Question about wiring a 6-50R receptable via meter socket

[dprus]

Hi all,

I'm busy trying to prep my garage for a Nissan Leaf and the first step is for me to install a 6-50R receptacle in my garage. I also want the receptacle to go through a meter socket so that I can keep track of how much power I'm using to charge the Leaf. Since I've never wired in a meter socket before I wanted to confirm my plan makes sense:

1. Install new 50amp breaker in main breaker panel
2. Connect 3 #6 wires (2 hot into the breaker's two slots [red & black] and 1 ground [green]. Nothing into the neutral bar)
3. In the meter socket I connect the two wires into the two hot inputs [line] on the top far left and right. Again, nothing connected to the neutral in the middle
4. Also in the meter socket I connect the ground coming from the main panel to the metal meter socket box ensuring there is a proper metallic connection
5. From the bottom of the meter socket I run another set of 3 #6 wires (2 "load" hots from the bottom of the meter socket and 1 ground again ensuring a proper metallic connection)
6. At the 6-50R receptacle I connect the two hots and the ground

I found the instructions for wiring a sub meter socket at: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDcQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nipsco.com%2FLibraries%2FBuilders_Developers%2FER19150.sflb.ashx&ei=X9mwUtXTG4GJogSPqYDgBw&usg=AFQjCNFRUetIjt_rtv2AWsyzuxy26mkJFg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The only thing I can't wrap my head around is that there is no neutral in any part of this installation. I just wanted to confirm 100% that that's correct before I proceed.

Thanks all!

 

[EVDRIVER]

There is no neutral, if there were it would not be a 6-50 outlet. You may want to have your work checked by someone with electrical experience, at least be sure the connections are proper and tight but it sounds proper in general.

 

[davewill]

The only thing I can't wrap my head around is that there is no neutral in any part of this installation. I just wanted to confirm 100% that that's correct before I proceed.

That's correct. Neutral is only needed if the ability to use one hot and the neutral for 120v is desired. The 14-50 receptacle has 4 connections (hot, hot, neutral, and ground) for that purpose (used by RV hookups, for instance, so that you can have 120v plugs inside). The 6-50 only uses the two hots and ground, and EVSE's have no need for the neutral. You could, if you wished, run a neutral wire and cap it off in the receptacle box, just in case you ever decided to change the receptacle type, but it's not needed, and I don't really recommend it. If you do, the neutral wire will just go through the meter box unconnected.

 

[smkettner]

The only thing I can't wrap my head around is that there is no neutral in any part of this installation. I just wanted to confirm 100% that that's correct before I proceed.

Thanks all!

Neutral is just for that weak 120v stuff. This is pure 240 volts. No neutral. No worries.

The appliances in the rest of the world running on 230 volts just seem to operate better IMO.

 

[dprus]

Thanks for all the great information. I started on this project yesterday and now I have 1 more question.

Right now the ground needs to go from my main panel to the 6-50R through the meter socket. However the meter socket itself doesn't have a place for a ground to be wired to it. So, I see the following options:

1. Purchase two 3/4" grounding bushing and connect the ground from the main panel to one and the ground going to the outlet to the other. These look good but I have to get them shipped to me from the Home Depot since they don't keep them in store: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Halex-3-4-in-Insulated-Rigid-IMC-Grounding-Bushing-2-Pack-29522/100123427?keyword=3%2F4%22+grounding+bushing#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2. Use the neutral on the meter socket for the ground wire from the main panel and to the 6-50R. Some websites online state that the meter socket has the neutral bonded to the outside box and so it serves the same purpose.

Any pointers here would be appreciated. Also, for #1, I'm using PVC piping so I'm not even sure the grounding bushing will even work properly unless it somehow scrapes against the case to create a bond when I screw it in?

Thanks again!

 

[dprus]

Thanks for all the great information. I started on this project yesterday and now I have 1 more question.

Right now the ground needs to go from my main panel to the 6-50R through the meter socket. However the meter socket itself doesn't have a place for a ground to be wired to it. So, I see the following options:

1. Purchase two 3/4" grounding bushing and connect the ground from the main panel to one and the ground going to the outlet to the other. These look good but I have to get them shipped to me from the Home Depot since they don't keep them in store: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Halex-3-4-in-Insulated-Rigid-IMC-Grounding-Bushing-2-Pack-29522/100123427?keyword=3%2F4%22+grounding+bushing#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2. Use the neutral on the meter socket for the ground wire from the main panel and to the 6-50R. Some websites online state that the meter socket has the neutral bonded to the outside box and so it serves the same purpose.

