Double Tap Found in Meter Socket

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

ccarr7

Member
I was recently involved with a job where a customer's service cable (3-wire, single phase) to the house faulted underneath his deck. Rather than remove a section of his deck he opted to install a new service line from utility transformer to his meter socket.

The meter socket was very rusted out, so we had him replace it. The electrician found that each single lug for the phase wires has two phase wires in them. One set runs to each of two circuit panels with 100A main breakers.

I don't believe this is acceptable, and was going to have him convert his service on the inside so that one panel acts as the main and feeds the second panel which would act as a sub-panel.

My question is "Does NEC address the double tap in a single lug at a meter socket?". If so, which section? I have not been able to find anything.

Thanks,
Creig
 
ccarr7 said:
I was recently involved with a job where a customer's service cable (3-wire, single phase) to the house faulted underneath his deck. Rather than remove a section of his deck he opted to install a new service line from utility transformer to his meter socket.

The meter socket was very rusted out, so we had him replace it. The electrician found that each single lug for the phase wires has two phase wires in them. One set runs to each of two circuit panels with 100A main breakers.

I don't believe this is acceptable, and was going to have him convert his service on the inside so that one panel acts as the main and feeds the second panel which would act as a sub-panel.

My question is "Does NEC address the double tap in a single lug at a meter socket?". If so, which section? I have not been able to find anything.

Thanks,
Creig
Click to expand...


I agree with Roger, we have been having a hard time with finding a 200 amp meter base that has double lugs to allow this type of installation, which is very common with a 320 meter base with 2 200 amp panels, but I was told that you can use a listed split bolt to connect the two panels to short pieces of 2 ? from the meter lugs, if the meter base is of sufficient size that the splice meets the 75% fill rule, or a gutter would be needed or just use a 320 meter base with double lugs?

If he runs the one panel from the other, it will reduced the available service size to 100 amps and could put this house to under the calculated load requirements.
 
are the panels next to each other? if so the 320 amp meter socket with double lugs would be the way to go, if they are not next to each other you should put a W.P. panel outside and refeed both panels with 4 wire.
 
Thanks Guys,

We were actually able to find a 200A rated meter socket that came with a 100A breaker and an additional location for a plug-in 100A breaker. Therefore, we were able to feed each panel off of a 100A external disconnect.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top