Temporary Service Practices

[hornetd]

Some of the postings in the thread Temporary hot box have caused me to ask folks to share information on how there utility does service changes. In the Washington DC area the old meter tail gets spliced temporarily to the new one and the utility completes the installation of the new meter can; which they supply; using hi press lugs. The temporary splices often remain in place for weeks and sometimes months. I often make the new meter tail longer so that the splices can be secured well out of reach from the ground. On a heavy up I helped my brother do in Massachusetts the new service entry cable was connected to the service drop using large insulating displacing connectors to energize the new meter can. I was assured by local electricians that it was done that way there routinely.

My point is that the practices obviously vary from utility to utility and area to area. Out of pure idle curiosity I'd like to here of other ways these get done.
--
Tom

 

[iwire]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

In MA at least up to 10 years ago a I would never see the POCO on a residential service change.

We would cut the old one free, tap it for temp power, when finished we would tie the new service in and if the old meter did not fit the new socket that we provide, we would jump it until the POCO would come out later (days, weeks later).

We did not use the insulating displacing connectors (to much money for something the POCO will through out) we would use split bolts.

I had people from the POCO tell me just to use 3/4" NM connectors as a the temporary wire connectors.

Yes this would be while "hot" so we would check with wiggys between the two conductors about to be connected to make sure there where no ground faults before trying to connect the overhead to the service conductors.

Knowing what I do know now about PPE and the potential to get a copper or aluminum "shower", I would think twice about doing this.

As this is how I was taught I assumed everyone did it this way, looks like I might get arrested in some other states for doing it this way.

Bob

[ August 10, 2003, 06:36 AM: Message edited by: iwire ]

 

[goldstar]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

Tom,

There are 3 utility companies up here in my area of northern New Jersey and if you check in each of their installation handbooks it clearly states that they will not supply temporary power during a service change. We're either supposed to arrive on the job with our own generators or run an extension cord to a neighbor's house for power.

Now, having said that and getting my official response out of the way unofficially I do the following :

While picking up a meter pan at one of the POCO installation facilities I picked up an old meter backplate (one that fits into a meter pan with a fifth jaw). I installed a GFI receptacle in a 4" square box on the face of the plate, wired the hot side of the receptacle to one of the (top) hot jaw terminals and the neutral to the 5th jaw terminal. When I pull out the meter I install this device and I have temporary power while I'm installing a new service. I then remove the old service entrance cable from the side of the house (leaving it connected at the top) and install the new cable, service head and meter pan. (I know this is not "legit" but I think this is a lot safer than using alligator clips up near the strain relief).

In most cases, however, when upgrading a service, the older meter pans do not have a 5th jaw so I've since installed a 12' long wire tied to the 5th jaw terminal with an alligator clip on the end. I clip that wire onto the bottom side of the ground terminal in the old meter pan before inserting my GFI device into the meter pan.

I hope this doesn't lead to a POCO rep and a sheriff with hand cuffs showing up at my shop in the morning. Hope this helps.

By the way, a lot of electricians in my area use roamex connectors to bug onto the existing service (of course they tape them up well). They save on the cost of bugs knowing that the POCO will be there in a few weeks to replace them with hi-press crimps. I never take the chance that they will show up within a few weeks so I use pickles (about $ 8.00@ and half the cost of split bolt bugs). If you do a lot of service changes you could invest in a crimper (about $ 200.00) and the crimps are about half the cost of pickles.

[ August 10, 2003, 07:06 AM: Message edited by: goldstar ]

 

[binney]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

Things around here vary from utility to utility. Where I do a majority of my work the utility has supplied us with bolt-on lugs for the utility wires and we never even see the utility. But I was doing an upgrade a few miles away from here and forgettingly wondered into another utilities area, I cut the clip on the meter to get a start, and when the po company showed up they were threatening me with a $500 fine, for tampering.

