On a two family house there is an existing 200a service with a three gang meter bank. There are are only two meters with the third socket not being used. I'm going to add a panel for common area circuits but the meter socket needs a bypass. Can I just put jumpers in the unused socket and feed a meter with a bypass that I nipple off the existing meter bank?
Installing meter with bypass
- Thread starter ampitup
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cadpoint
Senior Member
- Location
- Durham, NC
- Occupation
- Electrician - but not by NC Law.
Welcome to the Forum!
I'm sure what you plan to do is ok, what I don't understand is in blue , I beleive you mean that they need taps and you continue on and say jumpers.
I'm sure you have filled out the stand POCO forms so they know who gets billed from the new third meter. You going to put in a 60 amp for that?
jaylectricity
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
- Occupation
- licensed journeyman electrician
It sounds like he plans on putting pieces of metal (either manufactured for the purpose or otherwise) into the empty meter socket to jump the terminals and running conductors from the load side of the empty meter socket to a new meter socket with bypass before heading to a common circuit panel.
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
You can purchase a meter socket jumper - clear plastic with jumper lugs that can be sealed with a ring. Circle AW, now B-Line makes them.
Yes Jaylelectricity I plan on using Milbank K8180 bypass links (jumpers) and then using the load side of socket etc. But the inspector is part time and hard to reach. I just wanted to make sure there's nothing in the code book for the AHJ to say after the fact the he won't approve. I hope my question makes sense. I'm not too good at getting the thoughts to the keyboard.
Hendrix
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
Why don't you just use the old meter socket?
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
When you say bypass do you mean like CT's which you would find on a commercial panel?
Riograndeelectric
Senior Member
- Location
- Lakewood Colorado
Are you talking about a lever bypass handle where the meter can be by passed by use of the handle. Excel Energy here in Colorado requires all single phase meters used for permanent power to have lever by pass.
Excel Energy will not allow the use of existing meters with out lever by pass to be reused.
is what you are asking about?
Excel Energy will not allow the use of existing meters with out lever by pass to be reused.
is what you are asking about?
cadpoint
Senior Member
- Location
- Durham, NC
- Occupation
- Electrician - but not by NC Law.
I have a bypass on my house, I can pull the meter and throw a mini arm inside the meter base that will fire one pole.
I'm not in your line of work and frankly only considered this a fluke that has since been done away with, in the context of a modern install.
I too don't understand why this install would be such a Poco dicatation as an install? OK sure no interpution
of power, I understand.
I also don't understand why a bypass in this case is required at all?
If you could clear it up for us, we all could only be wiser.
I'm not in your line of work and frankly only considered this a fluke that has since been done away with, in the context of a modern install.
I too don't understand why this install would be such a Poco dicatation as an install? OK sure no interpution
of power, I understand.
I also don't understand why a bypass in this case is required at all?
If you could clear it up for us, we all could only be wiser.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
The meter and meter socket are not load break devices. The lever bypass lets the utility remove or install a meter safely without using the meter and its socket as a load break device.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
Never seen it or even heard of it before.
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