Landing EGC in Meter/Main

[DBoone]

This is a 200A meter/main on a remodel we are doing. Looking at the sticker on the cover it looks like we should land the EGC down in the bottom right corner and then land the GEC right below the service neutral, and any branch circuits originating from this service equipment we can land the neutrals and EGCs on the bar below the service neutral. Sound right?




This is the 200A GE panel inside the house that is being fed from the meter/main. I am treating it as a subpanel and removed the bar connecting the neutral buses and installed the bonding screw on the EGC bar.

 

[John120/240]

POCO's here are very particular about GEC in their meter. Some require it, while others prohibit it. Consult with your POCO first.

 

[John120/240]

Slow down & read the post John. Yes with your first means of disconnect in the meter/main combo the GEC will land there. Which makes the indoor panel a sub panel so remove the Green bonding screw from the left bus to separate your neutrals & grounds.

 

[kwired]

POCO's here are very particular about GEC in their meter. Some require it, while others prohibit it. Consult with your POCO first.

That shouldn't be a problem as long as the GEC doesn't land in the upper portion of the cabinet that the POCO places a seal on any access devices, the lower portion with the loadcenter is intended to be accessible to the customer, after all the service disconnecting means is also located there.

 

[kwired]

View attachment 9900 View attachment 9901

This is a 200A meter/main on a remodel we are doing. Looking at the sticker on the cover it looks like we should land the EGC down in the bottom right corner and then land the GEC right below the service neutral, and any branch circuits originating from this service equipment we can land the neutrals and EGCs on the bar below the service neutral. Sound right?

View attachment 9902


This is the 200A GE panel inside the house that is being fed from the meter/main. I am treating it as a subpanel and removed the bar connecting the neutral buses and installed the bonding screw on the EGC bar.

There is no problem landing any EGC or the GEC on the neutral bus in that cabinet. I would say the lower right lug is intended for EGC only but doesn't mean it has to land there.

 

[John120/240]

kwired, I see the first means of disconnect outside at the meter main combo. So why is the indoor panel not a sub panel ?

 

[DBoone]

Slow down & read the post John. Yes with your first means of disconnect in the meter/main combo the GEC will land there. Which makes the indoor panel a sub panel so remove the Green bonding screw from the left bus to separate your neutrals & grounds.

The bonding screw is only bonding the EGCs to the can. The neutrals are on the other bus and are floating. I removed the bar that originally connected both buses.

 

[John120/240]

The bonding screw is only bonding the EGCs to the can. The neutrals are on the other bus and are floating. I removed the bar that originally connected both buses.

OK That makes sense, But how do we make sense of kwired's comment ?

 

[DBoone]

There is no problem landing any EGC or the GEC on the neutral bus in that cabinet. I would say the lower right lug is intended for EGC only but doesn't mean it has to land there.

I didn't think just purely electrically speaking that there would be a problem landing the EGC over on the neutral bus but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some technicality. So in your opinion I can land the EGC over on the neutral bus or down on the bottom right and be okay?

 

[DBoone]

OK That makes sense, But how do we make sense of kwired's comment ?

Which comment are we making sense of?

 

[DBoone]

POCO's here are very particular about GEC in their meter. Some require it, while others prohibit it. Consult with your POCO first.

Our POCO had no problem with us landing the GEC in the meter last time, no questions asked. And as Kwired mentioned we will be landing this one in the lower portion anyway. I love landing the GEC in the meter. It's quick and easy.

 

[John120/240]

There is no problem landing any EGC or the GEC on the neutral bus in that cabinet. I would say the lower right lug is intended for EGC only but doesn't mean it has to land there.

OK That makes sense, But how do we make sense of kwired's comment ?

Which comment are we making sense of?

This one.

 

[John120/240]

I didn't think just purely electrically speaking that there would be a problem landing the EGC over on the neutral bus but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some technicality. So in your opinion I can land the EGC over on the neutral bus or down on the bottom right and be okay?

The way I see it: Your first OCPD is outside at the meter/main combo. So that makes everything down stream a sub panel. With that said your GEC & Egc have to land on the left bus & neutrals on the right bus. Maybe i'm dense but I don't see kwired's view that it doesn't matter.

 

[DBoone]

The way I see it: Your first OCPD is outside at the meter/main combo. So that makes everything down stream a sub panel. With that said your GEC & Egc have to land on the left bus & neutrals on the right bus. Maybe i'm dense but I don't see kwired's view that it doesn't matter.

Kwired is talking about the picture of the meter/main.... The landing the EGC on the bottom right bus where the label says Equip Ground

 

[John120/240]

Thank You

 

[DBoone]

The way I see it: Your first OCPD is outside at the meter/main combo. So that makes everything down stream a sub panel. With that said your GEC & Egc have to land on the left bus & neutrals on the right bus. Maybe i'm dense but I don't see kwired's view that it doesn't matter.

Kwited is talking about the lug on the bottom right in the meter main

 

[DBoone]

Sorry. Thought the first one didn't send.

 

[ceb58]

That shouldn't be a problem as long as the GEC doesn't land in the upper portion of the cabinet that the POCO places a seal on any access devices, the lower portion with the loadcenter is intended to be accessible to the customer, after all the service disconnecting means is also located there.

Some POCO's will allow it. Never had a problem here in NC with bonding in the meter.

 

[K8MHZ]

Some POCO's will allow it. Never had a problem here in NC with bonding in the meter.

It's prohibited in Michigan. At least by Consumers Energy.

 

[ceb58]

Some POCO's will allow it. Never had a problem here in NC with bonding in the meter.

It's prohibited in Michigan. At least by Consumers Energy.

I had to leave before I could completely finish my post. The rest is, the lug in the bottom right is also for the GEC. There is the small 3/8 KO below the lug. You use less wire that way.