Main disconnect is within 5 feet of entering building but meter bank is 50 feet away inside building - Do I need to concrete-encase?

V

Volt-Amps

Member
Location
Indianapolis
Hello, all
Hoping to clarify this on this forum:
- New service from utility to power a big building
- It's one residential building that consists of 4 sections
- Main Distribution panel is within 5 feet on the service conductors point of entrance to building
- But MDP is not metered, rather has (4) breakers that feed (4) meter banks to cover the (4) building sections
- Considering MDP is not metered, do I need to concrete encase the feeders going to each meter bank?
- Also, do I need to add a disconnect for each meter bank or can I go straight to the meters as shown?
Please see attached PDF (incomplete design)
 

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I believe the feeders to the meters are okay since they're protected, and tap rules cover them at the meters.

Can you not discuss this with the designer and/or AHJ/plan reviewer?
 
LarryFine said:
I believe the feeders to the meters are okay since they're protected, and tap rules cover them at the meters.

Can you not discuss this with the designer and/or AHJ/plan reviewer?
Click to expand...
I'm the designer so the next step would be to discuss it with plan review :) . In addition to code compliance, the concern is also about the utility company if the conduit is not concrete-encased, someone could potentially connect ahead of the meters.
 
The utility has one set of rules, the NEC is a different set of rules. Between the weather head and the meter you need to comply with both sets of rules.

The NEC is pretty well standard everywhere (with exceptions, because the NEC is 'adopted' by a local government, and they can modify it, lots of places make some changes). The utility rules are all over the place.

Jonathan
 
I would think that the utility would want a CT section with a meter at the entrance of main distribution panel, and prohibit you from mixing the incoming service conductors in the same enclosure section with the feeder conductors.

Might be better to add another section to the main distribution board with the CT section and the main service disconnect, then bus over to the to the distribution section.

I don't think they would like there to be the ability to turn off the main, and then tamper with the un-meterd service conductors and um-metered feeder conductors, especially with them all in the same section.
 
As I keep reminding people, the NEC does not give a flying ---- about meters or their location. Sounds like you have a service disconnect 'nearest the entrance' (assuming AHJ agrees 5ft is near enough) so you're NEC compliant.

That said, I agree with others that I'd be surprised if the utility approved meter locations downstream of distribution like that. Utilities generally get to enforce their own metering rules.
 
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