Meter base sizing

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Keldra

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I am estimating a service upgrade at 225amp for residential use , when upgrading a service of this size prior in another city i was able too use a 200amp meter base with proper size feeder. Has anyone here used this size base with this size service ? .
 
Keldra said:
I am estimating a service upgrade at 225amp for residential use , when upgrading a service of this size prior in another city i was able too use a 200amp meter base with proper size feeder. Has anyone here used this size base with this size service ? .
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Your POCO is actually providing a 225 amp service? Most ones I have dealt with go from 200A to 400A, although a few may offer 300A.

We get our meter bases from POCO and it would be their decision whether this would be acceptable.
 
jumper said:
Your POCO is actually providing a 225 amp service? Most ones I have dealt with go from 200A to 400A, although a few may offer 300A.
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Same here. Its 200 to 400. The meter base that we call a 400 amp is rated at 320 amp continuous amps but it comes with parallel lugs to feed 2- 200 amp panels
 
ditto

Except I tried to use the 400 amp rated meter can rated at 320 continuous amps and got shot down. I ended up having to use CT's. That put a hole into the as build design.

Taught me about continuous duty ratings and what they mean.:thumbsup:
 
GUNNING said:
ditto

Except I tried to use the 400 amp rated meter can rated at 320 continuous amps and got shot down. I ended up having to use CT's. That put a hole into the as build design.

Taught me about continuous duty ratings and what they mean.:thumbsup:
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Obviously the inspectors or the poco don't understand the 320 continuous amps. Heck I had a poco tell me to use a 320 amp base for a 500 amp service-- I said no and dropped the service down to 400 amps. It was too large anyway and had to be moved.
 
Why is the POCO telling you what size base to use? If you have done your calcs, you know what you need to satisfy the NEC requirements. It will be up to the POCO to supply the power needed...Must be a Progress thing
 
Hv&Lv said:
Why is the POCO telling you what size base to use? If you have done your calcs, you know what you need to satisfy the NEC requirements. It will be up to the POCO to supply the power needed...Must be a Progress thing
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Well they have control over what they will connect to. IMO, they have to much control at times. In some areas they won't allow the GEC in the meter base. NEC says it is fine but they won't hook it up if it isn't there. Other areas the poco requires 2 ground rods even if you have a cee.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Well they have control over what they will connect to. IMO, they have to much control at times. In some areas they won't allow the GEC in the meter base. NEC says it is fine but they won't hook it up if it isn't there. Other areas the poco requires 2 ground rods even if you have a cee.
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If the inspector is happy, most of the time we are too. With the new electronic meters our engineers want a ground rod at every meter base whether the NEC requires it or not, and it will be connected inside the base. They are trying to protect these meters from lightning surges.

Maybe that is progress energy thinking with the two ground rods. (or is it duke, surely not piedmont...)
 
Hv&Lv said:
If the inspector is happy, most of the time we are too. With the new electronic meters our engineers want a ground rod at every meter base whether the NEC requires it or not, and it will be connected inside the base. They are trying to protect these meters from lightning surges.

Maybe that is progress energy thinking with the two ground rods. (or is it duke, surely not piedmont...)
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Not around here at all. I had heard other members state these issues.
 
Hv&Lv said:
If the inspector is happy, most of the time we are too. With the new electronic meters our engineers want a ground rod at every meter base whether the NEC requires it or not, and it will be connected inside the base. They are trying to protect these meters from lightning surges.

Maybe that is progress energy thinking with the two ground rods. (or is it duke, surely not piedmont...)
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Actually it was Piedmont that said I could use a 400 amp base for a 500 amp service.
 
Keldra said:
I am estimating a service upgrade at 225amp for residential use , when upgrading a service of this size prior in another city i was able too use a 200amp meter base with proper size feeder. Has anyone here used this size base with this size service ? .
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I think it depends on POCO issued and owned VS customer owned and furnished. In my experience if it is issued and owned by the POCO they would always give you a 200 amp socket in a situation like this. If the POCO requires the customer to furnish the socket, as is mostly the case these days, I think most AHJ's would require a socket rated at least the size of the service conductor rating.
 
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