Hello
I have some code questions about residential services.
Most of the services in my area are pole mounted. Its a rural farming area and most homes are always away from the power lines. The utility will allow 150’ for a overhead utility service drop. Usually the utility will get the power in 150 feet and then you will see a meter disconnect. After this point it becomes the owners responsibility. In most cases the owner will come out of the main breaker in the meter and will go underground to the home being feed.
Question #1 What do you call these underground conductors? My understanding is that a lateral is unfused from the utility to the service equipment. Also, service-entrance conductors are the supply conductors between the point of connection to the service drop or service-laterals conductors and the service equipment. So, the conductors coming out of the outside meter main going underground to the house must be feeders. So, the meter main must be my main disconnect.
Question #2 My main service disconnect conformoning to 230.70 must be inside the building at the nearest point of entrance of the service conductors or outside the building on or within site of the building. Is not my meter main my main disconnect? I should be able to go underground to the house and continue into my panel, where ever it may be. 230.70 A1 states that the conductors must stay as short as possible and be inside nearest the point of entrance of the service conductors. This should haves no relevance to me. I am already fused at the pole. Is this correct?
Question #3. If all this being said is true, what is a readily accessible location of the Main disconnect. My Electrical Wiring Residential Delmar book says within site of the house. My friends house has a pole mounted meter main 700 feet away from the house and it goes over a bit of a rise. From the Pole, you can see the top of the house, that is it. Also, this house is fed with three wire USE underground. They have bonded the ground and the neutral at the panel and have driven a ground rod. There is no other paths of ground back to the meter except the neutral. This panel is inside the house and not on the outside wall. This can not be legal.
When I have powered up another building from the same service, I have always treated the conductors leaving the first building as a feeder and have treated the same conductors, when they arrive at the second building as service-entrance conductors and terminated in service equipment. This is almost the same. The electrician that wired the house I am talking about could have only bonded the neutrals and the grounds together at the panel inside if #1 the panel had a main disconnect, and #2 it was at the closest point to the service conductors. What is right?
Sorry this is so long winded, but as you can see I think I thought myself into a corner and cannot get back out!
I have some code questions about residential services.
Most of the services in my area are pole mounted. Its a rural farming area and most homes are always away from the power lines. The utility will allow 150’ for a overhead utility service drop. Usually the utility will get the power in 150 feet and then you will see a meter disconnect. After this point it becomes the owners responsibility. In most cases the owner will come out of the main breaker in the meter and will go underground to the home being feed.
Question #1 What do you call these underground conductors? My understanding is that a lateral is unfused from the utility to the service equipment. Also, service-entrance conductors are the supply conductors between the point of connection to the service drop or service-laterals conductors and the service equipment. So, the conductors coming out of the outside meter main going underground to the house must be feeders. So, the meter main must be my main disconnect.
Question #2 My main service disconnect conformoning to 230.70 must be inside the building at the nearest point of entrance of the service conductors or outside the building on or within site of the building. Is not my meter main my main disconnect? I should be able to go underground to the house and continue into my panel, where ever it may be. 230.70 A1 states that the conductors must stay as short as possible and be inside nearest the point of entrance of the service conductors. This should haves no relevance to me. I am already fused at the pole. Is this correct?
Question #3. If all this being said is true, what is a readily accessible location of the Main disconnect. My Electrical Wiring Residential Delmar book says within site of the house. My friends house has a pole mounted meter main 700 feet away from the house and it goes over a bit of a rise. From the Pole, you can see the top of the house, that is it. Also, this house is fed with three wire USE underground. They have bonded the ground and the neutral at the panel and have driven a ground rod. There is no other paths of ground back to the meter except the neutral. This panel is inside the house and not on the outside wall. This can not be legal.
When I have powered up another building from the same service, I have always treated the conductors leaving the first building as a feeder and have treated the same conductors, when they arrive at the second building as service-entrance conductors and terminated in service equipment. This is almost the same. The electrician that wired the house I am talking about could have only bonded the neutrals and the grounds together at the panel inside if #1 the panel had a main disconnect, and #2 it was at the closest point to the service conductors. What is right?
Sorry this is so long winded, but as you can see I think I thought myself into a corner and cannot get back out!
