Is a EGC required between a meter can and the service disconnect

[dereklane]

I was helping an electrician buddy wire his house. His meter can is by the transformer at the end of his driveway and his service disconnect is on the house. The meter and service disconnect are about 200 ft away from eachother, connected with PVC conduit. The question is, do you need an EGC pulled between the meter and disconnect? I say no because there's no overcurrent device protecting this section of wire, so a EGC does no good. He says yes because he thinks the main breaker will trip from a fault on either the line side or load side of main breaker. I don't think the main breaker will trip from a line side fault. 2 different inspectors looked at it. One said we needed the EGC, the other said we didn't.
Your thoughts?

 

[ptonsparky]

You do not need the fourth wire. You could use it as a parallel neutral but then it needs to meet the definitions of one.
The breaker will not trip due to a line side fault.

 

[Fred B]

Normal is ground and bond at first disconnect and only 3 wire up to that point on 120/240. Now question is where are your grounding electrodes? Are you bonding at the meter?

 

[infinity]

I was helping an electrician buddy wire his house. His meter can is by the transformer at the end of his driveway and his service disconnect is on the house. The meter and service disconnect are about 200 ft away from each other, connected with PVC conduit. The question is, do you need an EGC pulled between the meter and disconnect?

The answer is no EGC required and it would be prohibited due the paralleling of the neutral as ptonsparky mentioned. Also it would serve absolutely no purpose other than to waste money on the cost of the wire.

 

[electrofelon]

I say no because there's no overcurrent device protecting this section of wire, so a EGC does no good.

You are correct with your answer but your reasoning is wrong. On the line side of the service disconnect, the grounded conductor ("neutral") serves as the fault and bonding conductor.

Keep in mind the POCO may require a GES at the pedestal.

 

[dereklane]

Normal is ground and bond at first disconnect and only 3 wire up to that point on 120/240. Now question is where are your grounding electrodes? Are you bonding at the meter?

Bonding at the disconnect on the house

 

[dereklane]

Ufer

Bonding at the disconnect on the house

Ufer Ground at the house by the disconnect. If I remember right though the inspector wanted some ground rods at the meter too

 

[dereklane]

You are correct with your answer but your reasoning is wrong. On the line side of the service disconnect, the grounded conductor ("neutral") serves as the fault and bonding conductor.

Keep in mind the POCO may require a GES at the pedestal.

That's what I was thinking, is that the neutral in the meter can serves the purpose you described and I figured the neutral connection would be directly bolted to the can. But in looking at it, it looked like the neutral termination in the meter can was isolatedfrom the meter can itself. So if there was a fault to the can, in my mind it wouldn't clear because there's connection between can and neutral. So is it typical for the neutral and the meter can to have Continuity with eachother and be bonded together in some form, or is it normal for the neutral to be isolated.

 

[electrofelon]

That's what I was thinking, is that the neutral in the meter can serves the purpose you described and I figured the neutral connection would be directly bolted to the can. But in looking at it, it looked like the neutral termination in the meter can was isolatedfrom the meter can itself. So if there was a fault to the can, in my mind it wouldn't clear because there's connection between can and neutral. So is it typical for the neutral and the meter can to have Continuity with eachother and be bonded together in some form, or is it normal for the neutral to be isolated.

Every single phase meter socket I have seen has the neutral terminals factory bonded to the can. Commercial meter sockets usually do not have a permanent factory bond, but have a removable bonding screw like a loadcenter has. YMMV depending on what is used in your area, but yes the neutral should be bonded to the meter socket.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Normal is ground and bond at first disconnect and only 3 wire up to that point on 120/240. Now question is where are your grounding electrodes? Are you bonding at the meter?

That does not change anything.

 

[LarryFine]

If I may jump into the fray:

Yes, the meter can should be boded to the neutral, lest it become a shock hazard if energized.
Yes, there should be an electrode(s) at the meter pedestal, as it's considered to be a structure.
No, there needn't be a separate EGC run; these are service conductors, not feeder conductors.

 

[dereklane]

Thanks everyone for the feedback