100 amp meter main

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sparky1118

sparky1118

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Location
Massachusetts
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Master Electrician
I am about to replace a 100 amp service. Now since we are currently on the 2020 code I need to replace the existing meter socket with a 109 amp meter main. Here is where it gets tricky. So it’s an underground service and the panel is on the second floor. What they originally did was used an overhead meter socket and came into the meter socket through the bottom with the line side and out the top with the load. I see why they did that. Curious if I could do the same thing with an over head meter main? Only thing I’m questioning is inside the meter socket they have that opening to one side to pass conductors through. Could I pass my line and load through the same opening? It’s not a raceway it’s just an opening any insight would be appreciated.


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Al the meter-main combos in use in this area have a partition which allows the load side-line side to be separate.
 
hillbilly1 said:
Pricey, but would this work? 100 amp breaker to feed the existing panel? Would require upsizing the overhead service conductors.

MILBANK U5168-XTL-200-KK-5T METER MAIN | Gordon Electric Supply, Inc.

MILBANK U5168-XTL-200-KK-5T METER MAIN
www.gordonelectricsupply.com www.gordonelectricsupply.com
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That is the enclosure that I do have in that little space on the left there is how I would have to come through with the line and load since load will be coming out of the top


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sparky1118 said:
Could I pass my line and load through the same opening? It’s not a raceway it’s just an opening
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I personally don't see why not, both line and load are the same power reference, they're just different aspects of the meter. Although I would make sure that the Line side of the socket is being fed by the Line side of the utility, unless you truly believe their is no detrimental issue, typically the line side may have more insinuative material protecting the termination or if a enclosure cover could potentially brush past that termination area.
 
Another C10 said:
View attachment 2552268



Your choice should work, I see atleast the utility is isolated from the distribution .
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Yes I’m coming up into the meter socket with the line and passing through the left side of the can into the top and coming down with the load passing through hitting the bottom terminals. So landing on the proper terminals just half ass backwards


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There’s always that prickly UL issue, but electrically there shouldn’t be an issue. I went behind a job where they brought the utility up in the wrong section and terminated to the wrong breaker of a 2000 amp service rated manual transferswitch. GE would not allow us to repull longer wire to reach the correct breaker because that section wasn’t rated as service equipment. Had to pick the whole gear up, and move it over 36”, and re-pipe the service into the correct section. They found this out after the store had been open for about a year. I was called out to find out why the portable generator they brought in kept tripping every time they tried to transfer the load. Turned out, the generator was trying to power the City of Charleston instead of the store. Big oops on somebody’s part! GE did do a bad job at labeling the breakers (as in NO labeling) so I can see part of the screw up is on them, but the installers should have caught it if they had any idea how a manual transfer switch works. Utility was brought into the common tie between the breakers, so the store worked fine on utility!
 
hillbilly1 said:
There’s always that prickly UL issue, but electrically there shouldn’t be an issue. I went behind a job where they brought the utility up in the wrong section and terminated to the wrong breaker of a 2000 amp service rated manual transferswitch. GE would not allow us to repull longer wire to reach the correct breaker because that section wasn’t rated as service equipment. Had to pick the whole gear up, and move it over 36”, and re-pipe the service into the correct section. They found this out after the store had been open for about a year. I was called out to find out why the portable generator they brought in kept tripping every time they tried to transfer the load. Turned out, the generator was trying to power the City of Charleston instead of the store. Big oops on somebody’s part! GE did do a bad job at labeling the breakers (as in NO labeling) so I can see part of the screw up is on them, but the installers should have caught it if they had any idea how a manual transfer switch works. Utility was brought into the common tie between the breakers, so the store worked fine on utility!
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That's crazy I don't understand how people wire things like that wrong. It's clearly labeled what terminals are what and if you can't get that right perhaps electrical isn't for you...


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One thing I could never understand on those panels is just like the image above, there is no 10 times the radius on the bend of that load side conductor, seems to me that should be an NEC issue. I even seen panels that have sharp 90 degree bends instead of the sweeping action, I think that's a motor control wiring technique, using sharp squared off bends.
 
sparky1118 said:
That's crazy I don't understand how people wire things like that wrong. It's clearly labeled what terminals are what and if you can't get that right perhaps electrical isn't for you...


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This wasn’t clearly labeled by GE, both utility and generator breakers were identical. but it should have been on the cut sheet they installed it by. Didn’t get to see that, just had to figure out why it wasn’t working, and how to fix it. GE thought it was a defective breaker. It was obvious which sets were utility, because they didn’t have an equipment ground in the pipes, and those were terminated to the load lugs (common tie between the breakers).
 
sparky1118 said:
Yes I’m coming up into the meter socket with the line and passing through the left side of the can into the top and coming down with the load passing through hitting the bottom terminals. So landing on the proper terminals just half ass backwards
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That is a perfect piece of equipment for your application. You may need to run full size feeder wire as that equipment allows additional branch circuits.
Also original 3-wire dryer and range branch circuits need change to 4-wire.
 
shortcircuit2 said:
That is a perfect piece of equipment for your application. You may need to run full size feeder wire as that equipment allows additional branch circuits.
Also original 3-wire dryer and range branch circuits need change to 4-wire.
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Thank you. The dryer is a 10/3 thank God and it’s a gas range which makes me happy since the panel is on the second floor so fishing wouldn’t be fun to say the least


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The required emergency disconnect is not required to be the service disconnect. You can install an outside emergency disconnect without changing any of the existing bonding connections when you do a service change.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
The required emergency disconnect is not required to be the service disconnect. You can install an outside emergency disconnect without changing any of the existing bonding connections when you do a service change.
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Yes under 230.85(2) or 230.85(3) when the correct listed equipment is used.
In my area cold sequence meter disconnects are not permitted for dwellings, so 230.85(2) can't be applied.
Equipment that is SUSE rated can be used for 230.85(3), but Meter-Main equipment is listed Suitable Only for Use as Service Equipment and can only be used for 230.85(1) applications IMO.
 
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