new meter can

[2stupid2fixit]

On Tuesday everything was fine. On Wednesday, half of the house went dark. The utility identified the problem as the left side input pad on the meter was loose, and heat burned it off. The pad from the meter base to the meter input blade turned to liquid dripped metal and opened. Seeing this, the utility cut the house off at the pole. Next: need new meter base. Ok, so bought the $88 siemens base at home depot. Screwed it to the house. Reconnected the service entrance cable after wire brushing the exposed and dosing it with generous amounts of Noalox since the cable is AL.

Question. the box exits to sched 80 pvc but code says that the sec must be anchored to the meter case. how the hell do you do this if the connector to the base of the meter box is the sched 80 pvc to box adapter? do i twist a 2 inch threaded metal clamp into the exposed pvc? in my experience, all is needed is a bushing that minimizes rubbing on the end of the adapter going into the box. Thoughts?

 

[bigb56]

If it's piped all the way it's a conduit system and the only securement required would be the pipe itself. If it's not piped all the way it's just a sleeve for protection of a cable and conduit fill rules don't apply, only securement of the sleeve and securement of the cable where it exits the sleeve. Keep in mind a complete conduit system normally would contain individual conductors. Cables are allowed as long as the conduit maximum fill ratio is not exceeded which normally means pretty large conduit when dealing with cables instead of individual conductors. If it's only a sleeve the fill rules don't apply.

Regardless, secure the pipe at the meter base and secure the service entrance cable where it emerges from the pipe (unless complete conduit system). If a complete system secure the pipe within 3 feet of each termination and a minimum of every 10 feet in between.

Depending on your POCO they may have requirements for the meter base, ours provides a list of approved equipment and if you don't use one from their list they won't hook it up regardless of whether the county passes it or not.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[bigb56]

BTW if it's just a sleeve you'll want to pick up a bar of duct seal and pack it around each end to keep rodents and bugs out.

 

[Fitter30]

Someone was looking out for you could of burned the house down.

 

[Afjes]

Depending on your POCO they may have requirements for the meter base, ours provides a list of approved equipment and if you don't use one from their list they won't hook it up regardless of whether the county passes it or not.

This is very true. Many POCOs have a list of approved equipment that can only be used. You can't just go an buy anything you want. They do have the right to not connect your service if you do not use approved equipment. Even if it is inspected and passes inspection the POCO can still refuse connecting it.

 

[2stupid2fixit]

Since the triplex was de-energized at the pole and the getup was installed in 1974 (same age as me) I took a good look at the the whole picture and decided that since I didnt work as well as I did back in the day, the panel, the meter box, all of it was probably worth shit now. Turns out I was correct. Inside the arrow-hart murray 200a panel was a rats nest of wire. All bare grounds twisted tightly together, pegged anywhere, circuits doubled up on breakers etc. And a lot of corrosion on everything. Last- main breaker would trip for no good reason, or be difficult to reset, so I decided to trash the panel. THEN, I figured out why the line side of L2 went to molten lava. Apparently the home unimprovement contractor was not educated to recognize that, in PA at least, if there is no external disconnect next to the meter, that means there is a main panel on the other side of that wall. So he drove a 4 inch screw that found its way into the main panel box, but even better, the point of the screw drove right through the middle of L2's 4/0 AL Sec. Right through the braid. 1. Thank God the meter can was old and worn and the L2 line jaw turned to liquid and opened. 2. How he was not killed or at least burned the house down is still a mystery to me. Look at the photos, I am not making this up.

What the job turned into:
1. Lop service cables from my side of utility splice
2. run 4/0 4/0 4/0 AL xhhw into weatherhead, then down 7 feet of 2.5 inch galvanized RMC. That stuff does not like to bend.
3. New meter can lag screwed to house.
4. 4/0 4/0 4/0 SEU from load side of meter, through 2 inch sched 80 pvc to LB.
5. Did I mention wire is expensive?
6. New square d 30 space 200a panel
7. used afci breakers for all but outside lights, those are on gfi breaker.
8. installed whole home surge suppressor because I lost my page and didnt realize its not required in 2017 NEC
9. had to drive two 8 foot copper clad 5/8 ground rods to grade. this took all day. where i live is made of boulders.
10. #4 cu unbroken to said driven rods. even got bury-specd clamps.
11. Label maker identified the branch circuits on the panel legend.

Inspector was from private civil engineering firm hired by township. Passed on first look.

Now, for the photos that started all of this

Bad enough on its own, but wait, Helpy McHelperton shows up armed with something that says Ryobi on it...

All good now. My work is neater than what was installed before it became mine. New panel, all good with township blessings.

camera makes it look lop sided but I assure you, it's level.

 

[2stupid2fixit]

Depending on your POCO they may have requirements for the meter base, ours provides a list of approved equipment and if you don't use one from their list they won't hook it up regardless of whether the county passes it or not.

bigb56, You saved me a ton of time and money posting that wisdom. I found out that PPL has a strict list of what they will accept. Anything not on their list is what they will not connect. A serious Thank you to you, brother. Hope to buy you a beer someday.

 

[Fitter30]

If that screw would of went through a hot main screw would of vaporized with a loud bang as soon as it touched.

 

[bigb56]

Sounds like it went well. I've seen a few screws driven through the back of panels before. Once a tile guy installed a shower seat with 3" screws into the wall, one of them went right into a box and the hot wire. After the elderly lady kept complaining of shocks in her new shower we were called out.