Grounded conductor

P

pedro1200

Member
Location
Ny
Occupation
Electrician
Is this statement true?.
In residential electrical systems, the neutral wire should not terminate in the meter pan
. Instead, the service neutral from the utility company bypasses the meter and connects directly to the main service panel, where it is bonded to the grounding system
 
Would say incorrect. Line side of service enclosures get grounded/bonded via the service grounded conductor. So it need to terminate there somehow whether it is a jumper tail or a splice. The meter may not need it.
 
I have never seen an installation where the neutral was not connected to the terminals in the meter can and the neutral terminal is bonded to the meter can.
The neutral is used for all required grounding and bonding on the line side of the service equipment.
 
pedro1200 said:
the service neutral from the utility company bypasses the meter and connects directly to the main service panel, where it is bonded to the grounding system
Click to expand...
No. Most modern smart meters have a 5th jaw for connection to the neutral. Also the metal meter enclosure must be bonded so that it cannot become energized.
 
pedro1200 said:
Is this statement true?.
In residential electrical systems, the neutral wire should not terminate in the meter pan
. Instead, the service neutral from the utility company bypasses the meter and connects directly to the main service panel, where it is bonded to the grounding system
Click to expand...
TN-C or Multi grounded Neutral (MGN) systems combine the protective function of a equipment ground with the grounded conductor, they are widely used in outdoor utility distribution but have many drawbacks inside a structure.
The NEC picks a point nearist the point of entrance to a structure to have a service disconnect and to separate out the equipment grounding function this is a TN-C-S system.
On some utility 'services' say in a large apartment building you may have a large fused disconnect ahead of the tanant metering and all the tenant 'service' meters are on a TN-C-S system.
Nothing special about a 'utility meter' per se, if its on the load side of a service disconnect its like any equipment that is permitted by 230.82, it gets bonded per NEC 250.92.
Typically a grounded service conductor is used but I *think* there are other acceptable methods besides only using the grounded service conductor, such as a bonding jumper may be permitted.
 
pedro1200 said:
Is this statement true?.
In residential electrical systems, the neutral wire should not terminate in the meter pan
. Instead, the service neutral from the utility company bypasses the meter and connects directly to the main service panel, where it is bonded to the grounding system
Click to expand...
In my area you are not allowed to bring an EGC into a meter can so it would be extremely dangerous to what you stated " bypass the meter and connect directly to the service main panel ". Doing that could get a person electrocuted due to the metal meter pan is not bonded. Of course with the latest code mandating that all residential services must have outdoor service disconnect and guessing most electricians will use a listed combination meter & disconnect in one enclosure that would should require an EGC. Hoping after they sell a ton of expensive meter disconnect combinations enclosures the manufacturers of smart meter install a $15 lockable lever on the relay they use to disconnect services that would save homeowners hundreds of dollar.
 
Here in PNW the 60's to early 70's they had a building boom in lots of suburban areas, around that time they switched to underground distribution, and these 'modern' flush mount meters for a clean look. It was a narrow style exactly like a meter for a OH service but deeper with a flange, not the typical UG meter base you see today. They often ran a 2" rigid before the foundation pours, so the URD had a chase up to the meter, the rest of the service lateral is typically direct burial, these things are really difficult to replace, so if the meter can fails or needs to be relocated, these are a real pain to redo.
In these its common to see the neutral pulled into the loadcenter and a bonding jumper ran back to the meter and a ground bushing on the rigid.
The meter is bonded, its just not directly connected to the neutral. I have seen service wireways in commercial buildings bonded a similar way.
This photo shows one that had a bad meter jaw, that activated the heat sensor in the smart meter, it has something like 4/0 AL URD coming up from the bottom and you can see the neutral pass to the panel on the right. The entire meter can was like 8" wide.
1760201810027.png
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top