Scottpat Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 At an inspection this week I found an unusual service entrance and meter connection. I can't ever recall seeing one set up this way before. As for the panel it was unique as well. The owner was retired from the TVA, his wife said he was a hydroelectric engineer. Click to Enlarge 84.43 KB Click to Enlarge 55.93 KB Click to Enlarge 44.46 KB Click to Enlarge 62.86 KB Click to Enlarge 41.32 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Moore Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Ummmm...??? Is the only meter on the smaller weatherhead? I can't tell how everything is connected to the panel but it looks like they are stealing electricity. Not to mention the more obvious crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 At an inspection this week I found an unusual service entrance and meter connection. I can't ever recall seeing one set up this way before. As for the panel it was unique as well. The owner was retired from the TVA, his wife said he was a hydroelectric engineer. Hey Scott! Up at the weatherhead, the two knobby cylindrical things are current transformers -- basically donuts of wire wrapped around each of the hot service entrance conductors. When current flows through the SEC, it induces current in the donut and that's what the meter is reading. This set up is used a lot for services that are bigger than 200 amps. The meter wires look like THHW or something. I don't believe that's correct. That service panel look pretty bitchin'. I like the bolted connections, but shouldn't it have a deadfront or something to stop people from accidentally touching the bus? What brand of panel was it? - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Moore Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Up at the weatherhead, the two knobby cylindrical things are current transformers -- etc Ah! [:I] THAT makes so much more sense than all the piddly little wires as SECs. Thanks Jim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Remas Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Damn you Katen, you are always beating me to the punch with these electrical posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspectorjoe Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Here it is on an underground service: Click to Enlarge 44.66 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Damn you Katen, you are always beating me to the punch with these electrical posts. That's why they pay me the big bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 That's why they pay me the big bucks. Hee, Hee [:-scared] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 I don't get it. Why would the service be configured this way? Is there some sort of advantage to, or reason for, not using an appropriately sized meter? And what does the reader do when he looks at the 60-amp meter, perform some sort of calculation to determine the power flow pre-transformers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted October 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 This home was built in 1965, I was told that this was the original panel. The panel was not marked, but it kind of looked like an ITE brand design. It did not have a deadfront cover but the panel cover did have a locking mechanism. When you twisted the handle it released the top and bottom lock. It had a 300 amp main breaker at the very bottom of the panel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 I don't get it. Why would the service be configured this way? Is there some sort of advantage to, or reason for, not using an appropriately sized meter? But it *is* an appropriately sized meter for the way they're using it. Back in the bad old days, if you wanted a service over 200-amps, this is how they generally did it. The alternative was to take those big-ass wires down to a big-ass meter. The problem with that was the big-ass meter might not spin while you only used a small amount of electricity because it had to develop enough torque to overcome a certain amount of inertia first. More modern class 320 meters had less friction than the old jewel bearing meters and were a good solution for a time. Nowadays, I think most of the new meters are electronic so it isn't much of an issue anymore. And what does the reader do when he looks at the 60-amp meter, perform some sort of calculation to determine the power flow pre-transformers? He doesn't have to. I believe that the meter still shows actual use. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bain Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Ahh . . . . I didn't know any of that, Jim. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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