Meter Bank Location - Indoors/Outdoors

[designer82]

I believe there is a section in the NEC that says meter bank can be installed indoors if there is maintenance personnel available or outdoors if there isn't.

Anyone recall this?

Thannks

 

[electrofelon]

I believe there is a section in the NEC that says meter bank can be installed indoors if there is maintenance personnel available or outdoors if there isn't.

Anyone recall this?

Thannks

I don't think the NEC gives a hoot about meter location. It's a POCO call. Now if there are disconnects build in, each tenant must have access per article 240 so potentially that is a determining factor

 

[kwired]

I don't think the NEC gives a hoot about meter location. It's a POCO call. Now if there are disconnects build in, each tenant must have access per article 240 so potentially that is a determining factor

I agree. POCO's often have the say in meter locations, NEC generally doesn't care. As someone once said on this site long ago a meter is just a wide point in the supply conductors in most cases. Even working clearances are typically more strict from POCO's than from NEC for meters.

as mentined if there are breakers as part of the assembly, then you have rules that apply because of the breakers not so much because of the meters.

 

[designer82]

Thank you for your replies.

Yes there are breakers involved because these are the service disconnect modular meter bank for an 8 unit apartment building.

These must be located in the basement because it's a city building so can't really install the meters outside.

So my takeaway here is to make sure the tenants have access to the basement?

thx

 

[electrofelon]

Thank you for your replies.

Yes there are breakers involved because these are the service disconnect modular meter bank for an 8 unit apartment building.

These must be located in the basement because it's a city building so can't really install the meters outside.

So my takeaway here is to make sure the tenants have access to the basement?

thx

Correct they must have access or there be continuous building management. Here is the wording (may not be current code cycle):



240.24 (B) Occupancy

Each occupant shall have ready access to all over- current devices protecting the conductors supplying that occupancy, unless otherwise permitted in 240.24 (B) (1) and (B)(2).

(B)(1) Service and Feeder Overcurrent Devices.

Where electric service and electrical maintenance are provided by the building management and where these are under continuous building management supervision, the service overcurrent devices and feeder overcurrent devices supplying more than one occupancy shall be permitted to be accessible only to authorized management personnel in the following:

(1) Multiple-occupancy buildings.

(2) Guest rooms or guest suites

 

[kwired]

Thank you for your replies.

Yes there are breakers involved because these are the service disconnect modular meter bank for an 8 unit apartment building.

These must be located in the basement because it's a city building so can't really install the meters outside.

So my takeaway here is to make sure the tenants have access to the basement?

thx

Is there 8 service disconnects? You are limited to six by 230.71. If you have 8 apartments, plus probably a house meter and panel, you about need a meter center that has a single service disconnect plus feeder breaker for each unit to be able to comply with 230.71

Indoors Vs outdoors is still not much of an NEC issue but as already mentioned often up to POCO or other local rules.

Tenants do need access to overcurrent devices that serve their occupancy unless it is a place that has staffing always available that can gain access, but that would be more common for assisted living, resorts, and similar places and not so much for typical apartments with little to no full time on site manager or maintenance personnel