# New service , continuity at meter?



## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

I've only done a few services in my time and I always meter test everything before progressing to the next step. This time I was getting continuity between line side hots to the neutral (streetside) and continuity between both of the hots also.. Last service i did continuity was not present , can someone please teach me something here ?


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

Neighbors on the same transformer, their loads complete the circuit on the line side right?


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

This is what I was told from a more experienced electrician I called before popping meter in


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## Service Call (Jul 9, 2011)

Did you hurt the meter? Getting continuity on the line side of a meter, reading through the neighbors, means you must've had voltage on the line side? Right? How else could you read continuity through an existing service?


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

I changed the service , it was 100% all new, at the very end before popping the meter in that's when I did my tests... Continuity between hot and neutral , continuity between both hots (street side) no meter in

After a quick conversation with someone more experienced I installed meter , everything normal 

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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Service Call said:


> Did you hurt the meter? Getting continuity on the line side of a meter, reading through the neighbors, means you must've had voltage on the line side? Right? How else could you read continuity through an existing service?


Do you guys shut the power down before removing and reinserting the meter?


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Ha , what power? From the street ?


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

WronGun said:


> Ha , what power? From the street ?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


It seems like Service Call found it odd that you installed the meter hot. That's a common thing (the only way to do it) for us, maybe it's different where he is.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Ya I pop them in and out live all the time


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

WronGun said:


> Ya I pop them in and out live all the time
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


They are made to be, that's why they make bypasses.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Wait, so you had a hot lineside but you were measuring lineside continuity...?


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Yes 2 hot street wires coming into the Meter, reading continuity to the neutral coming in from the street... I just did a service recently and didn't get continuity in this same situation. Like I said I was told it was because of loads coming from the neighborhood on same transformer, specifically (motors) like air conditioners.... Just seeing what others have to say 


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

WronGun said:


> Yes 2 hot street wires coming into the Meter, reading continuity to the neutral coming in from the street... I just did a service recently and didn't get continuity in this same situation
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Your meter is probably fried internally. Continuity reading isn't for live circuits.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

The Meter was NOT in the meter socket , I'm strictly texting the wires


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

WronGun said:


> The Meter was NOT in the meter socket , I'm strictly texting the wires
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


On the street side?


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Yes street side, not on my newly installed load side 


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

WronGun said:


> Yes street side, not on my newly installed load side
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


The street side is live.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Yes it's live 


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

120 volts to neutral on each phase , 240 Volts between both phases .... But yet continuity to neutral from hots. From my experience on branch circuits this is called a short circuit 


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

What meter will measure continuity with voltage present? Most can't.

That said, that the supplying transformer wasn't on fire should tell you that there is clearly not a short circuit in the energized conductors. If you were actually getting a continuity reading somehow, it's because a transformerb winding is a coil of wire with very low DC resistance.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

WronGun said:


> 120 volts to neutral on each phase , 240 Volts between both phases .... But yet continuity to neutral from hots. From my experience on branch circuits this is called a short circuit
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I've never seen a continuity or ohm meter that would operate normally on a live circuit. It goes against the whole principle they work on. The meters have a battery power source to test the circuit.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

A continuity tester is an item of electrical test equipment used to determine if an electrical path can be established between two points; that is if an electrical circuit can be made. *The circuit under test is completely de-energized prior to connecting the apparatus.*


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Yes I understand clearly not a short circuit... 


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

MechanicalDVR said:


> A continuity tester is an item of electrical test equipment used to determine if an electrical path can be established between two points; that is if an electrical circuit can be made. *The circuit under test is completely de-energized prior to connecting the apparatus.*


Pretty sure I let the smoke out of my first Klein meter like that.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Ok so if you have 2 wires on a receptacle .... A hot and a neutral
And they are energized a tester will show continuity present between the 2


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

WronGun said:


> Ok so if you have 2 wires on a receptacle .... A hot and a neutral
> And they are energized a tester will show continuity present between the 2
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I have no idea what it would read I like my meters too much to try.


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## Service Call (Jul 9, 2011)

HackWork said:


> It seems like Service Call found it odd that you installed the meter hot. That's a common thing (the only way to do it) for us, maybe it's different where he is.




Not odd that he installed it hot. Odd that he got a continuity reading with an energized circuit. As others have pointed out.


