Connecting intersystem to meter.

[electrofelon]

If I have a meter only, and no grounding electrode near the meter, how do I connect the inter system terminal at or to the meter? 250.94(4) is what seems to apply. It says in part "…..and be connected to the enclosure or to the grounding electrode conductor with a minimum 6AWG copper conductor." Can I use something like the Madison

MEIBB

Grounding & Bonding at it’s best!

meproducts.net

And just mount it to a half inch KO WITHOUT passing a GEC through it? Or does it need a jumper to the grounded conductor or GEC?

 

[Hv&Lv]

I wouldn’t think so since that device is designed to tighten down on the #6 CU.
Connecting like your suggesting would go against the manufacturers directions, no?

 

[electrofelon]

I wouldn’t think so since that device is designed to tighten down on the #6 CU.
Connecting like your suggesting would go against the manufacturers directions, no?

That's what I'm not clear on. The code seems to say connected to the enclosure but that Madison part seems to be made to chase a #6 thru it's center...

 

[Buck Parrish]

Here in Central Midwest Indy. The poco will not let us install the gec in the meter.
So in some cases when the #6 gec comes from the panel inside the wall really low to the grd rod. In that case I insert a short piece of #6 from the grounding bar to the out side.
Then install my intersystem bonding device. then clamp the loose end of #6 to the exterior wall.
So it is still right below the meter where one would expect it to be.

 

[electrofelon]

Here in Central Midwest Indy. The poco will not let us install the gec in the meter.
So in some cases when the #6 gec comes from the panel inside the wall really low to the grd rod. In that case I insert a short piece of #6 from the grounding bar to the out side.
Then install my intersystem bonding device. then clamp the loose end of #6 to the exterior wall.
So it is still right below the meter where one would expect it to be.

But is there an easy way to attach it right to the meter? The wording in 250.94 seems poor. Some resi sockets have that little lug in there, in which case I would run a #6 off of that to hit the IBT - but even that doesn't seem allowed by the wording. No one Has an opinion on if I can physically attach the IBT to the meter enclosure and that would be electrically sound per code?

 

[Fred B]

If I have a meter only, and no grounding electrode near the meter, how do I connect the inter system terminal at or to the meter? 250.94(4) is what seems to apply. It says in part "…..and be connected to the enclosure or to the grounding electrode conductor with a minimum 6AWG copper conductor." Can I use something like the Madison

MEIBB

Grounding & Bonding at it’s best!

meproducts.net

And just mount it to a half inch KO WITHOUT passing a GEC through it? Or does it need a jumper to the grounded conductor or GEC?

Ok, I'm going to ask some silly questions. How is it you have a meter but no other distribution point that is grounded? Why if you do have the distribution panel that is grounded why not locate the inter system bonding there? It is the usual location for these other systems to be connected for use. If no ground present at meter how are you to make a grounded connection even "if" you don't need to bring the conductors trough it?

My concern is that if using the meter location and it is not grounded, and to attempt to use there, the device is not grounded but put onto the neutral. I don't think you would attempt to use the neutral conductor as a ground at any other location it would be like jacking the neutral on a receptacle.

As others stated, it seems the mfg instructions appear to indicate the use of a ground conductor to pass thru the device. It though does seem that it would make bonding possible without the conductor passing thru if mounted on a metal cabinet or box that itself is bonded to the GEC. The entire device is conductive and seems would make grounding continuity the same as you would have with EMT when properly connected and bonded to the enclosure. I've also seen this installed into an LB that is used to protect the GEC as it passes from the house to the electrodes, in such a location the GEC would pass thru and as mfg noted it is threaded on both ends allowing a continuous conductor protection.

 

[electrofelon]

My concern is that if using the meter location and it is not grounded, and to attempt to use there, the device is not grounded but put onto the neutral. I don't think you would attempt to use the neutral conductor as a ground at any other location it would be like jacking the neutral on a receptacle.

We bond to the grounded conductor at, and on the supply side of the service disconnect so why cant the IBT be bonded there? strangely, bonding to the grounded conductor does not seem to be an option in 250.94

regarding the specific layout and wanting to connect it to meter, it seems like this would be a very common occurrence. It is on the exterior and typically close to where the communications utilities are attached

 

[Electromatic]

Well 250.94(4) does say, "connected to an enclosure for the service equipment, to the meter enclosure,...or be mounted at one of these enclosures and be connected to the enclosure or to the grounding electrode conductor..." [emphasis added]

 

[electrofelon]

Well 250.94(4) does say, "connected to an enclosure for the service equipment, to the meter enclosure,...or be mounted at one of these enclosures and be connected to the enclosure or to the grounding electrode conductor..." [emphasis added]

Yeah after reading it over a few more times, I am concluding that the intersystem can be electrically connected to the meter enclosure, without any sort of separate bonding jumper or connection to the GEC. I still say the wording is rather poor, as section 4 starts out saying "at the service equipment", but I don't consider a meter to be service equipment.

 

[jaggedben]

How about run a piece of #6 into tue device that's bonded to the can with a lay-in lug.

 

[electrofelon]

How about run a piece of #6 into tue device that's bonded to the can with a lay-in lug.

Thee isn't a convenient place to do that in my case. There is already a bonding bushing and the neutral conductor is looped through that, and this particular meter socket does not have that small little accessory lug on the neutral terminal. To get a wire bonding jumper, I would need to bug on to the neutral and I am a little paranoid the utility will have an issue with that.