advice on relocating meter and breaker box

My opinion is call someone who actually knows what all is required to accomplish what you want. It may end up that there is a solution you have not considered.

snipped-for-privacy@optonline.net (MikePier) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:

I don't think, in reality, option 1 is more expensive. By the time you purchase a junction panel large enough to handle all the circuits you have in your current breaker box (you will have to have the junctions in a box), and the wire, labor and other items to move the breaker box, you will be money ahead to install the meter base with breaker, and run appropriately rated wire in conduit over to the existing breaker panel.

You may not be able to pick where the meter goes. Here in Phoenix the utilities tell you when you move something. Call them and remove all doubt. Better have some one come out from the utility and look at the situation. Get the approval in writing just in case. Some utilities get pretty pissy if there needs to be an new longer drop installed. If the drop shortens they may not care at all. Be sure to follow all of the regs that are in place for your area. You will probably have to drive 2 new ground rods and re-bond all of the metal piping systems.

On 30 Oct 2004 06:28:46 -0700, MikePier put forth the notion that...

You can't just relocate your meter. You have to have your utility company come out and approve the new location, you have to have the work done by a licensed electrician, and you have to have it inspected by the city before the electric company will reconnect it at the new location. If the city's building department doesn't sign off on it, they won't reconnect it. Don't even think of trying to do this yourself, because attempting to move a hot drop is extremely dangerous, and even if you managed to do it without a major catastrophe, the power company would shut off your power once they saw it had been moved illegally.

You may want to consider having an electrician install a new circuit breaker box where the new feed enters, then having the old breaker box made into a subpanel. Similar to your second suggestion, except you'd have to run only one (heavy) feed instead of 14 or whatever, and no need for a bunch of junction boxes for splices. You'll have to split all the neutrals and grounds in the old box, however.

Sorry I forgot to mention this in my original post. I had a few estimates by electricians. Some suggested putting the main breaker outside, while some suggested relocating the breaker panel. I just wanted to get other opinions .

Keep in mind that a LIPA-approved meter\main will cost almost 4 times as much as a regular by-pass socket. My cost for a Milbank U3986-XL-200T-LI

200A METER MAIN is $400. A Milbank U3042-XL-QG-BLG-LI 200A 1PH BIPASS METER PAN is $89.

Another option would be to put in an U/G service.

BTW, before you relocate your service, you should go down to the Design and Construction Dept at your area's LIPA Operations Center and go over what they want. I don't know where on the island you are, but you can call Charlie or Mary at the Patchogue office at 631-548-7042 and someone there can direct you to the appropriate office.

Also, the 5-foot rule cannot be found in the NEC; around here it's a LIPA requirement.

On 31 Oct 2004 05:14:38 -0800, MikePier put forth the notion that...

The cheapo way that a lot of electricians use, is to install the new service and put a large 2-pole breaker to feed the old service, which is converted into a subpanel. I don't like this method myself, particularly if the old service is something obsolete with crappy breakers, like a Square D XO panel, or a Zinsco. It's still a source of problems down the road. A better way is to turn the old panel into a junction box, and run new home runs from there to the new panel. Even better yet, is installing the new panel in place of the old one so that the original wiring goes right into the new panel. In your situation, where you want the new panel in a different location, you'll have to decide whether the old breaker box remains functional or not.

What "rules" exist concerning converting an existing CB panel to a BIG junction box and running the circuits over to a NEW panel via good sized conduit(s).

There would be an opportunity to combine some 120 volt circuits into 3 wire circuits and reduce the drop between the new "junction box" and the new panel.

I know it would be "nice" to convert a panel to a sub-panel but often the parts (the "floating" neutral bar) and separating the neutrals from the grounds makes that difficult.

"John Gilmer" wrote in news:41862ef4$0$ snipped-for-privacy@dingus.crosslink.net:

My thoughts would be some DIN rail, and a bunch of Phoenix contact terminals. Should pass muster if installed properly, and the contacts rated properly.

It should not be all that difficult since the grounds will be green and the neutrals white. Just need to have an isolated neutral bar and move all the neutrals there.

Not a bad idea. The only thing i would be a bit nervous about would be someone who might object to the homemade cover you would need to make. probably would not be UL listed and someone who was even a little legalistic about it would probably object. OTOH, you might be able to use the existing cover and get some UL listed slot covers for where the CBs used to go. or maybe you could get some sheet metal and rivit it over the openings. Again this is strictly speaking probably not "legal".