# Ground wire in meter socket



## Texaselectrical (Jul 17, 2011)

Here in Texas won't pass with out it. Goes to a bonding bushing in the meter and then under the lug


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## CraigV (May 12, 2011)

Is this a plain meter pan, or a combo meter/disconnect? The GEC is supposed to connect only at the service equipment/disconnect, with the neutral bonded.


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## jefft110 (Jul 7, 2010)

The poco here requires it in the meter can.


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

Bearcat said:


> I have a question concerning the bare ground wire(#4 or #6 ) that goes to the ground rod to the breaker box.We ran upon this the other day.The ground wire was run from the ground rod to inside the meter socket and was put under a lug.Are you allowed to do this in your jurisdiction? Oh, the inspector passed this, but the utility said it cannot go in their meter socket.



The meter socket belongs to the utility provider???


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## MF Dagger (Dec 24, 2007)

CraigV said:


> Is this a plain meter pan, or a combo meter/disconnect? The GEC is supposed to connect only at the service equipment/disconnect, with the neutral bonded.


You can bond at the meter socket, the weatherhead or the main disconnect. If you bond ahead of the main such as in the meter or the weatherhead the neutral should be bonded to the can at the main disconnect also.
Where you run into issues is what the OP has, is that the power company can make there own rules on what they allow. 
As far as NEC goes you are good. Check the spec book from the power company and that should specify that they don't allow it, if they don't have that in there spec book argue it.


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## Honestly (Feb 3, 2011)

Depends on what your AHJ and POCO. I have lived where they require the GEC to go to a lug in the meter, even when its a back to back (no main disconnect in meter). Now I live where they require GEC bonded at main disc, whether at meter or in panel.


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## MF Dagger (Dec 24, 2007)

Also some inspectors will argue that it isn't accesible since the POCO can put a lock on the meter socket. I think this is bogus but it happens.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

it depends on your poco but you could put it at the service head if you wanted to..To me it makes more sense to go to the neutral but what do i know.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

My POCO won't allow us to use that small lug for the ground rod.. _"WHY_" is one of those things that you get "_because it's in the Red Book_" as an answer.. :blink::blink:


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## Mike D (Sep 16, 2008)

We are not allowed, here in GA.


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## Service Call (Jul 9, 2011)

We can go to the meter or main panel. No one seems to care where as long as it's done.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

I always propose the service to terminate into a meter/main breaker unit with a ground termination Outside, rather then going in and around about. Good in case of emergency shut down.


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## danickstr (Mar 21, 2010)

For some reason it is not allowed in many places. The weird thing about it is that if the neutral were to become disconnected and the meter pan were to become energized, you would have a death machine.

the way around it is to use rigid pipe from the pan to your load center/pullbox and then it is de facto grounded by the conduit.


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## Outdoorguy (Sep 5, 2011)

Texaselectrical said:


> Here in Texas won't pass with out it. Goes to a bonding bushing in the meter and then under the lug



That's weird, every time I used to put a bonding bushing in the meter can, ONCOR would cut it out for make me take it out before the would set the meter. They told me they didn't want anything in the meter base.


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## amptech (Sep 21, 2007)

I have 2 PoCos in my county. One insists the GEC gets landed in the meter base and the other one prohibits it.


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

captkirk said:


> it depends on your poco but you could put it at the service head if you wanted to..To me it makes more sense to go to the neutral but what do i know.


Someday I'm going to do that. I'll make a video of the inspectors head exploding when he sees it. :thumbsup:


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Bearcat said:


> I have a question concerning the bare ground wire(#4 or #6 ) that goes to the ground rod to the breaker box.We ran upon this the other day.The ground wire was run from the ground rod to inside the meter socket and was put under a lug.Are you allowed to do this in your jurisdiction? Oh, the inspector passed this, but the utility said it cannot go in their meter socket.


Think about what the "grounding" of an electrical system does. It is to protect the system ...hopefully... from external power surges, etc., lightning strikes, etc. A lot of people think about the neutral and the ground being at the same potential and that is enough. It is not totally wrong but more has to be considered. The concern would be "aberrant" currents due to the aberrant ...abnormal, voltages. I would think that a utility would rather you gave the current of a surge a straight path to ground than through the meter possibly causing other problems. Just my opinion.


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## MF Dagger (Dec 24, 2007)

electricmanscott said:


> Someday I'm going to do that. I'll make a video of the inspectors head exploding when he sees it. :thumbsup:


Here SE cable for the service riser is very uncommon. To the point of me not recalling ever having seen one done in SE cable. Anyway there is a certain city around me that has inspectors that I don't get along with. I'm biding my time and waiting for the perfect job to do in SE cable in that city and I also plan on bonding up at the weatherhead just to give them a heart attack and finally be done with them.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

MF Dagger said:


> Here SE cable for the service riser is very uncommon. To the point of me not recalling ever having seen one done in SE cable. Anyway there is a certain city around me that has inspectors that I don't get along with. I'm biding my time and waiting for the perfect job to do in SE cable in that city and I also plan on bonding up at the weatherhead just to give them a heart attack and finally be done with them.


Do you know of a reason that bonding the neutral and the ground at the weather head would not be sufficient?


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## MF Dagger (Dec 24, 2007)

RIVETER said:


> Do you know of a reason that bonding the neutral and the ground at the weather head would not be sufficient?


Because it would be different and therefore bad according to the inspector in question.


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## AFOREMA1 (Nov 23, 2009)

N ground to the weatherhead , no ground to the meter, only to the main disconnect.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

MF Dagger said:


> Because it would be different and therefore bad according to the inspector in question.


It is important that you understand. So, again, do you see a problem with connecting the GEC to the neutral at the service mast?


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## MF Dagger (Dec 24, 2007)

RIVETER said:


> It is important that you understand. So, again, do you see a problem with connecting the GEC to the neutral at the service mast?


What are you my teacher? Is this 20 questions? It's legal in the NEC and that's as far as I go with caring. Go bug someone else.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

MF Dagger said:


> What are you my teacher? Is this 20 questions? It's legal in the NEC and that's as far as I go with caring. Go bug someone else.


I only asked one question. If you don't want to answer, that's okay with me. Don't be upset.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

I see You're in VA, what poco is it? Dominion will not allow a GEC in their meter base, while REC, and CVEC both require it. Kinda silly they can't even agree on that:laughing:


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## MF Dagger (Dec 24, 2007)

RIVETER said:


> I only asked one question. If you don't want to answer, that's okay with me. Don't be upset.


Ok. Here's my answer. It's legal and the only problems I see is that I would have to stand on top of the ladder to do it, I would have to carry a split bolt for it and it would be weird enough that I would have to prove to the inspector that it was legal. I see old services all over town that have it bonded up at the weatherhead with a big pipe clamp around the conduit.


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