Our company is about to commence a commercial project where a meter pedestal had been set prior by another contractor specific for this project. It is a 400 amp meter / main pedestal and we will be supplying 2 200 amp panels off it with 300 mcm aluminium conductors following service voltage drop calculation for new building. POCO brought conductors to line side of meter lugs - ran 1/0 AL URD with reduced neutral from their pole underground in 3" conduit to meter pedestal. Our company typically does not work in this POCO's area and we are used of supplying the line side from POCO's pole to meter can - sized per NEC. Should I be concerened about what i see as grossly undersized conductors supplying this service from the pole?
POCO conductors to meter pedestal?
- Thread starter moresi
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qcroanoke
Sometimes I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag
- Location
- Roanoke, VA.
- Occupation
- Sorta retired........
No, Because they won't be. "Tongue planted firmly in cheek."
It is their conductors and their playing field. You can bring it up and document it but it is the POCO's conductors and they don't play by the NEC.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
moresi: But unlike the NEC, the rules that POCOs play by can include minimum and maximum voltage specs (although not voltage drop, per se)
They have the advantage that you do not have of being able to change taps to make up for undersized transformers and wires.
As long as they are willing to put up with the lost power (which they cannot bill you for) and the reduced transformer life, it is their choice to make. They also have to make sure that the no-load voltage does not go too high, of course.
texie
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Occupation
- Electrician, Contractor, Inspector
I agree with all that the POCO is free to size the service conductors as they see fit where they are the party supplying and installing them.
But I do take issue with their practice of installing conductors to a meter socket (that is owned and installed by the building owner) that will cause the terminations to run at a higher temperature than they are rated for. I've seen many a service that the socket terminations failed on the line side do to this. And I don't think it is compliant to operate a termination above it's rated temperature regardless of if you use the NEC or the NESC and regardless of who owns it.
Now of course if this is an overhead service it is not a problem because the POCO is connecting to customer owned NEC sized conductors. And if the POCO splice to these conductors is rated for the temp all is good. Where it is, say, an underground service connecting directly to equipment it is my opinion that even they can't violate the temp. rating of the terminals.
Thanks all-
Yes, i realized that questioning this with POCO would be futile and as i stated, where we work we do all the underground right to the pole - conduit and conductors. i would have thought that at minimum they would have run some 4/0 URD. Well, we shall see. My concern is that there are numerous motor loads in this installation, but as stated - it is the POCO's problem if there is failure on their end. We shall see.
Yes, i realized that questioning this with POCO would be futile and as i stated, where we work we do all the underground right to the pole - conduit and conductors. i would have thought that at minimum they would have run some 4/0 URD. Well, we shall see. My concern is that there are numerous motor loads in this installation, but as stated - it is the POCO's problem if there is failure on their end. We shall see.
qcroanoke
Sometimes I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag
- Location
- Roanoke, VA.
- Occupation
- Sorta retired........
Actually if it is a failure that can't be seen "underground" it will be your fault until you prove to them it isn't on your side of the meter.
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