Wet Meter Socket

[wireman3736]

I always seal my conduits where they exit the ground and enter a termination point to prevent condensation, I have had fellow electricians tell me that I was doing something for nothing and wasting time and material that there would never be enough moister to ever cause a problem. I had to go and do a job in December this past year, it was a run of about 250' of 3" pvc with 350kcm, the meter socket was mounted on a temporary board on a new house and the homeowner wanted to remove the board and install a perminent board, when I opened the meter can the whole inside of the can was dripping wet from condensation, apparantly the warm air coming up from the under ground pipe was hitting the cold meter can and freezing. this being a day just above freezing this ice had melted and was dripping all over the insides including the meter jaws, I have never seen this problem so extreme but I wish I had a camera with me to show those non believers, this just reinforces my belief in sealing conduits where they exit the ground.

 

[infinity]

Sealing of some raceways is to required to limit condensation:

300.7 Raceways Exposed to Different Temperatures.
(A) Sealing. Where portions of a cable raceway or sleeve are known to be subjected to different temperatures and where condensation is known to be a problem, as in cold storage areas of buildings or where passing from the interior to the exterior of a building, the raceway or sleeve shall be filled with an approved material to prevent the circulation of warm air to a colder section of the raceway or sleeve. An explosionproof seal shall not be required for this purpose.

 

[hillbilly]

230.8 (2005NEC) requires for it to be sealed, no exception.
steve

 

[wireman3736]

230.8 (2005NEC) requires for it to be sealed, no exception.
steve

I knew it was in there somewere, even though that says where it enters a building or structure, I don't know if going up the side of a building into a meter socket is the same, I have always sealed it to prevent moisture not just because it's code

 

[hillbilly]

Structure. That which is built or constructed (Article100)
I've always applied the term "structure" liberally. I can't think of anything that wasn't built or constructed (other than things that were created or grown).
steve

 

[infinity]

I knew it was in there somewere, even though that says where it enters a building or structure, I don't know if going up the side of a building into a meter socket is the same, I have always sealed it to prevent moisture not just because it's code

I don't see how entering the meter on the outside of the building is going into the structure. Besides, 230.8 applies to underground penetrations into the building not above ground. 300.7 would apply to raceways between the interior and exterior of a building if the two areas were subject to different temperatures.

 

[iwire]

I've always applied the term "structure" liberally. I can't think of anything that wasn't built or constructed (other than things that were created or grown).
steve

I feel the same way, unless it grew out of the ground where it sits it was built or constructed.

A 2" x 4" stuck in the ground with an receptacle mounted to it is IMO a structure as far as the NEC is concerned.

 

[wireman3736]

looks like we have another contraversy.

 

[bikeindy]

An ant coloney is a structure but try to get them to pay for electrical service is difficult. Even when they invade your electrical structure, they are a bunch of moochers.

 

[iwire]

​