Mike Dolt Enterprises
Mike Dolt Enterprises
User: justdavemamm, Location: Rochester NY
Asked on: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 8:35 pm EDT
Answered on: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 3:11 am EDT
Question: I was dropping someone off at a house (a side by side duplex) the other day and saw what looks to be a bogus tap at the meter base. The photo shows the two meters, I presume the left side one feeding the disconnect is for the unit that is farthest from the meters and the service cable goes into the basement for a ways before entering the unit and it's panel.So what do you all make of the right side meter and it's two cables ? I can't think of any legitimate reason for the smaller (white) cable.
The smaller white cable is likely a meter loop. It is used to connect the meter to the service entrance conductors. This allows the meter to be easily disconnected from the service entrance conductors for maintenance or replacement.The two cables are connected to the meter in parallel. This means that the current flowing through the meter is divided between the two cables. This helps to reduce the amount of current flowing through each cable, which can help to prevent the cables from overheating.Meter loops are typically used in commercial and industrial applications. They are not as common in residential applications. However, they may be used in some cases, such as when the service entrance conductors are located in a difficult-to-reach location. Flag for review