i havent been able to find natural gas in the 500.5 classifications. what i want to know is if the nec intends for us to classify the gas meter entering a building to be a classified location so that we have to keep our service a specified distance from it. the utilitiy companies have rules, but it seems that the nec should address it also.

NFPA 54, National Fuel Gas Code, requires that gas meters be installed at least 3 ft (0.9 m) from sources of ignition and be protected from physical damage, extremes of temperature, overpressure, back pressure, or vacuum.

Joe,
What is an "extremes of temperature"? All of the meters in this area are outside and can see from -25 to 100+ or higher if they are in the sun.
Don(resqcapt19)

Don:

I searched for the definition of that term throughout the entire NFPA Fire Codes and found nothing. I did find the following site when I searched via the address line on my browser, and this is what I came up with:

"Temperature Extremes in the United States." Infoplease.com
© 2002 Learning Network.
17 Apr. 2002 http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0193168.html

I think the term is used by some fire investigators and probably means "not to cold and not to hot?"

My thoughts, when I posted the NFPA 54 reference above was the "source of ignition" that could be present when the electrical equipment and even the electric meter were subjected to some sort of physical damage.

Most gas utilities enforce the 3 foot rule.

3 feet is what the gas co has told me in the past. so it appears nec chapter 5 specifies distances for spray booths, aircraft, and gas stations but no distances for separation from gas meters. are any distances specified from propane tanks or oil tanks to meters or receptacles or fixtures. oops, luminaires?