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Originally posted in the Photo Gallery by: LAKETRAVISKID

Interesting; one utility drop....four (4) risers into the troff(s) 23 meters (plus 1 with panel underneath, on a seperate riser.

Talk about stretching the 'six switch rule?

What say you gentlemen??

LakeTraviskid:

Where is this, and is it a townhouse/condo??

The condo I had in the St Pete area had 18 meters and disconnects with no "main" (17 units and a house panel). I was never sure how they got away with that either.

I say: VIOLATION, big time!

They want to claim that each drop is allowed to have six meters without needing a disconnect? I'm not buying that - I'd expect to see, at minimum, four disconnects, each feeding six meters.

Better yet would be a single disconnect, feeding meter stacks, with the appropriate bussbars. (I'd really, really hate to try to split off 24 meters from one wire using split bolts!) Or, it might be a use for those new full-current rated insulation-piercing connectors; after all, you'd be tapping down from BFW-mcm to tiny #3

(Moderators' Note: BFW = Big Fat Wire)

I also have problems with different drops going into the same gutter.

I am simply stunned that the PoCo allowed this.

Besides the POCO blessing.....how did it pass NEC??? The 6 switch rule's been around longer than the buliding IMHO.

what this could potentially be....

4 paralleled SE-R cables feeding, lets say 500 MCM running the length of the gutter, 23 meters and disco's kearney'd off the 500 mcm at various points... I'd be very leery of what's in the gutter...

there appears to be at least 2 triplexes paralleled up there sorted out in some manner...

Does this Lake Travis area have municipal inspections or do they work off the "call the poco on your own for hookup and if it doesn't launch the pole mount into a neighboring county, they'll connect" plan?

This could also be 4 individual gutters butted up against each other, each with a service drop, and 5-6 meters.

OK, discussion time...
Multi troffs of 'x' feet, butted together, each having an SEU entering, and taps to the meters, COULD be a possibility....from viewing the pics & noting the cover seams.

However, this seems to be a single structure, although I have to stress the word 'appears'

Six switch rule should still prevail?

My bet is, the structure is a motel that got converted to individual apartments.

Larry C

I would maintain that, even if multipme structures are involved, that the 'six throws' rule still applies. It's still one service, at one location, with lots of meters.

Even if there were two true services - say, of different voltages - I'd expect the total number of "main" disconnects to be six or less.

Speaking academically, I would accept contactors on those feeds, with the coils switched by the 'main disconnect' switch. This would possibly reduce the expence of providing a ridiculously large single switch.

Yet, I have seen literally thousands of apartment buildings with more than 25 individually metered units, and a single main disconnect, so the disconnects are readily available.

The gutters aren't sealed on top. The installer failed to put weatherproof hubs on the nipples up to the meters. They've just got locknuts on them

The crowning touches are the main breakers. I recognize the enclosures as Federal Pacific Stab-lok.

Guessing FPE as an age indicator, I wonder if sealing locknuts were around then?

Or, perhaps it's in the desert!!!

I swear that I think I saw this place in Long Beach Island, NJ a few years ago. I may be wrong, but if so that means that two of these monstrosities exist.

LakeTraviskid:

Hey guy, first a welcome to ECN and a thank you for these pics.

Secondly, could you please shed some light on the location?

Lake Travis, Texas, perchance?