METER TAP LUG

[jap]

Milbank makes a tap lug that will replace the existing slide in lugs that will accommodate the existing wire under the lug in the meter and an additional lug for up to a 100 amp tap from a meterbase on the load side.

My question is if you have a 200 amp meterbase with 200 amp wiring up the mast, doesn't the tap lug create the possibility of overloading the wiring up the mast since it is ahead of the first 200 amp limiting overcurrent device?

Say you had a 200 amp meterbase on a pole out in the yard with 200 amp wiring up the mast with a 200 amp overcurrent device below it that fed a panel in the house 100' away.

Then the owner builds a garage 100' away from the meter but its closer to the meter location on the pole than the house.
would installing these tap lugs on the load side of the meter then installing an additional 100 amp OCPD at the pole to feed the new garage be a code violation since the wiring up the mast could become overloaded? not likely but possibly.

I could see them working if the 200 amp OCPD that protected the feeder to the house was reduced to a 100 amp OCPD and the feeder to the garage had a 100a OCPD below the meter at the pole, but that would defeat the purpose.

JAP>

 

[iwire]

As soon as there is more than one service disconecting means you can use 230.90(A) Exception 3

Exception No.3: Two to six circuit breakers or sets of fuses shall be permitted as the overcurrennt protctive device to provide the overload protection. The sum of the ratings of the circuit breakers or fuses shall be permitted to exrceed the ampacity of the service conductors, provided the calculated load does not exrceed the ampacity of the service conductors.

 

[ActionDave]

There is this exception too,

230.40 Number of Service-Entrance Conductor Sets

Each service drop, set of overhead service conductors, set of
underground service conductors, or service lateral shall sup-
ply only one set of service-entrance conductors.

Exception No. 3: A single-family dwelling unit and its ac-
cessory structures shall be permitted to have one set of
service-entrance conductors run to each from a single ser-
vice drop, set of overhead service conductors, set of under-
ground service conductors, or service lateral.

and this.....

230.42 Minimum Size and Rating

(A) General. The ampacity of the service-entrance con-
ductors before the application of any adjustment or correc-
tion factors shall not be less than either 230.42(A)(1) or (A)
(2). Loads shall be determined in accordance with Part III,
IV, or V of Article 220, as applicable. Ampacity shall be de-
termined from 310.15. The maximum allowable current of
busways shall be that value for which the busway has been
listed or labeled.

The addition of garage may not put you over 200A on your load calc.

 

[jap]

There is this exception too,

230.40 Number of Service-Entrance Conductor Sets

Each service drop, set of overhead service conductors, set of
underground service conductors, or service lateral shall sup-
ply only one set of service-entrance conductors.

Exception No. 3: A single-family dwelling unit and its ac-
cessory structures shall be permitted to have one set of
service-entrance conductors run to each from a single ser-
vice drop, set of overhead service conductors, set of under-
ground service conductors, or service lateral.

and this.....

230.42 Minimum Size and Rating

(A) General. The ampacity of the service-entrance con-
ductors before the application of any adjustment or correc-
tion factors shall not be less than either 230.42(A)(1) or (A)
(2). Loads shall be determined in accordance with Part III,
IV, or V of Article 220, as applicable. Ampacity shall be de-
termined from 310.15. The maximum allowable current of
busways shall be that value for which the busway has been
listed or labeled.

The addition of garage may not put you over 200A on your load calc.

Not sure I understand this.
If the power company brings service entrance conductors down the pole to a dip box near the bottom of the pole that currently feeds a commercial building, is this saying that another tap could not be made in the existing dip box and service entrance conductors to feed an additional meter and service disconnect to feed another structure ?

 

[iwire]

Not sure I understand this.
If the power company brings service entrance conductors down the pole to a dip box near the bottom of the pole that currently feeds a commercial building, is this saying that another tap could not be made in the existing dip box and service entrance conductors to feed an additional meter and service disconnect to feed another structure ?

I am not sure why Dave posted this sections you seemed to be asking about over current protection.

 

[ActionDave]

I thought OP was asking about size of service conductors.