Electric Meter or KC Fountain? - ECN Electrical Forums

(submitted via Joe Tedesco)

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We had a little too much hydraulic head in the old conduit (or is it pipe now?) running to our electric meter / distribution panel on our new house. The big green electric box sits about 12-15 feet (ish) above grade (our new house is at the bottom of a hill)...The electric meter is eye level with me (I'm 5'-4" ish.) There is an open trench that is about 50 long that goes from the big green box to a smaller one.

We haven't sent the pictures to our Electric Utility yet...they did get a trouble call that night...but as long as we had power, they weren't concerned.

Angela

Couldn't you fit a faucet to the bottom of the enclosure and market the setup as a "Material-saving combined water and electrical service" ? [Linked Image]

My FD normally requires fixed fire supression systems for electrical components to be CO2 or Halon replacement. Sometimes Class "C" rated dry chem is allowed, but usually not water. Something about conducting electricity...

Hate to tell you that. [Linked Image]

WOW!,

I'd hate to be the guy that installed that service, when his Boss finds out.

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We haven't sent the pictures to our Electric Utility yet...they did get a trouble call that night...but as long as we had power, they weren't concerned.

Now,that really is a worry!. [Linked Image]

We see this quite often....House is at a lower elevation, UG service runs down hill, & when it rains it pours.
The cause is conduit laid in an uneven ditch. After backfilling, the conduit is stretched to conform to the uneven bottom, & seperates, allowing ground water to enter the conduit & into the materbase.
Although I don't agree with the method, some Home Owners have had the POCO kill the service, & they have drilled a series of small weep holes, in the Conduit, just below the Meterbase to allow the water to "sprinkle" out before flooding the Base.

Well, with the water cooled cable, you likely don't have to worry about derating it!

I had one do this at a church, only the service was indoors.
The lady that called argued loudly that it was coming from a box on the property (which was lower than the service).
She finally admitted... That was where the plumber told her it was coming from.
(Not the utility vault, which was 10' higher than the service)

Go figure. I thought all plumbers knew that water flows downhill. [Linked Image]