top soffit.

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James L

Senior Member
Location
Kansas Cty, Mo, USA
Occupation
Electrician
Probably ought to have a meeting with power company first.

in these parts, some of the POCOs get their panties in a real twist when people veer into unassisted thinking.

they're not obligated to hook up anything they don't like. And what they might like is a multi-gang meter can.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Kwired for it to feed all loads of a dwelling unit that gets us back to the fact that they don't have a plan.

If they do plan to have a third apartment then a building permit would be needed. You can't even do a load calculation for something that doesn't exist ( at least on paper).

If they do plan to build a third apartment they could get a building permit (probably) and then have the power turned on as temp power for construction purposes.

Pointing out the fact of not having a plan makes this more confusing than it nneds to be.

I don't know that we or the OP know what the plan(s) is/are. Unless I misunderstood, he was asked to connect a third panel on a third meter, with little knowledge of what it may supply. You are however correct that having a plan is a good start at knowing what may be required here, but if it is going to supply a dwelling unit, then 310.15(B)(7) can be used to determine conductor size instead of the usual method. Having a plan will definitely help determine if 100 amps will be enough capacity as well.

Probably ought to have a meeting with power company first.

in these parts, some of the POCOs get their panties in a real twist when people veer into unassisted thinking.

they're not obligated to hook up anything they don't like. And what they might like is a multi-gang meter can.

Or some will not connect without a permit and/or a blessing from the inspector.
 
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