Please explain to me the process of pulling permits, inspections, etc...

[HayZee518]

some jurisdictions allow a homeowner permit for electrical. in massachusetts where I wired houses they had an uninsured installers waiver for insurance. that way if something cooked they couldn't come back on me. [thankfully nothing ever did - 37 houses] check the size of the conductors coming out of the meter socket. all the power co is gonna do is pull the meter put some insulators on the stabs and shove the meter back in place and reseal it. you might consider replacing the wires from the load side of the meter to the new panel because they are never the correct length. make sure you use no-alox anti oxidant on all connections. torque is mentioned on the panel's nomenclature paper so many foot pounds or inch pounds. rule of thumb tighten it then wait a few minutes then retighten, then leave it alone.

[DKAudio]

Hmm, I never thought I would need to replace the main wires. Can I even buy 4 AWG CU or 2 AWG AL at Home Depot? Do you have a pic on how the wires are landed inside the meter, never looked inside one before. I am going to go over there tomorrow to take the cover off their fuse panel. I want to be sure there are no big suprises as I haven't peaked in yet.

Do I use the no-alox on just AL or CU too? I just do this on the main conductors, right? Also available at HD?

Man, it would be nice if they just had CU and some good length too

[HayZee518]

No-alox is good on all conductors most especially the service entrance conductors Cu or Al. But you hardly see it at outlet and switch terminations because it's so messy. In the case of aluminum branch conductors I'd use it but you hardly see aluminum on branch circuits. Use it if you have copper clad aluminum but again here's a conductor you hardly ever seen used. inside the meter enclosure are four stabs. two up top are the line, two at the bottom are load. right smack in the center between the four meter landings is the neutral clamps (2) the load is on the bottom along with a driven ground IF you utility uses this as the equipment ground or driven ground location. I may have a meter enclosure in my garage. I'll go look and submit a picture.

[DKAudio]

Thank you. I can reply tonight after I pull their fuse panel cover with my findings.

All meters and breaker panels can accept CU or AL, right?

[HayZee518]

most panels within the last 20-25 years are marked cu-al. the clamps are aluminum hard drawn, their screws are aluminum or cadmium plated steel.

[HayZee518]

Typical meter sockets are manufactured by GE. Milbank, Crouse-Hinds. All residential sockets are rated 100 & 200 amp even tho the 200 ampere socket can be wired for 150 amp or so besides the 200 amp. The bottom or load side of the meter, the cable(s) may be a thermoplastic jacketed cable or metal or pvc conduit. if cable then you'd use a non weathertight connector and also at the panelbox. if conduit then where it enters the building you'd use what is called an entrance ell. can be pvc or metal. if metal then it needs to have bonding bushings at the meter trough and panelbox. couldn't find an adequate picture of a meter socket so I drew one.

[DKAudio]

Thanks for the diagram, easy enough.

The bottom or load side of the meter, the cable(s) may be a thermoplastic jacketed cable or metal or pvc conduit. if cable then you'd use a non weathertight connector and also at the panelbox. if conduit then where it enters the building you'd use what is called an entrance ell. can be pvc or metal. if metal then it needs to have bonding bushings at the meter trough and panelbox.

Sorry, not quite following. Doesn't the meter and panel just have screw down clamps that take bare stripped wire like you mentioned in post #15? Every residential panel I have worked on has conduit housing the mains conductors which are just a normal rubber/plastic type insulation.

[HayZee518]

Yeah, no problem - you understood correctly. what I was referring to in the latter portion was that if your output from the meter trough to the poanel is SEU cable then you would use non weather tight connectors to secure the cable to both the meter trough and panelbox. If your run to the panelbox was to be in conduit, PVC then you'd use three conductors AND if the conduit run was metal, that you'd need to use bonding bushings at both ends along with a stranded #6 copper ground between the bonding bushings. you see I know its hard to explain but grounding and bonding are two different things in the electrical code.

[DKAudio]

I stopped by their house and pulled the cover. His flashlight was dead and it was pretty dark but I am pretty sure they are AL mains and you're right, pretty short. Other circuits have a fair amount of wire. They used red for N in one of the circuits (is BX with just black and red wires). I can just use white electrical tape and wrape the end where it lands on the N and G buss, right, will that pass inspection?

Coming down from their meter is conduit with 3 conductors (2 legs and N). I assume they get earth ground through the conduit. A close by water pipe is bonded to the N/G buss via probably around 6AWG solid.

I think it should be pretty straight forward, what do you think?

[HayZee518]

the neutral wire should be white along its entire length but if they substituted which is what I see then a white tape for the neutral should be installed at both ends. the earth ground is from the water pipe. odd that the equipment ground is a solid wire usually it's #6 bare stranded. ok you are just changing out the panelbox to breakers?? then use the bonding screw supplied and connect the neutral to this bus. the hots will go to the main breaker lugs. you mention the meter and panel are interconnected with conduit. this should be a 1 1/4 inch pipe and have bonding bushings at each end. older services just used regular metal bushings with no bonding screw. look in my electrical fittings section of illustrations. I'm pretty sure I put in a bonding bushing illustration.