400A meter can

[meternerd]

400A "K base" bolt in meters are long gone. No longer available from manufacturers. The CL320 "S base" meters are the replacement. I assume (but I can't prove it) that the 400A meters really were intended for 80% (320A) continuous duty. The utilities I worked for eliminated the K base meter by installing an S base adapter and installing a CL320 meter. Problem with the bolt in meters is that an exchange or disconnect required a service shutdown and a time consuming removal procedure. With the newer PPE requirements, it's much too troublesome as far as maintenance, testing, smart meter installation, etc. One manufacturer also made a CL320 three phase non-CT (self-contained) meter, but not many utilities allowed 'em. Don't know if they're even still available. We required CT's for anything over 200A three phase and any non-residential over 200A. Requests for 400A single phase services are supplied with 320A meters, even though the fees are identical to the older 400A services. Kinda off the subject, but manufacturers decided to make the CL320 meters with the same meter stabs as the CL200. That means the meter sockets are also the same dimensions, and there's nothing preventing the utility from installing a CL200 meter in a CL320 socket. Eventual meltdown is the result. "Smart meter" change-out contractors beware!:rant:

 

[electrofelon]

. Kinda off the subject, but manufacturers decided to make the CL320 meters with the same meter stabs as the CL200. That means the meter sockets are also the same dimensions, and there's nothing preventing the utility from installing a CL200 meter in a CL320 socket. Eventual meltdown is the result. "Smart meter" change-out contractors beware!:rant:

I once used a cl320 socket for a pv system, just because of the dual lugs which make it convenient to make a line side connection. When they came to put in the meter, they realized they didn't have the right one and I guess cl320 net meters are an odd duck for them so it took several weeks to get one. They could have just used a cl200 meter since we only used the 320 for it's lugs, but whatever....

 

[Meterman1]

Correct me if I am wrong but, does it say that breakers are rated for 80%? I work in metering now and a class 320 meter means it can handle 320 amps and register correctly what’s being used. A class 200 handles 200 amps correctly. From my schooling on metering there has never been a 400 amp meter for self contained system. Form 1S and form 2S which includes the 320 meter are self contained meters for single phase services. Single phase CT metering is a form 4S class 20 meter. So on a CT meter no more then 20 amps can go through it and register correctly. I look at the transformer size when picking the meter and set up needed (FLA). You can put a class 200 amp meter in a 400 amp meter base. You can not put a CT meter (4S meter) in a regular meter base used on house. The engineer at the power company should tell you what you need based on the load calculations submitted. They have to make sure they provide the power the house needs (KVA size) which will dictate the metering needed. I hope this helped.

 

[mivey]

400A "K base" bolt in meters are long gone. No longer available from manufacturers. The CL320 "S base" meters are the replacement. I assume (but I can't prove it) that the 400A meters really were intended for 80% (320A) continuous duty. The utilities I worked for eliminated the K base meter by installing an S base adapter and installing a CL320 meter. Problem with the bolt in meters is that an exchange or disconnect required a service shutdown and a time consuming removal procedure. With the newer PPE requirements, it's much too troublesome as far as maintenance, testing, smart meter installation, etc. One manufacturer also made a CL320 three phase non-CT (self-contained) meter, but not many utilities allowed 'em. Don't know if they're even still available. We required CT's for anything over 200A three phase and any non-residential over 200A. Requests for 400A single phase services are supplied with 320A meters, even though the fees are identical to the older 400A services. Kinda off the subject, but manufacturers decided to make the CL320 meters with the same meter stabs as the CL200. That means the meter sockets are also the same dimensions, and there's nothing preventing the utility from installing a CL200 meter in a CL320 socket. Eventual meltdown is the result. "Smart meter" change-out contractors beware!:rant:

They make jumpers for bolt-ins so an exchange does not require an outage. Removal takes just a few minutes or less. A little longer than stabs but not huge.

Even removal of stabs is risky business and ideally you would shut down the load for either in a disconnect scenario. I have done it both ways but open the main before disconnect on larger loads.