# Class 400 true 400 amp metering.



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I was servicing EM lights and exits at a convenience store today, and noticed their metering equipment. It was true Class 400 direct metering. It's not very often you see direct metering at 400 amps. Plug on meter, too. Many guys talk about "400 amp services" but they most of the time they're done with CL320 meters. This was kinda special, so I snapped a few pics.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Didn't notice until just now that it appears someone has vandalized the demand reset lever, and ripped the seal tag or lock off.


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## Pierre Belarge (Feb 3, 2007)

Marc
what part of the country is this located at?
Have you seen any others such as this? 
I for one have never seen any service this large metered in this manner.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Pierre Belarge said:


> Marc
> what part of the country is this located at?
> Have you seen any others such as this?
> I for one have never seen any service this large metered in this manner.


Yes, I've seen a few others. To be exact, this service is on South Main Street in Chambersburg PA, and is metered under the Borough of Chambersburg Municipal Electric Light Company. 

I know this is an odd duck, which is the main reason I took the picture.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Marc .. the " bolted " 400 amp service is very common in my area we got rid few places with the CT's up to 600 amp max that what we are using it now.

Our POCO do allow the bolton 400 meter and the 600 class as well keep in your mind the contouins rateing is 320 and 480 amp each, any more higher than the ratings what i just say they will go with the CT's genrally nowdays we run the CT's at 600amp and over on that system,

the reason why our poco go with this route because it cheaper than the CT socket and related wiring and also stock the one common meter for this useage nowdays useing one meter for both 400 and 600 size in both single and three phase verison.

For me to mount it up it was not too bad at all but pretty hevey tub that all and the way the meters mounted is pretty instering the CL320 socket is push on type the CL600 is bolted on so that how they split the diffence there. but i heard rumors but i cant be sure that if that true in my area they are thinking getting rid of CL320 class for resdentail service but i cant be for sure until i heard any more source from them 


Merci, Marc

Oh before i forget this part for 320 class we say either resdentail or 320 commercal that make the diffrence there


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

Let me add this link that way you can understand it more clear what i am talking about and i am sure it pretty simuair what you have there as i have it here 

http://www.milbankmfg.com/Products/Catalogs/CatalogFiles/PDF/WAC 11 06a.pdf

go down to page 33 and read the model number is U4667-X-8512 that one of my common one i used on larger services 

Merci, Marc


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

frenchelectrican said:


> go down to page 33 and read the model number is U4667-X-8512 that one of my common one i used on larger services


I've seen a few of those too, but those are bolt-on meters. My pic was plug-in class 400 meter.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

oh ok thanks for clearing this one up i know the "push on " meters are useally limited to 400 amp max.

Just ciruious what POCO you useally deal most of the time ??

Mine is Wisconsin Pubic servce and Wisc fuel and light that two most common i dealt with them.

Merci, Marc


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

frenchelectrican said:


> Just ciruious what POCO you useally deal most of the time ??


Hard to answer that one. Where I live, 5 POCO's overlap. It's not very much fun, but luckily most of their rules are similar. Allegneny Energy, Adams Electric Cooperative, PennElec (First Energy), Metropolitan Edison (First Energy), Valley Rural Co-op, and the Borough of Chambersburg Electric Light Company are the main one's. Every now and again I run into a minor one out in the sticks someplace. Just gotta have each company's rules book on the dashboard of the truck, is all. It's not too bad. With big services, there's usually a POCO engineer involved anyhow, so you just do whatever they want. No problem. I only use Milbank cans, because that's the only brand that's universally accepted among all the POCO's I work under.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

98% of my time i used Milbank as well very common and easy to use it but once a while i get oddball units i useally check with the POCO to make sure they are approve it but only one it gave me the challange is all in one box i know they look very neat but IMO i dont use it not very often just few time for specal building design that it 

Merci, Marc


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

Those pipes look like 2" conduits to me.

How in the world did they get (3) 500 MCM's in there?

(assuming the service is single phase)

But why does the meter indicate 4-wire and 120 volts?


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

Look bigger than 2". 2 1/2 or 3" to me. I hope 3"


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

JohnJ0906 said:


> Look bigger than 2". 2 1/2 or 3" to me. I hope 3"


Oh, yeah. They're 3 inchers.


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

To answer a question a couple of posts above, the 120V 4W designation indicates 120/208V 3PH 4 wire wye. If it were a 240 delta, it would say 240V 4W. If it said 120V 3W, it would be 2 legs of a 120/208 wye, and the socket would have 5 jaws in it. 

At least that's how it is around Reno.


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