Disconnect before meter

[Hendrix]

A town near me is going under ground with its utilities. EC is changing a buildings drop location but wants to keep the meters and existing panels in the same location.
Where the new power now enters the building, the conduit would have to travel through the building, unfused for quite a way. Is it legal to install a fused disconnect as soon as it enters the building and then go to the meters and the old mains?

 

[Ragin Cajun]

Looks like you will need a new SE disconnect. As to a disconnect "before" the meter, isn't that a POCO issue?

RC

 

[david]

you could un bond the neutral at the old service panel location unless the panel neutral is factory bonded to the enclosure. It would be unlikely that the old meter enclosure would be set up so it's neutral could be unbounded from the meter enclosure.

 

[augie47]

I agree with David. You would, of course, need an equipment grounding means from the new service to the old location and you would need to re-direct your grounding electrode system, but the big problem may be the grounded neutral connections at the existing gear especially with the meters.

 

[david]

it is required or I should say there or out side prior to entering the building

 

[david]

this whole set up would be unpractical because you are never going to get the utility to agree and seal your service equipment prior to any utility metering then enter the dwelling pass through, exit the dwelling, meter the service then reenter the dwelling.

you are going to need to relocate the metering.

 

[davedottcom]

I don't know of any utility company that will permit a disconnect before the meter.

 

[david]

I don't know of any utility company that will permit a disconnect before the meter.

they are required here all the time by the utility for line metered 480/277 volt services

however they are not required to be service disconnects

 

[davedottcom]

they are required here all the time by the utility for line metered 480/277 volt services

however they are not required to be service disconnects

Interesting! I want one!

 

[david]

Interesting! I want one!

you still have to cut there seal to get back into it after it is energized

 

[mwm1752]

If service laterals are not installed per 230.6 then what?

230.32 Protection Against Damage.
Underground service-lateral conductors shall be protected against damage in accordance with 300.5. Service-lateral conductors entering a building shall be installed in accordance with 230.6 or protected by a raceway wiring method identified in 230.43.

 

[kwired]

they are required here all the time by the utility for line metered 480/277 volt services

however they are not required to be service disconnects

Interesting! I want one!

It serves you no real useful purpose.

They usually require it to be unfused so there is no reason for the customer to have access to it, they put same lock or seal as they have on the meter to restrict access. It's purpose is for their service guys to be able to disconnect power before doing any work in the meter socket - especially plugging in/unplugging the meter.

 

[GoldDigger]

When PG&E sends out contractors to install residential Smart Meters, they mostly are wearing a long sleeved cotton shirt and wearing gloves and a face shield while pulling the old meter and plugging in the new one.
I can see wanting a disconnect switch for larger services or when work has to be done on the socket.


Tapatalk...

 

[don_resqcapt19]

It serves you no real useful purpose.

They usually require it to be unfused so there is no reason for the customer to have access to it, they put same lock or seal as they have on the meter to restrict access. It's purpose is for their service guys to be able to disconnect power before doing any work in the meter socket - especially plugging in/unplugging the meter.

Yes, that is the most common requirement...that the cold sequence disconnect be non-fusible, but our utility requires otherwise.

A breaker or fused disconnect located on the line side of the meter (cold sequence metering) is required for all 277/480V and 480V services 200 amp and below.

 

[meternerd]

Yes, that is the most common requirement...that the cold sequence disconnect be non-fusible, but our utility requires otherwise.

Interesting....we would never allow a disconnect, fused or otherwise ahead of the meter, unless there were more than six service disconnects. Our reasoning is that anything that is unmetered must be sealable, service rated and accessible only to the utility. If our meter techs or linemen feel it's a safety issue and want it de-energized, we do it at the transformer. We also require arc flash suits when removing or installing 480 volt meters. I guess every utility has it's own way of doing things. Out west, many utilities belong to EUSERC (Electric Utility Service Requirements Committee), which states that "no disconnecting means is allowed ahead of a single meter socket." If more than one, it's up to the AHJ.

 

[david]

Interesting....we would never allow a disconnect, fused or otherwise ahead of the meter, unless there were more than six service disconnects. Our reasoning is that anything that is unmetered must be sealable, service rated and accessible only to the utility. If our meter techs or linemen feel it's a safety issue and want it de-energized, we do it at the transformer. We also require arc flash suits when removing or installing 480 volt meters. I guess every utility has it's own way of doing things. Out west, many utilities belong to EUSERC (Electric Utility Service Requirements Committee), which states that "no disconnecting means is allowed ahead of a single meter socket." If more than one, it's up to the AHJ.

Here the utility does seal them.

The utility owns pad locks with a number stamped into them. This is a utility seal and protected from access the same as any meter the utility has sealed

 

[kwired]

Interesting....we would never allow a disconnect, fused or otherwise ahead of the meter, unless there were more than six service disconnects. Our reasoning is that anything that is unmetered must be sealable, service rated and accessible only to the utility. If our meter techs or linemen feel it's a safety issue and want it de-energized, we do it at the transformer. We also require arc flash suits when removing or installing 480 volt meters. I guess every utility has it's own way of doing things. Out west, many utilities belong to EUSERC (Electric Utility Service Requirements Committee), which states that "no disconnecting means is allowed ahead of a single meter socket." If more than one, it's up to the AHJ.

So they would rather have someone assigned the task of changing a meter to have to disconnect what is often open construction type medium voltage gear at the top of a pole instead of throwing a low voltage switch adjacent to the meter? Plus if more than one customer is served by same transformer they all get shut down.