Meter base grounding

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Dennis Alwon

Dennis Alwon

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Retired Electrical Contractor
Had a discussion last night about a meter base mounted on a post about 100 feet from the house. There are no discos out there and the service conductors go underground from the meter to the house.

Is a ground rod needed at the meter base? If so why? I think it is not needed.
 
ultramegabob said:
I would think there should be a disconnect and a ground rod at the pole.
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The only article I can find that says a structure must have a disco is for feeders and branch circuits. Maybe you can enlighten me.
 
I say no, unless you want it there and the utility is fine with it. I would put it at the service disconnect, 250.24(A)(1).

Its still a service past the meter though.
 
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tryinghard said:
I say no, unless you want it there and the utility is fine with it. I would put it at the service disconnect, 250.24(A)(1).
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Do you you mean the ground rod or disco or both?
 
tryinghard said:
I would not put a meter base by itself like this unless the utility qualified it as okay.
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I am asking what the nec says. The utility here does not care if the meter is on the pole remote from the house. I am not doing this job at all---- It is purely hypothetical.
 
Dennis it is my opinion the NEC does not require a grounding electrode at the meter socket.

As you mentioned it is not a feeder, it is not a branch circuit, the pole is IMO a structure but it is not 'served' by a feeder or branch circuit.
 
iwire said:
Dennis it is my opinion the NEC does not require a grounding electrode at the meter socket.

As you mentioned it is not a feeder, it is not a branch circuit, the pole is IMO a structure but it is not 'served' by a feeder or branch circuit.
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That was exactly my thinking. Obviously I caused a little stir last night with my thinking. I started to second guess myself.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I am asking what the nec says. The utility here does not care if the meter is on the pole remote from the house. I am not doing this job at all---- It is purely hypothetical.
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I guess I did not answer your question
"Is a ground rod needed at the meter base? If so why? I think it is not needed".
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No it is not the NEC does not require the electrode here, but the NEC does require an accessible GEC connection somewhere from the load end of the service drop/lateral to the service disconnect as per 250.24(A)(1).
 
It was always made clear to me that ground rods are ONLY to serve the main service disconnect, where neutrals and grounds join to form an illustrious union (lol), and that ground rods are NOT to be *anywhere* else, at all. They are NOT for random grounding.
 
Praedatus1 said:
It was always made clear to me that ground rods are ONLY to serve the main service disconnect, where neutrals and grounds join to form an illustrious union (lol), and that ground rods are NOT to be *anywhere* else, at all. They are NOT for random grounding.
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Well get ready for this ...... you have been taught incorrectly.

See 250.54
 
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