Article II — Meter Installations

All meter installations shall comply with the minimum requirements of the electric utility service equipment requirements committee (EUSERC), as accepted by the city, and with rules and regulations of the inspecting authority having jurisdiction.

(Ord. 1351 § 1 (part): prior code § 9-30 (part))

Metering equipment complying with these service rules and regulations shall be required whenever any electrical wiring of the Class I type (defined in the city electrical code) is installed, except when there is

existing metering equipment which, in the opinion of the building official, is satisfactory and adequate to register all electric current to be supplied.

(Ord. 1351 § 1 (part), 1985: prior code § 9-30 (part))

When a property owner is permitted to do his own wiring, he will be considered the electrical contractor for the purpose of this article.

(Ord. 1351 § 1 (part), 1985: prior code § 9-30 (part))

A.

The service entrance head or outlet shall be located in accordance with Article 230 of the National Electrical Code as interpreted by the city. The service head should be placed higher than the point of service attachment, if possible, to preclude the possibility of water entering the service conduit or cable and ultimately the meter. The customer's service entrance wires shall extend two feet beyond the service head or outlet and thus be long enough to provide for drip loops and attachment to the service drop.

B.

In this article the capacity of the service switch has been used as the basis for determining the size of other related equipment. In those cases where a main service switch is not used, the current-carrying capacity of the service entrance conductors shall be considered as the service switch capacity.

C.

Any new service entrance installed in the area described in the downtown underground utility master plan adopted by the city council shall be installed underground. Location and requirements shall meet the approval of the city utility director.

(Prior code § 9-31)

The metering arrangements required by the utilities department of the city provide for the line current to enter first the meter and then the disconnect and overload protective devices. There shall be one main service disconnecting switch or breaker located at a point adjacent to and outside of the building with the electrical metering device.

(Prior code § 9-32)

A.

Provision shall be made for the installation of a self-contained meter (no instrument transformers) for services with capacity less than two hundred amps.

B.

In all other cases, provision shall be made for the installation of instrument transformers and a transformer- type meter. For large installations, the utility department should be consulted to determine if provision is necessary for installation of a varhour meter to measure power factor.

Exception: the four hundred amp, single-phase bolt-in type meter is acceptable only for single-family residential use.

C.

Socket-type meters shall be used on all installations.

(Ord. 1351 § 1 (part): prior code § 9-33)

A.

The contractor shall provide meter sockets in accordance with EUSERC requirements for the type of service being installed.

(Ord. 1351 § 1 (part), 1985: prior code § 9-34)

A.

An instrument transformer installation consists of metering current or potential transformers, or both, mounted in a metal cabinet and a watt-hour meter with its accompanying test facilities. For large loads a varhour meter is required in addition to the watt-hour meter.

B.

The utility department will furnish and install the secondary wiring from the instrument transformers to the meter in conduit or raceways furnished and installed by the contractor. Provision shall be made for the installation of meter test blocks or test switches, which will also be furnished by the utility department.

C.

The contractor shall furnish and install a metal cabinet for housing the metering instrument transformers in accordance with EUSERC specifications for the type of service being installed.

D.

All covers which must be lifted into place should be equipped with two handles or similar lifting devices. All covers shall have a small caution sign on the front reading, "Do not break seals. No fuses inside."

(Ord. 1351 § 1 (part), 1985: prior code § 9-35)

A.

When a building has more than one customer or more than one type of service, it is necessary to use a multiple meter installation. Nonswitchboard multiple-occupancy installations can usually best be arranged by utilizing a meter trough. Standardized meter troughs using ring-type sockets or individual sockets in combination with standardized wire gutters or their equivalent are recommended. Troughs and wire gutters containing unmetered wiring shall always be provided with two studs having one-sixteenth-inch holes for sealing, in addition to the screws normally used to hold the cover in place. Unmetered service wires and metered load wires shall not be run in the same conduit, raceway or wiring gutter.

B.

The rules for spacing of multiple meter installations using socket-type meters shall be in accordance with EUSERC requirements.

C.

In multiple-occupancy buildings, meters shall be mounted at a common location. Where one or more meters are added to an existing installation, they shall either conform to the existing plan, or the existing meters shall be rearranged to conform to a new plan.

D.

Each meter position in multiple meter installations shall be clearly and prominently marked in a permanent manner by the contractor to indicate the particular location supplied by it. Meters will not be installed until the marking is complete. In case of multiple dwellings, each meter switch shall be marked by letter or number to correspond to the apartment it serves.

(Ord. 1351 § 1 (part), 1985: prior code § 9-36)

A.

Electric meter installations shall be located so as to be accessible to any authorized representative of the utility department at all reasonable times for reading, testing and inspection. Outdoor meter locations are preferred.

B.

Electric meter installations shall not be located in any of the following places:

On any floor higher than the ground floor;

In any place where moisture, fumes or dust may interfere with its operation or materially damage the meter;

In any elevator or hatchway;

In any hazardous location;

In any place not in general use;

Directly over any stairway, ramp or steps;

On any surface subject to excessive vibration, as determined by the utility department;

In any doorway;

On or recessed in the external surface of any wall or any building that is built within three feet of any property line or on the line of any walk, alley or driveway giving access to commercial or industrial property, except when permitted by the utility department;

On any portion of a building which might at a later date be enclosed and thus make the meter inaccessible, such as carports, breezeways, covered porches and similar places;

C.

Residential meter installations, when electric utilities are installed in the street, shall be located outdoors and shall be located within six feet of the front corner of the building or structure. No electric meter shall be enclosed by any fence, gate, shrub or any other type of structure or enclosure, and shall be accessible from the front of the building or structure.

(Ord. 1351 § 1 (part), 1985: prior code § 9-37)

A.

Meters shall be located not more than seventy-five inches and not less than sixty-six inches above the ground or standing surface when installed outdoors. When installed outdoors in a cabinet or indoors in a meter room, the minimum height may be reduced to thirty-six inches.

B.

In the event special permission is granted to locate a meter adjacent to a walk or driveway, it should be mounted eighty-four inches above such walk or driveway. However, in no event shall a demand meter be mounted higher than seventy-five inches.

(Prior code § 9-38)

A level standing and working surface shall be provided in front of each metering installation. A clear and unobstructed working space shall be above this surface. The width of the working space shall be sufficient to permit ready access to the metering equipment and in no case less than three feet. The height of the working space shall be equal to the overall height of the metering installation and in no case less than six feet. The working space shall extend at least three feet from the surface on which the metering equipment is mounted.

(Prior code § 9-39)

Under no circumstances shall an electrical contractor, or anyone other than a employee of the utilities department, be allowed to break a seal on the utility's meter or connect or disconnect a meter.

(Prior code § 9-40)

In the event of injury to a city employee, by attack from an animal on the premises of a customer/resident, it shall be mandatory for the customer/resident to pay for the cost of a remote meter installation which cost may be paid outright or added to the monthly utility bill.

(Ord. 1351 § 1 (part), 1985)

It is unlawful for any person, either as owner, architect, contractor, artisan or otherwise, to do or knowingly to cause or permit to be done any electrical wiring as defined in this article in such manner that the same does not conform to all of the provisions of this article.

(Prior code § 9-41)