ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Photos for General Discussion Multi-Meter Service

Here's what I don't like about these threads. We look at an ugly but code compliant installation (perhaps the SER needs to be neatened up a bit) and start ripping it apart. Yes, it looks awful.

But some questions need to be asked: Were any of us there at the install? Did anybody here bid on it? The point I'm trying to make is that we don't know the circumstances of why this happened. The building itself looks pretty crummy and I highly doubt the owners were willing to pay big bucks to get a first class electrical job. So this is the end result. It's always easier to say "what if they did it that way" when it's someone else's money.

Peter:
Yes, sometimes we at the forum are nit pickers. Some of us are neat freaks, others are fanatical at how we do things, and yes, we are critical. I happen to fall into all of the mentioned catagories, so please no flaming war!

Yes, I'm from NJ, although north of this area. Yes, I was an EC, and now an AHJ.

Workmanship cannot be written in NJ. This pictured job appears to have violations, support primarily, and possible incorrect connectors at the meter stacks. As to the ty-wraps being UV rated?? who knows.

Jobs like this are usually 'low budget', low bid wins. Economical decissions prevail. Exterior cable routing as opposed to interior is costly on retrofit work, which this probably was. Knowing the state of the economy, 'ya do what ya got to do'.

As to 'crummy', as I said above a lot of the old vintage motels in Wildwood are either being converted to condos, or being demo'd and condos going up. This was probably a conversion of a 30 unit motel to 30 condos, with one 'house' meter.

Interesting set up.
I wonder how many crossed services there are.

We have similar set ups on blocks of flats although on a smaller schale like 12 or so meters.
We found a lot of transposed hotwater circuits. e.g. one service paying for 2 hotwater supplies.

It probably doesn't apply in this case because i can not see any load control relays.

Rodalco:
I can't say for this specific job, but on a condo type conversion like this each unit would get a panel, and everything within said unit would go to that panel. The 'unit' is probably a 'kitchen area'; 1 bedroom, 1 bath, and a 'living room area'; similar to a 'suite in an extended stay hotel. Hot water could be gas, or electric; HVAC is usually a thru-wall combo unit.

John