Disconnect before meter?

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GerryB

Senior Member
This is probably a POCO call and I am waiting for them to get back to me but they haven't yet. The job is an existing 3 family with the meters located inside in the center of the basement, 15 feet from the outside. Ridgid conduit, no disconnect. They can stay as is. We have to add a house meter. POCO usually wants all the meters together. It doesn't look as if I can add to the old existing meters so I will most likely run a new service for the house meter.
My question is can you put a disconnect outside or as soon as you enter the premises that would be ahead of the meter.
 

GoldDigger

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Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
POCO will usually not allow a disconnect with OCPD to be located ahead of their meter since the required access to the OCPD makes it very likely that there will be access to unmetered conductors as well.
NEC does not prohibit it.
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
This is probably a POCO call and I am waiting for them to get back to me but they haven't yet. The job is an existing 3 family with the meters located inside in the center of the basement, 15 feet from the outside. Ridgid conduit, no disconnect. They can stay as is. We have to add a house meter. POCO usually wants all the meters together. It doesn't look as if I can add to the old existing meters so I will most likely run a new service for the house meter.
My question is can you put a disconnect outside or as soon as you enter the premises that would be ahead of the meter.

Since the length of service conductor inside the building is left up to AHJ judgement, you may find that your AHJ will allow a new meter to be added in the same location, as long as it is piped with no access.
 

mwm1752

Senior Member
Location
Aspen, Colo
are your meters tapped from a service entrance conductor? as long as the SEC are rated for the load calcs you could tap them for another meter inside - meter stacks with more than 6 disco switches always have a main prior to meters
 
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