Code compliant grounding electrode conductor?

infinity said:
My opinion was the same as yours until some of discussions here convinced me otherwise. There's probably some old threads floating around where I made the same argument as you.
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99.996% of the time it is disallowed by the utility. Maybe once or twice I've encountered an inspector that said it was not accessible. But no problem because 8" to the right is another terminal to put it on a disconnect or panel on the other side of the wall.

Many years back I put a GEC in a meter base and the inspector told me it wouldn't fly. I rev'd up ready to talk code, and he said "No, it isn't a code issue, I'm letting you know the POCO won't allow it." He did me a favor. I had stupidly not even check their spec.
 
Jaybone812 said:
Thank you for taking the time to look up eversource.! , I had heard there were utilities in western mass that didn’t allow it , but I’ve only worked with municipal POCO in that area, has N grid always prohibited the gec in the meter? I’ve honestly done it quite a few times no issue
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Never did much in Eastern MA but I have just had it in my head that most POCOs do not allow it. As I posted Eversource in Eastern MA I could not find any prohibition but may have missed it.

Eversource in CT (where I used to have a Masters and worked a little) does not allow it as well as Eversource in Western, MA does not allow it
 
This is what I found from National Grid Massachusetts:

"(B) (C) (D) 6.5 A grounding electrode conductor shall not be connected to the meter socket enclosure. The meter socket enclosure shall not be used to ground other equipment."
 
The picture that @pipebender posted of the hardened meter seal those can't be cut and POCO prohibits you from cutting it.

Personally, I don't agree with that. If you go on a call and it is an emergency, and you need to pull the meter you should be able to JMHO.

It also makes the interior of the meter socket Inaccessible IMHO.

I had a meter main with just that situation. Customer complained that 1/2 the house was blinking. The interior sub panel was fine as was the MB out in the MM. I suspected the trouble was in the upper MM where the meter was but I could not access that. I shut the MB and disconnected 1 leg temporarily until POCO could arrive.
 
Eddie702 said:
The picture that @pipebender posted of the hardened meter seal those can't be cut and POCO prohibits you from cutting it.

Personally, I don't agree with that. If you go on a call and it is an emergency, and you need to pull the meter you should be able to JMHO.

It also makes the interior of the meter socket Inaccessible IMHO.
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I did not realize there are two definitions of Accessible one for equipment and one for wiring methods.
In the context of 250.24(A)(1)
" The grounding electrode conductor connection
shall be made at any accessible point from the load end of the
overhead service conductors, service drop, underground service
conductors, or service lateral to, including the terminal or bus to
which the grounded service conductor is connected at the service
disconnecting means."
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So which one applies there?
The one for wiring methods is the one I have had inspectors challenge me on in T bar drop ceiling.
He wanted me to prove, on the final inspection, a pull box was still 'accessible' without breaking a tile.
 
pipe_bender said:
I did not realize there are two definitions of Accessible one for equipment and one for wiring methods.
In the context of 250.24(A)(1)

So which one applies there?
The one for wiring methods is the one I have had inspectors challenge me on in T bar drop ceiling.
He wanted me to prove, on the final inspection, a pull box was still 'accessible' without breaking a tile.
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GEC, the "C" stands for conductor. So it is not equipment, so "wiring methods" is what applies.
 
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