Any pointers here would be appreciated. Also, for #1, I'm using PVC piping so I'm not even sure the grounding bushing will even work properly unless it somehow scrapes against the case to create a bond when I screw it in?

Thanks again!

Actually - it looks like the meter socket may have had a place for the ground wire all along. It's right alongside the neutral. Here's a pic of how I wired it to the receptacle:

It also looks like my meter socket shipped without one of the ground wire screws :evil: So I guess I'm not going to get this done today - I'll have to contact the manufacturer and get them to send me a new one.

Any comments / feedback on how this install looks so far are appreciated!

 

[DaveEV]

Actually - it looks like the meter socket may have had a place for the ground wire all along. It's right alongside the neutral. Here's a pic of how I wired it to the receptacle:

It also looks like my meter socket shipped without one of the ground wire screws :evil: So I guess I'm not going to get this done today - I'll have to contact the manufacturer and get them to send me a new one.

Any comments / feedback on how this install looks so far are appreciated!

Weird - typically one is only allowed to bond neutral ground in one spot, and that is the main service panel.

If you were running a neutral, you'd be in a bit of a bind.

 

[wwhitney]

Weird - typically one is only allowed to bond neutral ground in one spot, and that is the main service panel.

That is correct, the neutral and the ground can only be bonded once per system, at the main service panel. [Also once per separately derived system, if a transformer is part of the premises wiring.] Meters are almost always used before the main service panel, where there is no separate ground wire and the neutral is used for bonding. So the meter comes with the neutral lugs bonded directly to the enclosure.

To use such a meter after the main service panel, you can not connect the neutral to those lugs. Instead just splice the neutral and leave it unconnected to the enclosure. You do need to ground the enclosure, so you can repurpose the lugs as ground lugs. You just need to verify your wire size is not too small for the lugs.

Cheers, Wayne

 

[dprus]

Weird - typically one is only allowed to bond neutral ground in one spot, and that is the main service panel.

That is correct, the neutral and the ground can only be bonded once per system, at the main service panel. [Also once per separately derived system, if a transformer is part of the premises wiring.] Meters are almost always used before the main service panel, where there is no separate ground wire and the neutral is used for bonding. So the meter comes with the neutral lugs bonded directly to the enclosure.

To use such a meter after the main service panel, you can not connect the neutral to those lugs. Instead just splice the neutral and leave it unconnected to the enclosure. You do need to ground the enclosure, so you can repurpose the lugs as ground lugs. You just need to verify your wire size is not too small for the lugs.

Cheers, Wayne

Wayne - there is no neutral wire. I'm wiring a 6-50R receptacle so it only has two hots and a ground. I assume this means I can just run the ground to it's normal place (which will be bonded with the meter socket's metal box) and be good? Just like I wired it in the picture above? Even though there is a white wire in the picture it's actually the second hot as denoted by the red electrical tape I put around the end of it.

 

[DaveEV]

Wayne - there is no neutral wire. I'm wiring a 6-50R receptacle so it only has two hots and a ground. I assume this means I can just run the ground to it's normal place (which will be bonded with the meter socket's metal box) and be good? Just like I wired it in the picture above? Even though there is a white wire in the picture it's actually the second hot as denoted by the red electrical tape I put around the end of it.

Wayne was just commenting on my comment of the neutral/ground being bonded in the meter socket (thanks Wayne, makes perfect sense!).

No issues with what you're doing as far as I can tell.

Well, there might be one minor issue - not sure what size wire you're feeding into the meter, but sometimes there is a minimum wire size spec that the lugs are rated for. If your wire is too small, you'd have to splice in a short piece of larger gauge wire. Often an insulated polaris connector is used to splice the pigtail in.

 

[wwhitney]

It also looks like my meter socket shipped without one of the ground wire screws

Just use a pigtail, and wire nut together the pigtail, the incoming ground, and the outgoing ground.

Oh, and as drees mentioned, since you don't need the neutral, the whole neutral discussion doesn't apply to your job, and you can repurpose the lug on the case for the ground as you are doing.

Wayne

 

[dprus]

Awesome. Thanks all for the replies / help - I really appreciate it!