Meter Pedestal

[A/A Fuel GTX]

Sorry for all the scenarios here but this topic really interests me.

Now, when feeding a detached building from a meter pedestal, grounded with a main breaker as part of the pedestal, direct burial USE-2 used as feeders to the building........I would think running 3 wires, 2 ungrounded and 1 grounded to the sub panel would be fine as long as ground rods or better yet a Ufer were installed at the sub panel and bonded to the grounded conductor. Am I thinking correctly her? Would there be any advantage to running four conductors in a case like this?

 

[sparky59]

Re: Meter Pedestal

The equipment ground and the grounded conductor cannot be bonded in a sub panel. The fourth wire is required.

 

[hurk27]

Re: Meter Pedestal

I think 250.32(B)(2) could be used here,
I don't think the disconnect is there to protect the pole, and I doubt it would be considered as the building's disconnect, unless its close to it. And the fact that 230.70 only requires that conductors "IN" a building be disconnected from the SEC's.
That disconnect is not a NEC required disconnect.
It could be a local thing though?

As for over current protection of the SEC's again the NEC only requires overcurrent protection for conductors that enter a building or structure.

 

[A/A Fuel GTX]

Re: Meter Pedestal

I agree with Hurk27.....250.32 (B) (2) seems to be talking directly to this situation. There is no conern about a parallel path here either. I had an inspector tell me this was an acceptable way to do this and I just wanted some other opinions.

 

[BruceH]

Re: Meter Pedestal

I agree, as long as there are no parallel paths, you are ok. The advantage to the 4th wire would be possible future considerations for the outbuilding. Water, phone, cable, etc.

[ December 16, 2005, 09:33 AM: Message edited by: BruceH ]

 

[romeo]

Re: Meter Pedestal

I agree that method is acceptable,But I think that the 4 wire method is the safest. Now we call rest knowing that there will be no parallel path created in the future.

romeo