Hi,
I recently completed a service for a residential 3 unit apartment. When I planned this service i had to address the local utility(National Grid). The Meters where located in the basement and there was also no public meter. National Grid wanted a disconnect on the outside of the house for each meter and lever bypass for the public meter. I told them due to supply shortages that I could install a 3 gang meter with tenant disconnects and would have a regular lever bypass no disconnect nippled off of it. They said that would satisfy their needs. I called the local AHJ and told them my plans as well, they told me disconnects are only required for one and two family dwelling but had no objections.
When I called for inspection the inspector picked out two things. Number one..............He is calling my disconnects in the meter enclosure service disconnects and not emergency disconnects. Since the dwelling is a 3 family and not a 1 or 2 he says they are simply service disconnects. The code needs to address this better and define what is and isn't an emergency disconnect. The code says meter sockets are not service equipment so why would the entire enclosure be? I think a disconnect that is part of the meter enclosure should be considered an emergency disconnect. 230.82 states that a meter disconnect shall be legibly field marked on its exterior in a manner suitable for the environment as follows: METER DISCONNECT NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT. So we have equipment being referred to as service , meter , and emergency disconnects. Can somebody help me out here? The problem he has is that since he believes they are service disconnects that they are not grouped because the public doesn't have one and therefore would be located in the basement.
Number two of my nightmare. The Meter enclosure I have is a Siemens WP3311RJ. I has 3 Sections with barriers from top to bottom . The first left section has the 3 tenant breakers that feed your'e loads. The middle section has the three meters stacked vertically with individual covers. The right section has your lugs which you land your service drop. On the far left section where the tenant breakers are there is about an inch of bus bar exposed above each breaker. The bus is built to accept 225 amp breakers which would cover the entire bus. It is also meant to be interchangeable with QP breakers for smaller loads, in my case 100 amps. With the smaller QP breaker in and the exposed inch of bus he is bringing up article 230.62. Enclose, Guarded and Barriers. The only one that applies to me is Barriers. There is no protection to stop accidental contact to those exposed bus bars. Which also is related to my issue from before, is the meter service equipment? This only applies to service equipment. I cant find a multi-gang meter online that has barriers in between each tenant load or no possible contact with live parts. I suggested I cover the inch of bus with 3M Mastic pad so that there would be no more hazard. He wants individual barriers in between each tenant breaker made by the manufacturer which they do not produce.
Any help here would be appreciated. Why are we treating electrical equipment like there's gonna be a refrigerator repair man servicing it? If your'e not an electrician you shouldn't be taking off the 1/4 thick metal cover that's held in with 8 screws exposing the extremely dangerous inch of live bus. Why is the code so bland on how they define things? Why did the inspector make me take off all 3 covers of the meter enclosure while it was 10 degrees out and snowing then proceeded to have me take off all four panel covers to tell me you do neat professional work but lets have code dual? Why did I choose to take this job?
Rants over please help!
I recently completed a service for a residential 3 unit apartment. When I planned this service i had to address the local utility(National Grid). The Meters where located in the basement and there was also no public meter. National Grid wanted a disconnect on the outside of the house for each meter and lever bypass for the public meter. I told them due to supply shortages that I could install a 3 gang meter with tenant disconnects and would have a regular lever bypass no disconnect nippled off of it. They said that would satisfy their needs. I called the local AHJ and told them my plans as well, they told me disconnects are only required for one and two family dwelling but had no objections.
When I called for inspection the inspector picked out two things. Number one..............He is calling my disconnects in the meter enclosure service disconnects and not emergency disconnects. Since the dwelling is a 3 family and not a 1 or 2 he says they are simply service disconnects. The code needs to address this better and define what is and isn't an emergency disconnect. The code says meter sockets are not service equipment so why would the entire enclosure be? I think a disconnect that is part of the meter enclosure should be considered an emergency disconnect. 230.82 states that a meter disconnect shall be legibly field marked on its exterior in a manner suitable for the environment as follows: METER DISCONNECT NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT. So we have equipment being referred to as service , meter , and emergency disconnects. Can somebody help me out here? The problem he has is that since he believes they are service disconnects that they are not grouped because the public doesn't have one and therefore would be located in the basement.
Number two of my nightmare. The Meter enclosure I have is a Siemens WP3311RJ. I has 3 Sections with barriers from top to bottom . The first left section has the 3 tenant breakers that feed your'e loads. The middle section has the three meters stacked vertically with individual covers. The right section has your lugs which you land your service drop. On the far left section where the tenant breakers are there is about an inch of bus bar exposed above each breaker. The bus is built to accept 225 amp breakers which would cover the entire bus. It is also meant to be interchangeable with QP breakers for smaller loads, in my case 100 amps. With the smaller QP breaker in and the exposed inch of bus he is bringing up article 230.62. Enclose, Guarded and Barriers. The only one that applies to me is Barriers. There is no protection to stop accidental contact to those exposed bus bars. Which also is related to my issue from before, is the meter service equipment? This only applies to service equipment. I cant find a multi-gang meter online that has barriers in between each tenant load or no possible contact with live parts. I suggested I cover the inch of bus with 3M Mastic pad so that there would be no more hazard. He wants individual barriers in between each tenant breaker made by the manufacturer which they do not produce.
Any help here would be appreciated. Why are we treating electrical equipment like there's gonna be a refrigerator repair man servicing it? If your'e not an electrician you shouldn't be taking off the 1/4 thick metal cover that's held in with 8 screws exposing the extremely dangerous inch of live bus. Why is the code so bland on how they define things? Why did the inspector make me take off all 3 covers of the meter enclosure while it was 10 degrees out and snowing then proceeded to have me take off all four panel covers to tell me you do neat professional work but lets have code dual? Why did I choose to take this job?
Rants over please help!
