I am having to go to the board for the city of Edmond in OK. to fight for this install.
I have a newer home 2yrs or less, with 200amp meter base, back to back with the 200amp mb panel in the attached garage.
The owner built a new detached (100ft away) garage.
The electric service company wanted $2000 to provide a second meter at the building.
The owner elected to hire me to upgrade the meter base to a 320amp, Re-feed the existing home panel, and feed 150amp underground second tap from the meter to a MB panel in the building.
I have been rejected, sighting grouping of disconnects.
I showed him the exception 230.40 Separate service conductors serving a separate building.
He took this to his boss, who denied the install as well, I will be have to post a non-refundable escrow fee, and present arguments, if unsuccessful they keep the escrow funds.
Any pictures of installs would help, or info I can take with me.
Thank you
If you print a copy of post # 2 and show them this that they may understand, also ask if they have amended the codes I presented in the NEC by law that would change what the NEC allows.
I'm not sure if if Oklahoma has a state wide code where you can receive an official state interpretation to over ride the local interpretation, as you will have to contact the state and find out who you need to contact, here in Indiana we have a state wide code system and it doesn't allow a local unit of government to adopt local codes that are in conflict with the state code as adopted, every state will be different depending on how their law is written.
One of the few common mistakes inspectors make is they try to treat the meter base as service equipment, it is not service equipment, it is nothing more then a wide point in the service entrance conductors, the conductors leaving the meter base are in fact service entrance conductors and 230.40 exception #3 applies as I have stated in post #2, also they think that these conductors require a disconnect after a meter, what they don't read the word "IN" when they read 230.70, the NEC only requires a disconnect on service entrance conductors when they enter a building or other structure, since these conductors do not enter the building a disconnect is not required at the meter location for the ones going to the other building if they do not enter the building where the meter is located, also the grouping of disconnects is only required at each building served, if we look at 230.71(A) at the end of the paragraph it clearly says "at any one location, this means if you install multiple disconnects at the house then they have to be grouped, if you install multiple disconnect at the garage they have to be grouped, but the disconnect for the garage (which is required to be located at the garage by 230.70(A) is not required to be grouped with the house disconnect as it would be impossible with the garage remote from the house, if you look at the graphic exhibit 230.14 (top right on page 158) in the 2011 hand book, it takes this message home, again look at the quote from the NEC hand book I posted in post #2 while The commentary and supplementary materials in the handbook are not a part of the NFPA NEC Document and do not constitute Formal Interpretations of the NFPA, they do offer inside info as to what the code means, and the hand book is published by NFPA as the writers and editors of it are part of the code making panels who also decide on the code changes.
As I'm not in your state, it will be up to you to present this to your code official you are dealing with, but make sure you understand what the code say's and why, as it will make it easier to present if you have a clear understanding of it.
I feel for you if you state doesn't have a state wide code as then you will have to convince these local inspectors what the code say's and if they are not open to comment then it makes it that much harder and may even require litigation to get them to enforce the law as it is written.
If you can't convince them of what the code say's then you have two options, take them to court as I have done in the past, or install it as they wish, but complying with their interpretation might be better then the court route depending upon how much a lawyer will charge, as all you have to do is install two disconnects at the meter, change both the house and garage panel to meet the requirements of being a sub panel and run a 4-wire feeder to the garage, also the grounding electrode conductors for the house will have to land in the new disconnect for the house, as well as keeping grounding and neutrals separate in these subpanels.
Myself I have learned to pick my battles but I have taken a couple of cities here to court and won every time, this was back before we had state wide codes as now our state will go to battle for us and if the local inspection department ignore the state AHJ's ruling (official interpretation) then the state has the power to dissolve the local building departments authority to do inspections, in most cases the state can ask the city or county involved to require the removal of the offending inspector, but again that is here in Indiana so your laws can vary.
