Is this enclosure being used as a raceway?

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George Stolz

George Stolz

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Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
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Hospital Master Electrician
Had an interesting tag lately, I'm curious to hear opinions.
temptag.jpg


I grabbed a temp from the shop that had Schedule 80 PVC running into the bottom of the temp for the utility conductors. It is attached to a 4x4 post. Generally speaking, all our temps are built so that the conductors from the utility enter directly into the meter portion of the can (red lines in drawing), but this particular one was built differently.

Upon inspection, the temp was failed: "Conductors running to line side of meter cannot run through bottom of can."

Unsure of why, I called the (very friendly, courteous, heckuva guy) inspector, who reacted with surprise that I didn't know that.

"You can't run the unprotected line side conductors through the panelboard."
"Why is that?
"(Confusing explanation I cannot remember), it has to come in the top, or the side, up in the meter can."
"Is this a City of _______ thing, or is that NEC?"
"NEC."
"Can you give me a section for that, I'm not getting it...?"
"I'm in the middle of an inspection, but I can call you back."

After a very short period of time, he called back, and cited 230.7.
230.7 Other Conductors in Raceway or Cable. Conductors other than service conductors shall not be installed in the same service raceway or service cable.
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I was still confused.
"Your service conductors are running through the panelboard before they enter the meter can. You're using the panelboard as a raceway for the service conductors. The service conductors are in the same raceway as the branch circuit conductors. That violates 230.7."

Opinions?
 
I've never seen a can like that, so let me ask before I jump...

Under the load side of the meter, there are some jumpers.
These jumpers go to another set of lugs.
Under these lugs, it appears there are slots for CBs.
Is that correct?
 
celtic said:
I've never seen a can like that, so let me ask before I jump...

Under the load side of the meter, there are some jumpers.
These jumpers go to another set of lugs.
Under these lugs, it appears there are slots for CBs.
Is that correct?
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Yes. (Edit: and below the breakers, are spaces where two 20A GFI's, and one 50A 240V receptacle are installed from the factory.)

Also, what's not terribly visible in the picture, and also important to this question, is that there is a partition with a square hole in it for those jumpers to pass through. The partition is welded into the can from the factory. The exterior of the can is continuous from top to bottom; looking from the outside, it is one enclosure.
rvgroup.jpg

It is the second one, from left. (They can be found here.)
 
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I'd say the BLUE line was a violation...230.7.

While 230.7 doesn't spell it out directly - you end up with fused and non-fused conductors in the same raceway. You could pull the meter, but *could* have induction(or worse) doing it's thing on your BCs that leave that enclosure.

This is copied from the commentary following 230.7 (2002 NECH):
All feeder and branch-circuit conductors must be separated from service conductors. Service conductors are not provided with overcurrent protection where they receive their supply; they are protected against overload conditions at their load end by the service disconnect fuses or circuit breakers. The amount of current that could be imposed on feeder or branch-circuit conductors, should they be in the same raceway and a fault occur, would be much higher than the ampacity of the feeder or branch-circuit conductors.
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I'm sure you have a NECH...but for those that don't :)

Just my opinion...that was explained to me by a substation electrician at a co-gen I worked on. ;)
 
Here in Indy the POCO would not connect you if you had it wired that way even though we have a self inspection they have a "goldbook" that gives you giude lines from them on meter connections and I would have to agree that it violates 230.7 for Celtic's reasons. you can't make safe your panel.
 
ryan_618 said:
I have passed this panel a million times. I don't see the violation. If we start calling enclosures raceways, we won't have a compliant installtion in the world.
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Would you allow a branch circuit to leave the panel go through the meterbase out the bottom or top of the meterbase and to some part of a home on a permanent installation? I have seen this done at homes by DIYer's and it is a violation.
 
ryan_618 said:
What code section does it violate?
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230.7

If you use an enclosure as a raceway then it is a raceway and then you have just violated 230.7 for this example. look at it like this. a pull point j-box is part of your raceway system and so is a meterbase if you take wire through there to another point. and the conduit between the panel and the meterbase IS a raceway anyway you look at it.
 
install a fused d/c. the intention of these units is to be in an RV park and to be protected upstream. are these units listed for use as service equipment? what do the manufacture instructions say? meter/panel combos usually have a welded in place metal divider lokcable by the POCO to seperate the space.
 
ryan_618 said:
Celtic: Quote the code rule that prohibits this. Not the commentary.
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230.7 Other Conductors in Raceway or Cable.
Conductors other than service conductors shall not be installed in the same service raceway or service cable.

The lower portion of the can containing the BCs and the service conductors violates this article.

One could argue that the service conductors are not in the service raceway - as they are in the BC raceway, but that - IMHO - would be a weak arguement. The intent of the code is to limit the potential for fault between service and BC conductors.
 
dcl34769 said:
the intention of these units is to be in an RV park and to be protected upstream. are these units listed for use as service equipment? what do the manufacture instructions say? meter/panel combos usually have a welded in place metal divider lokcable by the POCO to seperate the space.
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No, they are listed as temporary construction power outlets.
They are listed as service equipment when the bonding jumper is installed.

The partition shown is the only seperation between POCO and customer areas of the can.

Edit: Removed question until later time. I want to only provide info for the discussion without throwing in my two cents for now. If someone is quoting my question or concept as I edit, I'd be grateful if you refrained on it, for now. :)
 
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At first I was in disagreement with Ryan's stance on this topic, but in looking closely at the wording of 230.7 and the definitions of RACEWAY, ENCLOSURES, CUTOUT BOX and CABINET, I think he may be correct.

230.7 does not mention cabinet, cutout box, or enclosure... it says SERVICE RACEWAY or SERVICE CABLE.

The meter enclosure, is not a cable or raceway.

Take a standard 200 amp service panel. We have millions of them, with BCs and service conductors crossing inside of them everywhere.
 
I agree with Ryan, too. But I'll throw this out: Is it possible that the manufacturer spec's line conductors to only enter through top of enclosure?
 
The difference between the "millions" that Pierre mentions (and we've all done it) and the illistration in the first post is this. If you pull the meter on one of the millions, you kill power to the BC panel. If you pull the meter on the illustration, the BC panel is still hot. The GE meter main that I sometimes install has a metal divider that encloses and seperates the service lateral from the rest of the box. The meter bases that I use (provided by the utility) clearly state that the service lateral cannot enter thru the center (bottom) knock out. I don't know if that makes any difference in this argument, but it might.
steve
 
George, I think you are in MY town now and it is not an NEC thang (in my opinion), it is a City of Loveland thang. They do, however, quote 230.7 in the city of Loveland Contractor Construction Standards book on page 7. Article 2.4 on that page clearly states that "All service raceways containing service laterals need to go directly from the utility supply source to the meter enclosure. The NEC does not allow unprotected condutors to be run through a breaker panel wjere protected conductors are located" The stuff in quotes is directly from the Standards book. I can promise you that you will lose this battle, should you choose to fight it. I rebuilt about 50 of my temps after they started enforcing this. Sorry to give you the bad news, good luck. (FYI- 1" Carflex with a 90 degree connector into the back of the meter can is a fairly inexpensive way to fix the problem. Loveland also requires a minimum of 40" of free conductor to be left at their connection point and are very strict on their requirement that the meter be between 4'6" and5'6" to the center of meter.) Good luck and have a good day
Jim
 
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