Distance from Meter Base and Service Disconnect

Status
Not open for further replies.
W

wmeek

Senior Member
Location
Texas
Occupation
Electrician
I am looking for a maximun distance you can go from Meter Base and Service Disconnect. The Panel will be located outside. This is a duplex dwelling that both risers need to be close together for the utility company to connect with just one drop. There is not enough room to have panel next to meter.I can not find any info.
Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks
 
The disconnect does not have to be next to the meter but if there are more than one than they must be group. If you do not enter the building then the disco can be placed anywhere... IMO.. no distance is defined providing you comply with 230.6.

Once you enter the building it must be as soon as practical 230.70

In your situation it seems that the EI would have to rule how far is too far.
 
Thanks Dennis

This is a Duplex Home and it has a overhead Service. I do not see where 230.6 will be an issue. The Utility company will only bring one service drop to the premises. Therfore , I need to mount two meters at the same location. The panel for one unit will be mounted next to its meter base, and the other panel is located on adjacent wall approx. 5' to 6 1/2' away. The other question is for the POA . Can I install unistrut and attatch to both rigid risers adn attatch a POA to it.
 
Are these rigid riser going to support the service drop? If these rigid pipes are masts and are of adequate strength then I don't see why you couldn't use unistrut between them and use the strut as support for the drop.

I believe it will all boil down to what is adequate strength. Usually around here it must be a 2" rigid pipe to support the drop.
 
Yes the risers wiil 2" Rigid thru the roof. I have a call in to the Electrical Inspector to see what if any requirements the city has with distance from meter to panel.
Thanks for your help
 
Dennis Alwon said:
The disconnect does not have to be next to the meter but if there are more than one than they must be group.
Click to expand...
What code section requires that the service disconnect for one set of service entrance conductors has to be grouped with the service disconnect for a second set of service entrance conductors?
 
WM, as far as code is concerned, you can have the masts side-by-side, and any amount of service conductors you want to the meters, and any amount you want to the main disconnect, as long as all of it is outside the building, or for the disco, immediately upon entering it.
 
LarryFine said:
WM, as far as code is concerned, you can have the masts side-by-side, and any amount of service conductors you want to the meters, and any amount you want to the main disconnect, as long as all of it is outside the building, or for the disco, immediately upon entering it.
Click to expand...

Larry... I was always under the impression that you could run the service conductors anywhere if it were outside the building until I read 230.6 . Explain to me how you can go any distance please.

Don, I think I misspoke on the disconnects being group but I must admit I am confused on that also.
 
The Utility company will only bring one service drop to the premises. Therfore , I need to mount two meters at the same location.
Click to expand...

why not use a dual-meter base?? one riser=two meters.
 
don_resqcapt19 said:
Dennis,
I don't see how 230.6 limits the length of service conductors that are outside of a building.
Click to expand...

230.6 defines when conductors are outside the building. Interestingly attached to the outside is not listed. Technically -- if we read the code for what the code says then the conductors must meet 1-4. On the building, even tho it is outside, is not a choice.
 
Because of 230.6 I believe we are limited by 230.70.

Here is my thinking on this. It does not make sense that I could run SE cable around the entire perimeter of the house without OCP protection and I am limited inside the house even if it is in conduit. I was thinking that perhaps --I know this sounds crazy-- outside is not considered outside. It would need to be protected by installing according to 230.6 1,2,3 or 4.

If you disgree then please tell me what 230.6 is stating.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
If you disgree then please tell me what 230.6 is stating.
Click to expand...
230.6 Conductors Considered Outside the Building. Conductors shall be considered outside of a building or other structure under any of the following conditions:
(1) Where installed under not less than 50 mm (2 in.) of concrete beneath a building or other structure
(2) Where installed within a building or other structure in a raceway that is encased in concrete or brick not less than 50 mm (2 in.) thick
(3) Where installed in any vault that meets the construction requirements of Article 450, Part III
(4) Where installed in conduit and under not less than 450 mm (18 in.) of earth beneath a building or other structure
Click to expand...
This means conductors that are not otherwise obviously outside. Maybe it should be worded " . . . shall be permitted to be considered outside . . . "
 
I WOULD RECCOMEND THAT YOU USE A DOUBLE GANG METER BASE. WITH ONE MASK.
GET THE METER BASE WITH THE DISCONNECTS MADE IN TO IT. A LOT LESS WORK. A MUCH NICER JOB.
BASE YOUR RISERS ON THE LOAD.
125 AMP EACH FOR A DUPEX SHOUD BE FINE. tHE DOUBLE METER BASE WITH DISCONNECTS IS NOT THAT COSTLY.
iF YOU ARE GOING FOR 200 AMPS EACH. a METER BASE WITH DISCONNECTS WILL BE FROM 400 TO 600 DOLLARES.
THE MAIN BUS BAR AND LUGS ARE USUALLLY RATED FOR 360 AMPS.
IF THE POWER COMPANY IS GOING TO ATTACH THE DROP TO THE HOUSE THEN PVC SHOULD BE FINE. iF YOU NEED MORE HEIGHTH IS THE ONLY TIME YOU WOULD NEED TO USE RIGID. hAVE YOU PRICED A TEN FOOT PIECE LATELY. ABOUT 65 DOLLARS.
THIS INFO IS OF COURSE OPINION. sOME JUISDICTIONS MAY REQUIRE METAL CONDUIT. pARTICULARRLY IN THE CITY.
 
LarryFine said:
This means conductors that are not otherwise obviously outside. Maybe it should be worded " . . . shall be permitted to be considered outside . . . "
Click to expand...

This is what you think it means. It does not say that. I still wonder what the intent is of this statement. Again I have always thought it was as you said but I am wondering now.
 
For what it is worth I have talked to my inspector. He said I could come off of Meter Can and run to Panel located approx. 6' away without setting a disconnect, as long as I do not enter the building and the panel is located outside.


Thanks for all your help
 
Dennis Alwon said:
This is what you think it means. It does not say that. I still wonder what the intent is of this statement. Again I have always thought it was as you said but I am wondering now.
Click to expand...
Well, it certainly does not say that all other conductors shall be considered to be inside the building.

I don't need an NEC interpretation to tell me that the SE cable on the outside of a building is outside.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
The disconnect does not have to be next to the meter but if there are more than one than they must be group.
Click to expand...

don_resqcapt19 said:
What code section requires that the service disconnect for one set of service entrance conductors has to be grouped with the service disconnect for a second set of service entrance conductors?
Click to expand...

230.71 Maximum Number of Disconnects
(A) General. The service disconnecting means for each service permitted by 230.2, or for each set of service-entrance conductors permitted by 230.40, Exception No. 1, 3, 4, or 5, shall consist of not more than six switches or sets of circuit breakers, or a combination of not more than six switches and sets of circuit breakers, mounted in a single enclosure, in a group of separate enclosures, or in or on a switchboard. There shall be not more than six sets of disconnects per service grouped in any one location. [2008 NEC Handbook]​

The accompanying illustration shows an exterior-wall installation of side-by-side triple-meter packs, each meter having its own main disconnect, with all six being served by a service coming down the wall in rigid. Nothing else is around this installation, although there may be another just like it farther down the wall, serving the next six apartments.

Now a question:
How does a "set of circuit breakers" (i.e., >1) = 1 switch?
 
Mark,
In the section that you quoted it says that each set of service entrance conductors is permitted to have up to six means of disconnect. There is no code section that says the service disconnect(s) for one set of service entrance conductors have to be grouped with those for another set of service entrance conductors.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top