Looped Neutral Electric Meter

The neutral is simply a reference for the potential coil in the meter.

Looped neutral electric meter.

If the current in each 120v circuit is the same the circuits are balanced and no current flows in the neutral wire back to the power company transformer. American electric power company meter and service guide 4 figure 14. This combination service entrance device csed is built with a plated aluminum bus bar that is tested and. Neutral conductors shall be continuous from the service head to the service disconnect strip the insulation away from the neutral conductor and connect at the neutral lug of the meter base.

Meter installation from pad mount transformer usi ng bushing type ct s figure 14b. Testing voltage the screen will show 1 or ol if the range is very low indicating that it is out of range or overloaded while it won t damage or put your multimeter at risk. Neutral cable from the meter unit neutral outgoing terminal to the house distribution panel. Meaning to say there is no continuity.

The electrical meter is part of a meter loop which also contains a weatherhead and breaker box. 480v delta or 277 480v wye 200 amp below service self contained metering with meter disconnect figure 16. Testing continuity the screen will show 1 or ol open loop is the test is not detected. Meter installation from pad mount transformer w vt pack 480v figure 15.

Specifications applying to overhead meter loop only 7. The neutral wire is connected to earth ground at the transformer and at the circuit breaker box. Electric house meters can only be installed by power companies. Mark the neutral at the service head by using white color coded tape.

Anatomy of an electric meter. Inside a standard household electric meter box there is a center neutral bus bar with wire connection lugs at each and two hot bus bars each with wire connections lugs at each end. Homeowners however can install the meter base. Otherwise there is no route for electric current to flow from the probe to probe.

Within the meter panel itself also four cable connections are needed with two other cables involved. Meter loops must be built and installed to specifications set by the power company. The important thing to notice is the direction of the current flow in each 120v circuit. The three phase metering arrangement in my parents house consists of three single phase meters with the neutral looped through all three meters then off to the fourth single phase meter which supplies the main house.

Do not cut the neutral.