# how many meter i can set up on 200 amps service



## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

onsite said:


> i am doing updating from 200 amp to 400amp 3F main disconnect for 38 family building and coming out with 200amp for 19 apt and 200amp for other 17 apt.
> 
> my question is how many meter i can set on each disconnects? this are 450sf apt



Welcome to the forum..:thumbup::thumbup:


*230.71 Maximum Number of Disconnects.*
(A) General. The service disconnecting means for each service
permitted by 230.2, or for each set of service-entrance
conductors permitted by 230.40, Exception No. 1, 3, 4, or 5,
shall consist of not more than six switches or sets of circuit
breakers, or a combination of not more than six switches and
sets of circuit breakers, mounted in a single enclosure, in a
group of separate enclosures, or in or on a switchboard. There
shall be not more than six sets of disconnects per service
grouped in any one location.
For the purpose of this section, disconnecting means
installed as part of listed equipment and used solely for the
following shall not be considered a service disconnecting
means:
(1) Power monitoring equipment
(2) Surge-protective device(s)
(3) Control circuit of the ground-fault protection system
(4) Power-operable service disconnecting means
(B) Single-Pole Units. Two or three single-pole switches
or breakers, capable of individual operation, shall be permitted
on multiwire circuits, one pole for each ungrounded
conductor, as one multipole disconnect, provided they are
equipped with identified handle ties or a master handle to
disconnect all conductors of the service with no more than
six operations of the hand.
Informational Note: See 408.36, Exception No. 1 and Exception
No. 3, for service equipment in certain panelboards,
and see 430.95 for service equipment in motor control
centers


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

onsite said:


> i am doing updating from 200 amp to 400amp 3F main disconnect for 38 family building and coming out with 200amp for 19 apt and 200amp for other 17 apt.
> 
> my question is how many meter i can set on each disconnects? this are 450sf apt


Damn, do those apartments have kitchens?


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## onsite (May 23, 2012)

how can i do it for 38 apartments building i am running ruses for each one of them and i am doing 50amp disconnect for each apt, everything is going to be in the basement 38 meters with 38, 50amp disconnects for each apt but you saying i have to split in 6 meters, for this how many disconnects i can set and how many amps a main disconnect i can do for them???


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

onsite said:


> how can i do it for 38 apartments building i am running ruses for each one of them and i am doing 50amp disconnect for each apt, everything is going to be in the basement 38 meters with 38, 50amp disconnects for each apt but you saying i have to split in 6 meters, for this how many disconnects i can set and how many amps a main disconnect i can do for them???


You can have lots more than 6 meters, but you can't have more than 6 service disconnecting means.

You can get modular meter packs from various manufacturers that allow you to basically stack up all the meters you need for each tenant space.

But I'm still not totally on board with running 19 apartments off of a 200 amp feeder. If it's just lights & plugs in each of them then maybe demand factors would let it go but I just can't see it happening if there is kitchen equipment in each unit. I haven't crunched the numbers.


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## onsite (May 23, 2012)

yes they do


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## onsite (May 23, 2012)

it is 200 amp 3 face and existing one at the moment every apt has 2 fuse on it and the main break for each apt is 30 amp down in the basement and it is split in 3 section. 6 floors building each floor has 6 apt abcdef


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

onsite said:


> yes they do


Geez  Well hopefully they aren't all cooking dinner at the same time.

Here's a link to Eaton's line of gangable metering equipment:

http://www.eaton.com/Electrical/USA...MeteringMeterBreakers/GroupMetering/index.htm

Here's a link to Siemens line of gangable metering equipment:

http://www.sea.siemens.com/us/Produ...uct/Multi-Family-Metering/Pages/PowerMod.aspx

And here's a link to an article on Multifamily Dwelling Unit service & feeder load calculations:

http://ecmweb.com/nec/code-basics/multifamily-dwelling-unit-service-feeder-calculations-20091201/


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

3 face, huh? Interesting. I've only dealt with 2 faced people.


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## onsite (May 23, 2012)

lol thanks eric


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## onsite (May 23, 2012)

lucky you that you dealt only with 2 faces lol


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)




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## onsite (May 23, 2012)

thanks for all but i got to get back and figure this out how i am going to do it before i go to crazy


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

onsite said:


> thanks for all but i got to get back and figure this out how i am going to do it before i go to crazy


As long as your load calculations work out...

If you have two 200 amp service disconnects, then run a 200 amp feeder from each of them to a set of the gangable meter packs I linked to. From there you can put a meter in for each and every apartment, with the apartment feeders fed from each meter module.

As long as your load calculations work out...


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

onsite said:


> how many meter i can set up on 200 amps service


As many as you want. There is no NEC limitation.


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## onsite (May 23, 2012)

would be nice if i run 800amps and would be more then enough but also this is a 3 phase service that is coming in 400 amp i would say it is more then enough as well he never blow the main phase on the existing 200amp before.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

onsite said:


> would be nice if i run 800amps and would be more then enough but also this is a 3 phase service that is coming in 400 amp i would say it is more then enough as well he never blow the main phase on the existing 200amp before.


I really think you're putting the cart before the horse here. It should start with a demand load calculation. 

I've done a great many apartment buildings with 200,320, and 400 amp services that only had a 20 or 30 amp feed to each apartment. Every situation is unique.


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## onsite (May 23, 2012)

this is what it is at the moment 200 amp main disconnect 3 phase, has 38 meters divided in 3 section, it has 30amp fuse for each apt down in the basement, on the apt has two 15amp fuse each apt. now shall i go with 400 amp 3phase main disconnect, and split to 2,sets of 200 amp disconnect and each of this 200amp disconnects i am planing to set 18 meters each and and also i need to upgrate the ruses with number 6/3 wire and set 50amp disconnect for each apt? give me an idea what would you do?


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

They still have the old single fuse block in each apartment? My departed dads place in uptown had that in the old days, one 15 amp fuse for everything. Of course a 30 amp fuse installed so the AC could run. When it got upgraded in 1992, he got three breakers, two 20's controlling a non GFCI quad directly over the kit. sink and a 15 for everything else including the fridge.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

onsite said:


> this is what it is at the moment 200 amp main disconnect 3 phase, has 38 meters divided in 3 section, it has 30amp fuse for each apt down in the basement, on the apt has two 15amp fuse each apt. now shall i go with 400 amp 3phase main disconnect, and split to 2,sets of 200 amp disconnect and each of this 200amp disconnects i am planing to set 18 meters each and and also i need to upgrate the ruses with number 6/3 wire and set 50amp disconnect for each apt? give me an idea what would you do?


That's exactly what I would do, recently did the same with 8 unit building on Long Island. Are you setting additional ckts in each apartment?


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## Salvatoreg02 (Feb 26, 2011)

onsite said:


> this is what it is at the moment 200 amp main disconnect 3 phase, has 38 meters divided in 3 section, it has 30amp fuse for each apt down in the basement, on the apt has two 15amp fuse each apt. now shall i go with 400 amp 3phase main disconnect, and split to 2,sets of 200 amp disconnect and each of this 200amp disconnects i am planing to set 18 meters each and and also i need to upgrate the ruses with number 6/3 wire and set 50amp disconnect for each apt? give me an idea what would you do?


A) load calculation maybe required to upgrade service
B) the smallest service I have seen on a similiar building was 600 3phase 
C) I would run min # 8 to each apt even if the apt were updated at a later time 40amps is more then suffice 
D) plan for a 400-600amp (1) disconnect only and use a 38 meter bank with MB disconnect so all the panels can be main lug panels. Trust me much cheaper in the long run
E) have fun running new feeds to each apt...


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