service upgrade

[Charlie Bob]

A customer wants me to install a disconnect outside, he's got a meter-panel box back to back.
how would you handle the panel box inside.
I mean, since he's got three wire feeder, ground and neutrl is bonded together.I guess i'm gonna have to separate grounds in panel box.
That's the only way, am i right??

 

[electricalperson]

the first disconnecting means is where the neutral gets grounded. will you put fuses inside the disco?

i suppose you can put the main breaker inside just seperate the neutral and grounds

 

[mcclary's electrical]

if you put the disconnect outside,,,it becomes the service,,,,then you need a 4 wire feeder to the panel that has now became a sub-panel and seperate your grounds and neutrals, isolate neutral from can

 

[Charlie Bob]

yeah the disconnect will have a 200 amp breaker, and i will be driving 2 grounding rods with GEC.
The panel inside was upgraded while back to breaker box.

 

[ike5547]

the first disconnecting means is where the neutral gets grounded. will you put fuses inside the disco?

That's not an NEC requirement, but some local utilities don't allow the neutral to be bonded in the meter enclosure.

 

[Charlie Bob]

thank you all
.i thought so ,didn't know if there was another way.

 

[ike5547]

if you put the disconnect outside,,,it becomes the service,,,,then you need a 4 wire feeder to the panel that has now became a sub-panel and seperate your grounds and neutrals, isolate neutral from can

Right. If the main disconnect is outside the main bonding jumper will have to be outside.

 

[infinity]

That's not an NEC requirement, but some local utilities don't allow the neutral to be bonded in the meter enclosure.

Aren't almost all meter enclosures bonded to the neutral? If not how would you ensure that the meter enclosure is grounded?

 

[ike5547]

Aren't almost all meter enclosures bonded to the neutral?

No. Sometimes the neutral is passed right through the can. Unless you're thinking indirectly, then, yes, all meter enclosures are bonded to the neutral.

I always install my main bonding jumper in the same enclosure as the main breaker on a single meter service. If it's a meter/main combo it gets landed at the meter, though.

 

[infinity]

No. Sometimes the neutral is passed right through the can. Unless you're thinking indirectly, then, yes, all meter enclosures are bonded to the neutral.

I always install my main bonding jumper in the same enclosure as the main breaker on a single meter service.

Around here the meter enclosure comes with the neutral factory bonded. For CT services the neutral is bonded via a lay in style lug bolted directly to the CT cabinet.

 

[ike5547]

Around here the meter enclosure comes with the neutral factory bonded.

The neutral doesn't come from the factory. It can pass right through.

For CT services the neutral is bonded via a lay in style lug bolted directly to the CT cabinet.

I believe this is a single family dwelling. Could be wrong. FWIW, around here you are allowed to have your MBJ at the meter(s). And sometimes it makes more sense to do it that way.

 

[mcclary's electrical]

The neutral doesn't come from the factory. It can pass right through.



I believe this is a single family dwelling. Could be wrong. FWIW, around here you are allowed to have your MBJ at the meter(s). And sometimes it makes more sense to do it that way.

around here you cannot,,,so I guess it pepends on the power company

 

[infinity]

The neutral doesn't come from the factory. It can pass right through.



I believe this is a single family dwelling. Could be wrong. FWIW, around here you are allowed to have your MBJ at the meter(s). And sometimes it makes more sense to do it that way.

I think that we're referring to two different things. The bonded neutral in the meter enclosure is not the MBJ, it's there to provide grounding of the enclosure on the line side of the service disconnect. The MBJ would be installed in the service disconnect.

 

[LarryFine]

A customer wants me to install a disconnect outside, he's got a meter-panel box back to back.

Okay, I'll ask.

Why add an outside main to an existing back-to-back?

 

[Cow]

yeah the disconnect will have a 200 amp breaker, and i will be driving 2 grounding rods with GEC.
The panel inside was upgraded while back to breaker box.

What happened to the grounding electrode for the existing panel?

 

[ike5547]

I think that we're referring to two different things. The bonded neutral in the meter enclosure is not the MBJ, it's there to provide grounding of the enclosure on the line side of the service disconnect. The MBJ would be installed in the service disconnect.

Oops, sorry about that. I was assuming there's a steel nipple or something between the two.