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

Maybe we just have a miscommunication. I find it more plausible that we have intercommunicated something more than if he has energized continuity.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Majewski said:


> Maybe we just have a miscommunication. I find it more plausible that we have intercommunicated something more than if he has energized continuity.





WronGun said:


> 120 volts to neutral on each phase , 240 Volts between both phases .... But yet continuity to neutral from hots. From my experience on branch circuits this is called a short circuit



Seems pretty clear.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

WronGun, what meter are you using for this?

Are you using one of those Ideal wiggy's that also tests continuity?


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

I am using a Klein CL2000, its a decent meter around $200


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

WronGun said:


> I am using a Klein CL2000, its a decent meter around $200
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


So Fluke says this:



> Continuity testing should be attempted only when voltage is NOT present in the circuit being tested.


 and this:


> If voltage contact IS made while in continuity, most meters provide overload protection in ohms up to the meter’s voltage rating. For most Fluke instruments, that is 1000 V ac.


The manual for your meter itself says that is has Continuity Overload Protection up to 600V RMS.

So that means that your meter isn't fried, but you can't trust the readings that you took on the hot circuit.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Ok , now that we got this out of the way... When i was terminating the 200Amp meter socket , the lug for the SER braided AL ground isn't big enough to take the 2/0 ground wire, I don't get it , it's only large enough for a #6 , what's the point?


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

But what kind of shoes did you have on?


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Majewski said:


> But what kind of shoes did you have on?




Doc Martens Ironbridge size 11. Steel Toe... They are the best!


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

WronGun said:


> Ok , now that we got this out of the way... When i was terminating the 200Amp meter socket , the lug for the SER braided AL ground isn't big enough to take the 2/0 ground wire, I don't get it , it's only large enough for a #6 , what's the point?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That lug is for the GEC. You should be using SEU cable (3 total wires, 2 hots and a neutral) from the meter pan to the main disconnect/panel. It sounds like you used SER (4 total wires, 2 hots, a neutral, and an EGC).

There is no "ground" between the meter and main disco, the ground is essentially derived in the main disco where it bonds to neutral.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

I assume the fuse in the meter would blow, no? Assuming the Klown meter is fused...


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## PlugsAndLights (Jan 19, 2016)

To re-cap:
1) In theory the resistance between line side service hot/neutral is quite
low due to all the parallel loads across the lines in any other houses fed 
by the same transformer and the low resistance of the transformer windings.
Still, it's not a good idea, or a safe one, to measure resistance/continuity
on energized wires/equipment.

2) Up here the CEC specifies that equipment on the line side of the main 
disconnect (ie, the meter base) are to be bonded via the neutral. It sounds
like the NEC probably has a similar article. 

P&L


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Does anyone contact the utility company before doing a service ?


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## drewsserviceco (Aug 1, 2014)

I try not to.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

I'm wondering when they come to do a meter check , they notice a brand new service are they gonna question HO or town ? That my concern 


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## PlugsAndLights (Jan 19, 2016)

WronGun said:


> Does anyone contact the utility company before doing a service ?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I've only changed one panel without involving the utility co.. Around 
here they call it a DIR - disconnectect, inspect, reconnect. The one I 
did without them had a separate disconnect ahead of the old fuse 
panel. If I were doing that one now I'd go through proper channels.

For me it's an all or nothing sort of thing. DIR and inspection or neither. 
Haven't done a lot of work without an inspection but each time I do
I think about the fact that that's one more house that could burn 
down and I could be in a world of problems. Even if the house burned 
down for reasons that had nothing to do with my work, I'm likely to 
get dragged into it. There aren't many HO's who wouldn't tell the fire 
marshall and ins co about the work I've done when they're in that 
situation and being questioned. 

That's my way of thinking. Others will have different risk tolerances.
Or maybe your skipping the DIR but still having the work inspected
in which case none of this applies.
P&L


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

WronGun said:


> Does anyone contact the utility company before doing a service ?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yes. I fill out an application for service upgrade and bring that and the electrical permit with me to the power company and they give me a free meter pan to use.

After the service is down and I get it inspected, the town inspector sends a cut-in card to the power company to let them know it's finished and passed their inspection. 

Then both the metering department and the wiring inspectors come out to look at it. They will often upgrade the meter if it's not a smart meter and tag it shut, sometimes putting a lock on if it's in a not-so-nice area. They will then re-splice the overhead line with their own parallel groove connectors. Sometimes they will run a new overhead line, not always.


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