Hired a licensed electrician to do a meter panel swap which did not go well.

Stephen
by Stephen
The short story is a $1215 project finished with a new service panel that not one breaker can be installed in. The electrician ran one of the hot legs through the space allocated for the breakers and to my surprise the county electrical inspector passed the job to my objection. Does NEC allow the splicing of a 4/0 feed wire in a feed through meter service panel.

I verified that NEMA requirements are to keep the wires at a minimum within the wiring gutter. Not sure what NEC has to say on the subject since my code book is from 1984.
Meter service panel wiring
  8 answers
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Mar 16, 2011
    I think the best option here would be to install a new longer 4/0 feed from your tie point at the masthead into this box. Looking at your photo It already looks like you have some breakers in there? are those breakers feeding your main breaker panel?
  • Darby C Darby C on Mar 16, 2011
    This picture appears to be the whole house cut off. This is on the outside of the house with only one breaker that cuts off the entire house. Am I correct that the wires that you are showing in the picture are going to the panel inside the house? It looks like it is wired correctly, based on what I can see from the picture.
  • Stephen Stephen on Mar 16, 2011
    Darby your are correct the 4/0 wire is going to a sub panel for the house. The existing breakers are for the sub panel in the house and main breaker for the panel. This panel has spaces for two 240 volt breakers and a slim 120 volt breaker. The hot leg is ran across the space where those breakers should be installed, which defeats the reason for replacing the panel in the first place. The panel was replased because we needed to add a 2nd sub panel and a connection for a hot tub requiring the space the hot leg is routed through.
  • Darby C Darby C on Mar 16, 2011
    I believe that you can splice the lines. It may cost just as much to run a new piece of wire to the panel, if you have access to the entire wire. There are special connectors that are made for this type of thing. And then you have to put shrink tape on them.
  • Stephen Stephen on Mar 16, 2011
    50 feet of 4/0 service is about $200, and a half dozen holes in the celling and walls, I think I will go with the splice since the electrical inspectors seem to accept a splice in the box.
  • Darby C Darby C on Mar 16, 2011
    If the inspector is O.K. with it then I would too. My power company was going to splice my main in the box when I had to replace my meter base, so you should be fine.
  • Argo Electrical Services Argo Electrical Services on Feb 04, 2013
    Stephan they make a Polaris Lug. It is heavily insulated lug. You can attach another longer piece of 4/0. This will allow you to route the wire around the outside of the can. Even the power company will splice their feeders if they are short. It's very common. You can purchase the Polaris Lugs at a real Electrical Supply House. I use Arc Electrical in Cumming GA. Ask for Todd or Mike..Tell them I sent you. They will treat you right. If you need direction during the install call me @ 678-682-0387.. On the house
  • Argo Electrical Services Argo Electrical Services on Feb 04, 2013
    Here they are.. You tighten them with allen wrenchs...Make sure you coat your wire with Nolox!