Main V.s. Load 2 Gang Meter

Bubbles

Short Story

Old 8 fuse panel feeding whole house single family (200 in UL tapped to 100amp wire to old fuse panel).

We had to convert to 2 family.

To be extra safe we put in a main 200 amp OCD directly against welded jbox with main (old) Underground Laterals just inside basement. Out of main we fed 4/0 SE about 4 ft into 2 gang meter box. Out of meter box we ran 2 2/0 Feeder SE cables (about 4ft ) to each 150amp Main breaker panels (Apt1,Apt2).
Inspector failed saying since we put in a 200 amp main breaker everything downstream must be 4/0 even the load wires going to 150 amp main sub panels. In this case it took all day. Tight quarters and such. I did'nt argue since I pick my fights wisely. We passed on second.

Looking for comments on this setup. Why have I seen 100's of 300 amp main overheads feeding 4 or 6 bank meters with 1/0 (100amp) load to 100 amp panels and thats ok? Potentially they can draw 320 - 480 amps if everyone fires everything up. I understand demand factors I'm just saying.

If I wouldnt have put in main it would have been fine he said. I said I was trying to be a little extra safe.

Anyone else run into this?

mahlere

learn to pick your battles better...should've fought that one bubbles....md or celtic will be along shortly to tell you why...

747

Thats exactly whats in my house.(Old 8 fuse panel feeding whole house single family) Its sucks when you blow a fuse and have to go buy one

mdshunk

The main disconnect isn't a problem at all. What is a bit of a problem is that it appears that you ran 3-wire to the meter can and 3-wire from the meter can to the panels. That's a no-no. That's your real violation, and not the fact that you have a 200 amp disconnect and you're taking advantage of the tap rules. The inspector needs a refresher on the 10 and 25 foot tap rules .

Bubbles

Actually they were 2/0 feeders (4 wire) treated them as sub-panels. We had 3 big inspection jobs coming up and he was in bad mood that day. Thats all a factor since he inspects all our work (75 jobs a year min). I insisted all he can get is 80% of 150amp main going through the 2/0 feeders and he kept mumbling about the 200 main and everything downstream. I said whatever paid 26.50 and was done with it. So no one out there would see a problem with this??

Celtic

with what?
folding because the EI has a bad day?

What do you do when you have a bad day?

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