Suitable for use as...

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mdshunk

mdshunk

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I'm looking at putting metering equipment on a building that is 10 storage garages. The building presently has a service (1 meter), for which the owner pays all the electric. He wants separate metering for each tennant. Since I'll have 10 meters and 10 attendant disconnects, I need to put a big disconnect ahead of all the meters. If that's the case, does each unit's panel need to be marked "suitable for use as service equipment? I'd like to just put a 2-circuit box in each unit, since it will only power a keyless and a receptacle. Trouble is, none of those wee panels are marked "suitable for use as service equipment". I'm thinking that since I'll have a big breaker type disco ahead of all the meters, I might be okay with the un-marked 2-circuit boxes inside each unit. What do you think?

This is what I have in mind to build:

10stack.jpg
 
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ItsHot said:
Looks good Marc. You even strapped your pipe!:grin:
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That just happened to be on the detail that I was cutting and pasting from.

I just really need to know if my panels need to be marked "suitable for use as service equipment" if I hang them off a service like this?
 
mdshunk said:
Yup. 100 foot long building, 10 garages, each 10x20.
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I can't think of a reason why they'd need to be, based on what you've drawn.

BTW what did you make that pic with?

Eidit: Nevermind about the drawing.
 
mdshunk said:
That just happened to be on the detail that I was cutting and pasting from.

I just really need to know if my panels need to be marked "suitable for use as service equipment" if I hang them off a service like this?
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Firewalls involved making them seprate structures?
 
not sure

not sure

mdshunk said:
That just happened to be on the detail that I was cutting and pasting from.

I just really need to know if my panels need to be marked "suitable for use as service equipment" if I hang them off a service like this?
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I am not sure on this??? For some reason this makes me think of out buildings that can have up to 2 circuits with out requiring panel. But sorry to confuse the simple question!!:-?
 
ItsHot said:
Disconnect is service equipment and mini-panels are equipment on branch circuits.
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That's what I was thinking. Just double-checking.

Every time I've had to build a service like this before, the panels I had to use were marked as "suitable for use as service equipment" because they were sufficiently large. I've never had to build a service like this with only little wee 2-circuit boxes hanging off each meter.
 
Chris

Chris

mdshunk said:
That's what I was thinking. Just double-checking.

Every time I've had to build a service like this before, the panels I had to use were marked as "suitable for use as service equipment" because they were sufficiently large. I've never had to build a service like this with only little wee 2-circuit boxes hanging off each meter.
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Chris gave me the wake up call. I could not see the simple, for all the meters!:D
 
ItsHot said:
Chris gave me the wake up call. I could not see the simple, for all the meters!:D
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Once you have reduced the POCO'S available fault current with your fuses or breaker anything down stream IMO would not be service equipement.

Service. The conductors and equipment for delivering electric energy from the serving utility to the wiring system of the premises served.
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You debate.
 
Marc, I agree with these being feeders. But let me ask what size wire do you plan on using to tap the service to feed each meter and the 2 circ. panels?
 
ceb58 said:
Marc, I agree with these being feeders. But let me ask what size wire do you plan on using to tap the service to feed each meter and the 2 circ. panels?
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Crikie! There's something I hadn't thought about yet. Thanks!

I was going to use #8, since that's the smallest the lugs in the meter can will accomodate, but my panels will be too far away to comply with the tap rules. Nuts. Might have to do a meter stack or use outdoor disco's now. Put in a 2-pole 20 for each garage. One pole for the light and one pole for the receptacle.
 
It may be irrelevant now... but I believe that the 2-space 70A Square D QO load centers are marked as suitable for use as service equipment, and the 30A are not.
 
mdshunk said:
Crikie! There's something I hadn't thought about yet. Thanks!

I was going to use #8, since that's the smallest the lugs in the meter can will accomodate, but my panels will be too far away to comply with the tap rules. Nuts. Might have to do a meter stack or use outdoor disco's now. Put in a 2-pole 20 for each garage. One pole for the light and one pole for the receptacle.
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Has the owner ruled out private meters and doing the math for billing?
 
frizbeedog said:
Has the owner ruled out private meters and doing the math for billing?
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Yeah. He has a hard enough time collecting the rent. Collecting rent and a power bill is totally out of the question. The job won't happen if that has to be the case. Out of town owner lives down near DC, and only gets around here every couple months.
 
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