Pole mounted meter, 200 amp service, GES

[jazer]

I have a situation that is confusing me. A house needs a 200 amp service upgrade, the meter is mounted 50 feet away from the structure on a pole. So, the entrance conductors will be 4/0 SE cable on the pole to the meter, the secondary of the meter into the house will be an underground method, yet to bedetermined, feeding a 200 amp main breaker panel. My confusion starts here, the meter on the pole is a seperate structure, needing its own GES. OK, so drive a pair of rods and bond to grounded terminal inside meter. Now, why do I feel like running only three conductors into the house from the meter is not correct? Once in the house at the first disco, another GES must be created, using waterline and again driving rods. This doesn't seem right to me and I am having a hard time defining all of this in the code. Also, i believe the POCO will not want those rods bonded in the meter socket.... So, who would be the AHJ, POCO or inspector who may define that pole mounted meter as a seperate structure? Thanks.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

If you install a disconnect at the structure then you would need 4 wire to the house. If you have just a meter then a 3 wire is all that you need.

 

[augie47]

The Code, for the most part, ignores power meters so if that is all that is on the pole (no disconnect/overcurrent means) you can treat the house as if the meter was on the house and provide whatever grounding POCO desires at the meter.
(Locally our POCOs only require one rod for meters alone)

 

[jazer]

OK, great, thank you. Now let me throw this out there. Say I install a disco at the pole below the meter, and run 4 conductors to the house and hit a MLO panel. How do I then create the GES in the house? Does the number 4 copper from the water supply have to run all the way back out to the disco on the pole? Or can it be bonded to the equipment grounding conductor terminal bar in the MLO panel? And what about the supplemantal rods? A number 6 all the way back to the disco on the pole or to the grounding conductor terminal bar in the panel? Thanks.

 

[augie47]

OK, great, thank you. Now let me throw this out there. Say I install a disco at the pole below the meter, and run 4 conductors to the house and hit a MLO panel

With the house panel now falling under Art 225 Part II the panel would need to be service rated thus have a main.

. How do I then create the GES in the house? Does the number 4 copper from the water supply have to run all the way back out to the disco on the pole? Or can it be bonded to the equipment grounding conductor terminal bar in the MLO panel? And what about the supplemantal rods? A number 6 all the way back to the disco on the pole or to the grounding conductor terminal bar in the panel? Thanks.

see 250.32
(establish a GES at the meter disco connected to the neutral & another at the residence connected to the equipment ground from the meter/disco)

 

[jazer]

Thank you for the guidance!

 

[jazer]

One more question. The disco at the pole under the meter, is it required to have OCP or can it be a service rated safety switch? Seems redundant to have OCP at pile and immediately upon entering premises.

 

[augie47]

230.91 requires the service overcurrent protect to be integral with or adjacent to the disconnect so, IMO< if you have a switch only it can be called a service disconnect but can not serve as the premises 'service equipment'/

 

[shortcircuit2]

With the house panel now falling under Art 225 Part II the panel would need to be service rated thus have a main.

Note the change under the 2014 code...equipment generally doesn't need to be "service rated" anymore. See the change in language in 225.36 Type.

Service Rated equipment has provisions for neutral to ground bonding within the equipment and that is generally not needed such as in 120/240 4-wire applications. Old 120/240 3-wire installs allowed under previous code cycles would require service rated equipment.

Example of application of new language would be if you ran a 60amp feeder to a detached building...a simple 60amp AC disconnect switch would be acceptable as the building disconnecting means...but be sure to provide a means to disconnect the grounded conductor also.