Meter Base With No EGC Lug

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Little Bill

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Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
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Semi-Retired Electrician
I installed a meter base the other day and when terminating the conductors I found that it didn't have a lug for the EGC.
The POCO requires the EGC to land in the meter base. Usually the ones I have installed have the lug on the side of the neutral lug, but this one had none.

I called, then went by the SH where I bought it and the guy said he forgot to mention this particular meter base didn't come with a lug.:rant: That's ok, it's just a 40 mile round trip to the house.:happyno:
It is a Siemens/ITE underground/overhead base. They have a lug for it but no instructions on how to mount it. So I found a guy that uses this base and he said he just runs a self tapping Tek screw in to mount it to the box.

Since this technically isn't under an area that the NEC governs because they pick up after the meter, would you have any reservations about not tapping a hole? Meaning the "two threads engaged" rule, and instead using the Tek screw. The neutral lug isn't floating, so if I scrape some paint off the area where I'm going to mount the lug it should have continuity to the neutral lug.

Any thoughts?
 

hurk27

Senior Member
Bill the bond between the GEC and the neutral has to be a wire or a bussbar it can not be a screw, see 250.24(A)(4)

If you could install another bar with an extra terminal below the neutral lug then use a neutral between the two bars then you can land the GEC on this bar.

Another method is to use a split bolt on the neutral below the neutral terminal.
 

Little Bill

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Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
Bill the bond between the GEC and the neutral has to be a wire or a bussbar it can not be a screw, see 250.24(A)(4)

If you could install another bar with an extra terminal below the neutral lug then use a neutral between the two bars then you can land the GEC on this bar.

Another method is to use a split bolt on the neutral below the neutral terminal.

This is in the meter base, not the panel. The GEC lug is normally on with the neutral lug, but in this meter base there is none installed, you have to add the lug.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
This is in the meter base, not the panel. The GEC lug is normally on with the neutral lug, but in this meter base there is none installed, you have to add the lug.

You might have a loop hole as both 250.40(A)(4) and 250.64(D)(2) state in the service equipment or at the disconnecting means, it doesn't address ahead of it?

But it was alway told to me by the CMP's that the GEC always must be directly connected to the grounded conductor either to the grounded conductor or through a bussbar including the neutral bad where the grounded conductor lands, only if there is a wire or buss bar between a grounding bar and the neutral bar is it allowed to land on the grounding bar, and installing a lug to the meter can is installing a one terminal grounding bar?

If you have a copy of the 2011 hand book even exhibit 250.6 shows every connection to the grounded conductor or the bar it lands on.

Maybe other will chime in who might know this better.

I know if the GEC path to the grounded conductor is through a screw, and if a lightning strike takes this path it will blow a hole in the back of the box where this screw was, I have seen it.
 

guschash

Senior Member
Location
Ohio
250.24 states ".....shall have a grounding electrode conductor connected to the grounded service conductor ". If you just tap the meter can I'm not sure if that would meet code.
 
Location
NE (9.06 miles @5.9 Degrees from Winged Horses)
Occupation
EC - retired
250.24 states ".....shall have a grounding electrode conductor connected to the grounded service conductor ". If you just tap the meter can I'm not sure if that would meet code.


Changing the order of his three letters changes what is allowed.

I interpreted EGC as meaning "Equipment Grounding Conductor" while his momentary lapse meant more like "Electrode Grounding Conductor" or as we now know "Grounding Electrode Conductor".

BFs we all have them.


OT a bit.

We have been working with a company that produces a product that is natural. Grown and produced with no man made additives. I have struggled trying to recall the proper word for that description for weeks. My young office help cured the lapse when she looks at me and says "Why can't you remember Organic? It is so close to Orgasm". Problem solved.
 

augie47

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Staff member
Location
Tennessee
Occupation
State Electrical Inspector (Retired)
Bill, a thought ! (One I don;t particularly like as it set up a path, but we do that with GECs all the time)
To satiety POCO, mount the lug in the can,
To satisfy the E/I connect a GEC to your neutral bar and split-bolt it to the GEC going from the meter to your electrode.
Other option, as mentioned, is, a split-bolt on your neutral in the meter.
 

Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
Bill, a thought ! (One I don;t particularly like as it set up a path, but we do that with GECs all the time)
To satiety POCO, mount the lug in the can,
To satisfy the E/I connect a GEC to your neutral bar and split-bolt it to the GEC going from the meter to your electrode.
Other option, as mentioned, is, a split-bolt on your neutral in the meter.


Done! Thanks everyone!
 

meternerd

Senior Member
Location
Athol, ID
Occupation
retired water & electric utility electrician, meter/relay tech
Utility perspective.

Utility perspective.

Be aware that many utilities do not allow the GEC to enter or terminate in the sealable utility section. The best way, in my opinion, is to terminate the GEC directly on the neutral bus in the customer side. If there isn't a bus, then a double lug will work. Terminating it on the ground bus, even if there is a bus bar or wire connecting to the neutral bus, is just adding a couple of more connections for the lightning to go through to get to ground. Many times, lightning strikes involve the distribution system neutral.

Just an aside comment: Maybe it's just around here, but there seems to be some confusion among electricians about the purpose of the GEC, EGC and MBJ. The GEC is for lightning protection. The EGC is to provide a low impedance path for ground fault current back to the neutral in the service panel. The MBJ (Main Bonding Jumper) is there to insure a solid connection between the EGC and the neutral. Remember that the POCO does not supply a grounding conductor to the service, so any ground fault current returns to the source by way of the service neutral conductor. The lower the impedance of that return path, the higher the fault current and the faster the breaker will trip.

I'm not trying to "talk down" to anyone. Just commenting on what is see and hear when I go out on inspections. Have a gidday!
 
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