Meter base modifications

[clare]

When replacing an electrical service (fuse to breaker) andmeter base, is it acceptable to make a new hole in the meter base and not use the factory supplied knock-out in order to allow thw wire to enter the new panel directly from the back with the panel mounted where it needs to be for all the original wiring to line up with the new service panel? It is an "oversized" meter base which only has one knockout near the bottom of the back of the box and the cable needs to go through the wall about six inches higher than where that knock-out would postion the wire - and moving the meter base is not an option.

If we have to use the factory knock-out, the power cable will come through the wall below the panel (only about 2 inches) and would require a pretty tight conduit elbow, or the power cable would need to run up six inches insde the wall before entering the panel. With a custom hole in the meter base the meter base and panel can be cpnnected with a short straight peice of conduit (about 6")

Only issue I can see is putting in a non-standard hole could contavene the UL listing on the meter base??

[FrozenNorth]

I would speak to someone at your local utility as they must inspect before a reconnection assuming you are doing this with a permit. When I bought this house in Toronto it originally had a 60 amp service, first job was to call up a buddy of mine who is an electrician to get the ball rolling on a service upgrade. His work passed with flying colours and has been working since, I have since added circuits but did not feel comfortable doing the panel itself.

[gfretwell]

The main issue is wire bending space. It will depend on the geometry between the lugs and the hole.

[clare]

Will have a permit and be done by licensed electrical contractor, but it will be done to my specifications. No shortcuts if there is a legal way to do it "right" - which means the panel fits where the old panel comes out, the wires line up with the knockouts in the panel and go in with NO junction boxes cluttering up the service board so the panel can be installed the "easy " way.

Heck, I'll take the greenley punches to the meter base myself if I have to.

I'd do the entire job myself but the new regs here in Ontario make that rather difficult since the meter base has to be replaced, Waterloo North Hydro has to do the connect and reconnect, and I need the ESA inspection for insurance purposes. The licensed electrical contractor does the ESA inspection as part of the job, so an ESA registered contractor is doing the whole job.

[clare]

With the sise of the new meter base, the fact I cannot go more than

125 amps (so the cables are relatively light, and the relative location of the new hole to the old one, I'm certain wire bend radius will be a non-issue.