It looks more like a carport, with no garage door. Still...

Spontaneous Construction!

What kind of nutbar deal is this? Must be a real crowd pleaser when the meter readers come along. And what's with the cock-eyed light by the inside door? Roof too low or the light couldn't be moved down?

I got a few of these up here in 'Jersey'. Usually an un-permitted car port close-in. Interesting that the roof & siding show no signs of 'addition' work.

The leaning fixture was/is probably something that was on the 'Honeydo' list.

John

With the advent of remote readers, will accessibility of the meter be a non-issue in the future? (I mean with regards to locked doors and meter reading, not cramped closets and servicibility.)

I can certainly empathize with the homeowner here- they obviously didn't sink much money into that garage, and I doubt they could have afforded to move that meter. Then you get into other NEC issues regarding restriction on SE length and placement of the panel, and all of the sudden, the homeowner has $10k worth of electrical work for a $500 DIY job. Would be so easy to just ignore the problem, especially if you didn't even realize it WAS a problem. In fact, knowing how expensive the problem is, I'd probably have done the exact same thing...

Agreed, it's costly to relocate the service. but.......I'll play devils advocate.

Unprotected (service) conductors within the structure??

Also, how about the pressure vent gizmo on the gas meter??? Nothing like dumping into the structure!

Les: (LK) what do you say? ever seen one of these??

John

Seriously... how much would anyone charge to do that the right way??? Yank the old meter off the wall, 6X6X4 NEMA 1 pullcan, maybe 30' 1½" EMT and 40'X 3 #2THHN, and a meter/main breaker can (to eliminate the unfused feeder situation) landed on the side of the new garage a couple ground rods and 15' #6 AC and this would be good to go Hell, you could probably salvage the old riser and feeders if they were really that hard up (I cant tell what condition they're in)
(This garage looks tiny, like Stuart Little might park there )

PS. get the lazy phone guy to stop tying to our risers!

"Unprotected (service) conductors within the structure??"

Another one of those don't worry about the permit jobs, i bet the guy that did it, still thinks he knew what he's doing, the gas vent is good where it is, all the evidence will be gone, the first time the vent dumps!

That job will end up costing them, when they try to sell.

OK, I had 1 of these today. relocated to the left garage wall.

200 amp PSE&G pan; 200 amp rated service
2-1/2" RGC mast, boot, guy wire
200 amp CB main, 3R
40' SER to existing panel.
2 rods; jump water meter & water heater.
80' #4 to street side water main

Job Cost (on permit) $1675.00

John


[This message has been edited by HotLine1 (edited 11-16-2006).]

What about the other trades involved? If this was a covered carport like it looks, the roof would have to be patched and probably the drywall in the overhead of the garage torn down to access the conduit. And how much does poco charge to come out and move their box and the aerial? Actually, if this was all new, they would have to come out twice- once to take the box and aerial down so the garage could be built, and again to put it back up. Meanwhile, for the length of the job, plus time for the inspectors and poco to come back out, the homeowners are either completely without power, or have to rent a sizeable generator. So, write off all the food in their freezer!

I agree that $10k is a way high estimate, I just threw that out there without much thought. But it's not going to be cheap to move a meter, that's for sure. And a royal pain in the butt! Aside from that, it looks like that garage would have had exactly 0 impact on like in the rest of the house during construction. Constrast that with at least several days, if not a week without power.

[This message has been edited by SteveFehr (edited 08-18-2006).]

The street I live on here in Des Moines, Iowa
several of the houses have electrical meters in the basement. The house I bought has the meter in the basement, right next to the meter is the service panel and right next to that is the hot water heater

Steve:
The Twp I work in (AHJ) and LK does EC work in has numerous houses like this.

Based on the pics above, comparing to what I physically see here....

The ceiling in the carport/garage looks like it could be plywood.
The vinyl siding looks recently 'new'; boxed out around the meter pan, and conduit.
4" sq box w 2 sw box looks new, & it's mounted 'on' the siding.

Again, where I am, I would guess the 'front' & 'side' & 'back' were 'enclosed; the house sided, and maybe re-roofed, as there are no visable seams.

John

Would relocating the meter to the front of the house (where the light is right of the "garage," help any? The HO probably wouldn't want it, but it would get it out of the garage. All pending AHJ (John)'s approval.

Ian A.

NEC 230.70(A)1
It isn't just the meter but, the location of the service disconnect. It is now no longer "...nearest the point of entrance of the service conductors."
Alan--

The meter could be moved outside the garage and a new W/P service-rated disconnect be placed beside it. Then refeed the old panel and turn it into a sub-panel...isolate neutrals from grounds, etc. I suspect there is gas heat and gas cooking judging from the gas meter and the size of the meter housing so 4-wire feeders to them wouldn't be a problem. Now moving the gas meter outside the garage is a whole new adventure...

That's nothing compared to some I know.

He lives in a 2 bedroom cement block house built in 1955. The electrical meter sits just outside of what used to be the back door to exit out of the house.

Sometime later someone decided to add an addition to the back side of the house. Then they split the whole addition in half and created a bed room on the one side of the house where the meter sits.

So now in order for the electric person to take the meter reading they have to go inside the back door, then take an immediate right into the bed room (it's actually being used as an airplane model room since this guy has no kids and works for ATA) and behind the door sits the emter....still in it's original spot.

The same guy's dad, in 1978 had their house destroyed by termites. So they built a brand new house next to it (from an existing garage) and then they moved out of the old termite house, yet they left the electrical service still connected to the house and just tapped off of it and ran a new wiring service to the new house.

It wasn't until 10 years ago when the son aquired the property after his dad went to a nursing home for a stroke and had the IRS threating to take his house, that his son got it all for $1, then he had the service moved to the new house so they could finally tear down the old house.