GEC and meter base

[roger]

Ken, a lock or sealed meter is not the issue, if you have to wait for someone to open it so be it. Are you going to break into a locked building?

Can anyone here tell me why a GEC connection might have to be accessible but the other conductors landed in a meter do not?

That is the point, if the GEC in a meter can is not accessible neither are the others.

Roger

 

[hillbilly1]

The EMC poco here requires it in the meter base while the Georgia power prohibits it.

 

[480sparky]

WHERE did you get this?

POCO.

Ken, a lock or sealed meter is not the issue, if you have to wait for someone to open it so be it. Are you going to break into a locked building? .....Roger

Depends on the situation at hand.

If a meter is arcin' & sparkin', I'll do what I can to stop it so nothing catches fire.

If a locked door is stopping my entry into a building to stop a fire, I'll try to break it down.

 

[roger]

POCO.



Depends on the situation at hand.

If a meter is arcin' & sparkin', I'll do what I can to stop it so nothing catches fire.

If a locked door is stopping my entry into a building to stop a fire, I'll try to break it down.

So in either case, the GEC is accessible. The POCO's that use the "it's not accessible in the meter enclosure" argument are blowing smoke IMO.


Roger

 

[Fulthrotl]

Same here, but we get a vortex

on the left coast, it'll cause uranus to be overshadowed by pluto.

 

[Fulthrotl]

For years we would have to wait for the POCO to show up to unlock the meter...sometimes that could be days or even weeks.

Then I bought a Dremel and the wait time dropped to less than 5 minutes. If the POCO complained, we would tell them there was "arcs and sparks", it was an emergency... :grin:

it is an emergency.. and when i use a dremel, i find that i have arcs and
sparks as well.... so you are being completely honest. no problem here...
you did mention that the sparks were coming from the dremel, right?

 

[zappy]

I've always landed the GEC on the neutral bar bonded to the main panel.

 

[quogueelectric]

My first legitimate job I called poco to unlock the meter and they said why dont you just grind it off like everybody else.
The grinder set the cedar siding on fire.
Btw the correct placement for the gec is at the main disconnect not the meter pan. It is sometimes questionable on an underground service with the meter at the street.
Some inspectors want an additional ground rod there and some do not. I dont argue I just install what they ask for and get my check.

 

[raider1]

Btw the correct placement for the gec is at the main disconnect not the meter pan.

Correct according to who?

Chris

 

[jaylectricity]

I've always landed the GEC in the lug provided in the meter socket next to the lug for the neutral. Then the water ground would go to the panel.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Btw the correct placement for the gec is at the main disconnect not the meter pan.

The code does not say that.

250.24(A)(1) General The connection shall be made at any accessible point from the load end of the service drop or service lateral to and including the terminal or bus to which the grounded service conductor is connected at the service disconnecting means.

 

[quogueelectric]

The code does not say that.

The meter is not a load and could be out at the road can you put it there then?? Load end would be the main.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

The meter is not a load and could be out at the road can you put it there then?? Load end would be the main.

The load end of the service drop or lateral...that is not at the main...that is where you connect your service conductors to the utilities conductors. As far as putting it at a remote meter, no, it must be at the building, but at any point between the enclosure that contains the main and the load end of the utility companies conductors.

 

[quogueelectric]

The load end of the service drop or lateral...that is not at the main...that is where you connect your service conductors to the utilities conductors. As far as putting it at a remote meter, no, it must be at the building, but at any point between the enclosure that contains the main and the load end of the utility companies conductors.

So you could attatch it at the weatherhead? The load end of the service drop is the main.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

So you could attatch it at the weatherhead? The load end of the service drop is the main.

Yes, you can connect at the weatherhead. The load end of the service entrance conductors is at the main. The load end of the service drop is the street side of the weatherhead.

 

[roger]

Btw the correct placement for the gec is at the main disconnect not the meter pan.

Do tell, who told you that?

Roger

 

[quogueelectric]

Do tell, who told you that?

Roger

Poco=========>>>>>>7.1.5 An approved ground shall be:
A) A metal underground water pipe in direct contact with the earth for 10 feet or
more (including any metal well casing effectively bonded to the pipe) in addition
to a supplemental ground rod.
B) Not less than two driven ground rods placed at a minimum of 6 feet apart when a
non-metallic water piping system exists or is to be installed. A separate
grounding conductor to each ground rod shall be utilized (as shown in section 11,
drawing D-7).
C) As outlined in the NEC, Article 250 - Grounding.
7.1.6 Under no circumstances shall a gas or fuel oil piping system be used as a grounding
electrode, nor should any CATV, telephone, electric or other bond wires be placed in
contact with gas mains or service piping, gas meters or regulators.
7.1.7 Where a continuous copper water system is installed from the street line to the interior of
the building (which includes bonding of the water meter, whether located indoors or
outdoors), grounding shall be accomplished by:
A) Installing a grounding conductor from the neutral block of the main switch to a
point where the water pipe enters the building, before the first pipe weld or fitting.
B) Installing a grounding conductor from the neutral block of the main switch to a
supplemental ground, namely, one driven ground rod.
7.1.8 Where a plastic water piping system is installed from the street line to the interior of the
building, grounding shall be accomplished by:
A) Installing two separate grounding conductors from the neutral block of the main
switch to a supplemental ground, namely, 2 driven ground rods. (See Section
7.1.4)
B) A bonding conductor from the neutral block of the main switch to the interior

 

[roger]

So, that is only your POCO's requirement, and the statement "the correct placement for the gec is at the main disconnect not the meter pan." does not fit the rest of us.

The NEC nor the Soars Book care if it's in the first main, the meter can, or at the weather head.

Here is an illustration of a common way it is done here.

Roger

 

[quogueelectric]

So, that is only your POCO's requirement, and the statement "the correct placement for the gec is at the main disconnect not the meter pan." does not fit the rest of us.

The NEC nor the Soars Book care if it's in the first main, the meter can, or at the weather head.

Here is an illustration of a common way it is done here.

Roger

I wonder why my poco insists on it??

 

[roger]

I wonder why my poco insists on it??

I guess they all have their reasons for their rules whether they make sense to us or not.

Roger