400 amp commercial meter

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bobbymari

Senior Member
Location
los angeles ca
Hello all, I have a question about a commercial setup. Current setup is (2) 200 amp sub panels one of which is illegally tapped to line side of 200 amp fusible disco. My question is this , do they make a commercial metering setup 400 amp (1) meter which would hit meter lugs and load side would be (2) 200 amp breakers to feed (2) sub panels?I have read of this setup in residential forums but don't know if this same setup is available for a commercial building. If so any links or info on such panel would be highly appreciated. Thanks
By the way single phase 120/240
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I don't see why the standard 400 amp meter wouldn't work as long as the continuous load is 320 amps or less. You might want to check with the poco to see if they require more than that. They may want a ct setup
 

bobbymari

Senior Member
Location
los angeles ca
By standard , any examples with (2) 200 amp load breakers. Sorry for my ignorance mainly deal with residential. Continuos is well under definetly under 320
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Hello all, I have a question about a commercial setup. Current setup is (2) 200 amp sub panels one of which is illegally tapped to line side of 200 amp fusible disco. My question is this , do they make a commercial metering setup 400 amp (1) meter which would hit meter lugs and load side would be (2) 200 amp breakers to feed (2) sub panels?I have read of this setup in residential forums but don't know if this same setup is available for a commercial building. If so any links or info on such panel would be highly appreciated. Thanks
By the way single phase 120/240

You are looking for a meter main combo and yes they are made

Look on catalog page 24 at 3 examples. http://www.milbankmfg.com/Products/Catalogs/CatalogFiles/PDF/REC.pdf

I agree with Dennis that a Class 320 meter is likely fine, they are rated 320 amps continuous 400 amp non-continuous which matches the effective rating of two 200 amp panels.


You may want to check with the power company supplying this building if they have any rules regarding what meter sockets you can use.
 

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
Around here we use CT cans for 400+ amp commercial services.

For the lower amp commercial services, we'll use a meterbase, but it has to have a bypass. Your best bet is to look up your POCO specs and see what they want, I believe most POCO's have it posted online if you don't have their spec book.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Hello all, I have a question about a commercial setup. Current setup is (2) 200 amp sub panels one of which is illegally tapped to line side of 200 amp fusible disco. My question is this , do they make a commercial metering setup 400 amp (1) meter which would hit meter lugs and load side would be (2) 200 amp breakers to feed (2) sub panels?I have read of this setup in residential forums but don't know if this same setup is available for a commercial building. If so any links or info on such panel would be highly appreciated. Thanks
By the way single phase 120/240

If it is single phase you are looking for same thing you seen in residential work.
 

cpinetree

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
If it is single phase you are looking for same thing you seen in residential work.

Not necessarily, in this area commercial cans (single + 3 phase) must have a manual bypass.
Also you can get a fully rated 400amp can (I think it is referred to as a K7) in our area.

Resi installs it is not required to have a bypass.
 
Last edited:

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Not necessarily, in this area commercial cans (single + 3 phase) must have a manual bypass.
Also you can get a fully rated 400amp can (I think it is referred to as a K7) in our area.

Resi installs it is not required to have a bypass.

Do they make 320 meter bases without a manual bypass? That is all I have ever seen.

The full 400 amp rated base is a bolt on style and not a plug in style meter and I think they are rated more than 400 amps maybe up to 600. I have only run into a small amount of them, usually POCO wants CT metering instead on services where these may otherwise apply. I think K7 is correct.
 

cpinetree

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
Do they make 320 meter bases without a manual bypass? That is all I have ever seen.

The full 400 amp rated base is a bolt on style and not a plug in style meter and I think they are rated more than 400 amps maybe up to 600. I have only run into a small amount of them, usually POCO wants CT metering instead on services where these may otherwise apply. I think K7 is correct.

I also have only seen 320 w/bypass.

Here is a link to a pdf that shows both of the following cans (Talon formerlly Landis + Gyr): http://w3.usa.siemens.com/us/internet-dms/btlv/Residential/Residential/docs_MeterSockets/Metra.pdf
Again this is our area of the country YMMV.

Fully rated 400amp can: 9817-8062 (page 20 of pdf in previous link)

480amp continuous 600amp max can: 9817-9527 (page 21of pdf in previous link)

Our area is split, 1 POCO wants CT's 400amp + larger, the other POCO wants CT's 600amp and larger.

Best to get with the engineer for your POCO, after you know your load requirements, to see what meter cans are acceptable to them.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I also have only seen 320 w/bypass.

Here is a link to a pdf that shows both of the following cans (Talon formerlly Landis + Gyr): http://w3.usa.siemens.com/us/internet-dms/btlv/Residential/Residential/docs_MeterSockets/Metra.pdf
Again this is our area of the country YMMV.

Fully rated 400amp can: 9817-8062 (page 20 of pdf in previous link)

480amp continuous 600amp max can: 9817-9527 (page 21of pdf in previous link)

Our area is split, 1 POCO wants CT's 400amp + larger, the other POCO wants CT's 600amp and larger.

Best to get with the engineer for your POCO, after you know your load requirements, to see what meter cans are acceptable to them.

Sometimes some POCO want self contained meter for 400 amp 208 or 240 volts but CT's for larger, but same POCO will only go 200 amp max self contained for 480 volt services, and anything over 200 amp @ 480 volts is CT.
 
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