In my opinion, the grounded conductor needs to be bonded at all points ahead of the service disconnect. This allows a fault to take the shortest path back to the source of power.
If I follow your description a fault in the meter socket would mean the conduit and neutral/ grounded conductor would take the fault into the building to the main panel bond before allowing the fault to go to the transformer or souce. A fire waiting to happen.
Alan--
I got busy and got away from this post. I better clarify my situation and question.
I had a seperate meter socket and 100 amp disconnect (2 enclosures) on the outside of the home. The GC and ground were bonded at the meter socket and again in the disconnect. From the disconnect I ran 3 wire to the original panel inside the home and treated it as a sub. Installed a ground bar, isolated neutral and grounds and removed the old bonding screw from the neutral bar. I'm new at decribing this stuff in writing so please bare with me.
The ahj had no problem with any of this except the fact that I had cut (terminated) the neutral in the outside disconnect. He wanted me to run the neutral (bonded but uncut) direct to the panel inside the house. What I didn't understand was why would I treat the neutral any different in this (new) main panel just because it is now on the outside of the house. I used a Siemans 100 amp weatherproof disconnect and it did not have a "lay-in" type lug as you have in a meter socket. He Ok'd the install with the above caveat.
I will be running into him again since I will be doing more work in this town and want to have my ducks in a row.
I apoligize again for my poor description but I'm just wanting to learn.
Thanks,
electricianjeff
