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Posted By: Admin Meter Drip Loops - 08/10/06 01:27 AM
submitted by trublu832:

[Linked Image]
Posted By: iwire Re: Meter Drip Loops - 08/10/06 05:53 AM
Many would call that a service loop.

There is still some conductor left if the connection goes bad you can cut it back and remake it.
Posted By: trublu832 Re: Meter Drip Loops - 08/19/06 07:36 PM
Is a service loop common practice for many ec's? Or just the pocos
Posted By: SteveFehr Re: Meter Drip Loops - 08/19/06 07:57 PM
It's required in the telecom industry for servicible equipment so that you can rack it out. They even have special spring-hinged bars to attach the cables to to make it cleaner.
Posted By: ShockMe77 Re: Meter Drip Loops - 08/20/06 12:50 AM
Funny how the POCO isn't held to the same bend radius requirements that we have to uphold (assuming the poco's aluminum conductors are the same type aluminum as SE).
Posted By: PCBelarge Re: Meter Drip Loops - 08/20/06 11:25 PM
Shockme,

They do have bending radius to follow, maybe they just don't always enforce it.
Posted By: iwire Re: Meter Drip Loops - 08/20/06 11:49 PM
Do 600 volt conductors have bending radius restrictions?

I thought bending radius restrictions where limited to cables.
Posted By: Active 1 Re: Meter Drip Loops - 08/23/06 02:14 AM
I believe the intent of the loop instal was to allow for soil and conductor movement.

What happens sometimes is the ground settels or frost movement. The conductors get pulled to tight. The meter gets pulled from the wall. Meter guts crack and come close to shorting out.

Anyways around here for resi any work and the utility wants you to change from a pipe and meter to an underground meter set up (they call em wire ways). The point of the underground meter besides being an easy install is it allows room for the conductor to zig zag a few times before landing. No extra conductor zig zag then you can have the same problem of the conductors pulling things apart.
Posted By: Theelectrikid Re: Meter Drip Loops - 09/03/06 02:18 AM
Here's a stupid question, which side is the line side? I would say the left, but I don't know if the POCO would have a disco or not.

Ian A.
Posted By: mxslick Re: Meter Drip Loops - 09/03/06 04:21 AM
Ian:

Line side is on the left. Notice the lugs lead to bus bars connected to the top clips.

Generally speaking, the top clips of a "Form(n)S" meter (Where (n) is a number representing the configuration and voltages) are always line side, the bottom clips are load side.

A Form 2S is the common residential meter, being 120/240 volt, single phase, 3 wire.

Now as to the pic:

Was this posted as being a violation? Or just for discussion? Despite the sticker on the pipe below the can being red (orange?) it looks like it says "Approved" on the top line.
Posted By: Almost Fried Re: Meter Drip Loops - 09/04/06 07:36 PM
Back in the olden days there were a set of methods by which wiring was installed that supplemented the code. Sometimes called "Standard Wiring Practice", verbal and physical instruction from an old hand who taught me to "put in a little something for the eye", i.e., care enough about your work to make it look well thought out. The extra conductor length makes for less strain on the lugs, allows for some settling of the conduit/backfill(as mentioned above) and gives slack to the Sparky who has to modify the situation 10 years later. It's called "good work" Perhaps the loops pictured are a tad tighter than the minimum bending radius but the individuals who write most of the rules never had callouses from attempting to fight 4/0 XHHW on a winter morning. If the lugs aren't the lay-in type, the loop is much easier to terminate than a short stub of wire a few inches out of the bushing. IMNSHO
Posted By: napervillesoundtech Re: Meter Drip Loops - 09/06/06 04:59 AM
Thats a good point mentioned above. I always think a job must look very nice, as well as being safe. If people see that someone else took the time to do something right the first time, they are more inclined to keep it that way.
Posted By: trobb Re: Meter Drip Loops - 09/07/06 04:00 AM
In my telecom cabling classes my prof always mentioned adding extra wire (if within the 100m rule) behind the jack in case it needed re-terminating in the future. "Just because it works now doesn't mean it will work later on"
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