 

[iwire]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

Originally posted by goldstar:
I never take the chance that they will show up within a few weeks so I use pickles

Hi Goldstar how are you doing?

I have to ask what the heck is a Pickle?

Is it an aluminum butt connector with set screws?



Bob

[ August 10, 2003, 09:35 AM: Message edited by: iwire ]

 

[hillbilly]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

In the area where I do most of my work the Utility company will not touch a new installation unless the AHJ has signed off on it. This can cause problems because you have only two options when replacing a service. One is to cut it loose and do the change while the customer sits in a dark house, all the while hoping that you can get a inspection and utilities reconnected before dark. The other is to build the new service beside the old (using a new meter main, that the customer pays for), get it inspected, get the utility company to connect to the new service, and then do the final hookup to the existing feeder (or new as required).

[ August 12, 2003, 07:26 AM: Message edited by: hillbilly ]

 

[pierre]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

In Westchester County, NY here is the method.
File a work request with the POCO, they are supposed to unlock the meter, but take too long, so they allow us to cut the meter ring off. This saves us and them from annoying phone calls.
Then we cut the service at the point of connection and use the 'hot box' for temp power. The existing service is removed and we install the new service.
The electrical contractor is responsible for the final tie in of the service. We are allowed to use a crimp system, or Richardson connectors.
If the service is for a new building, the POCO will tie it in.
If we work in the County next to us they will not let the contractor tie it in, and will put a warrant out for your arrest for tampering with 'their property'. I found this out the hard way.

Pierre

 

[goldstar]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

Hi Bob,

Good one !!! They call them "pickles" at the supply house. It's a lot easier to say pickles than "aluminum butt connectors with a set screw".
But, that's exactly what I use........I've never tried the ones in the jar.

Hillbilly,

There are some outlying areas in these parts that want you to install a service in the manners that you described. If I had to make a choice I would choose to have the customer in the dark, install the new service, have it inspected and then have the power company reattach. If you chose to do it the other way (by installing the new service adjacent to the old) what happens to the siding when you remove the old service ? You have a mark or unpainted area that now has to be addressed. This borders on poor workmanship if you ask me.

Phil

[ August 10, 2003, 12:44 PM: Message edited by: goldstar ]

 

[tom baker]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

For temp connections at the weather head some out in the puget sound area use rope clips (little u bolts used for wire rope). what ever we use we don't get back, the rope clips only cost about $1 each or less. POCO doesn't like any to pull meter, but they often can't meet our schedule to pull and reset, so the new service is inspected, temped in and loads are cut to it. When all done POCO can reseal meter and crimp new service drop.

 

[charlie]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

Tom (hornetd not Baker), I stayed out of this one on purpose. It is very interesting how many different answers you are getting. All electric utilities are not the same. I was not wrong on the other post, I was very wrong.

 

[iwire]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

Originally posted by charlie:
I was not wrong on the other post, I was very wrong.

I don't know about that Charlie, your utility seems to handle this issue much better than the ones I deal with.

So who's really wrong? I would say your way is the right way. (Safer)

 

[bill addiss]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

Charlie,

On Long Island I've never heard of a problem with a contractor cutting a seal. LIPA (formerly LILCO) distributes connectors to contractors (I think they're called parallel groove type) for reconnects on services up to 200A.

Bill

 

[charlie]

Re: Temporary Service Practices

Thanks Bob, I was wrong about jumping to the conclusion that current diversion was handled the same everywhere and jumping into the conversation like I knew everything. The EEI people I work with are generally discussing distribution and the NEC in general until we get into our panel reports. This subject has never come up so I really didn't know what other utilities are doing for temporary services (hot boxes) for service change outs.

There are times when I need to learn to keep my mouth shut and this was one of them. BTW, that is the really great thing about this forum; you really need to be sure about what you are saying. There is so much talent and knowledge here that a person can't BS and get by with it. I really feel honored to be a part of this forum.