Can I run a 240v (14-50) directly from this meter box?

[kmac5855]

Hi All,
I live in an attached townhouse/duplex and have a carport where I park. There are currently no outlets set up. I intend to have a professional add a 240v outlet but wanted to get some opinions here first so I dont get taken advantage of on the installation price! The situation is my breaker is in the back of the house (far away from the carport) but the meter is right by where I park. Ive taken a picture of what the setup is. In the green circle is already a spot cut away for what looks to be wiring and outlet. My question is will I be able to run the 240v outlet right off the meter box above the outlet or will I have to run the wiring all the way from the breaker box at the back of my house? Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[N5329K]

You really, really want a way to shut off that circuit if there's a fault. Normally, that's done automatically with a breaker.
I'm reminded of how my sprinklers were installed: upstream of the house water shutoff. You can imagine my surprise when I shut off the house water supply, took a pipe wrench to a faulty sprinkler valve and threaded it off the 3/4" pipe.
The fountain rose higher than the house. It was a scene straight out of Das Boot.
Robin

 

[eprosenx]

Hi All,
I live in an attached townhouse/duplex and have a carport where I park. There are currently no outlets set up. I intend to have a professional add a 240v outlet but wanted to get some opinions here first so I dont get taken advantage of on the installation price! The situation is my breaker is in the back of the house (far away from the carport) but the meter is right by where I park. Ive taken a picture of what the setup is. In the green circle is already a spot cut away for what looks to be wiring and outlet. My question is will I be able to run the 240v outlet right off the meter box above the outlet or will I have to run the wiring all the way from the breaker box at the back of my house? Thanks in advance for the help!

View attachment 340752

Please open one of those boxes and send us pictures. I am hoping we will find a shutoff with available breaker spots below it.

Also pictures of any spec sheet on the door etc along with Model #’s would be great

You may or may not be in luck!

 

[davewill]

I'm pretty confident that one of those is your main electrical panel and the other your neighbor's, in which case under that flip up cover you should find the main breaker for the whole house and some number of individual circuit breakers. I suspect the panel at the back of the house is a subpanel. If so, this would be a perfectly valid place to run a new circuit from, assuming there's capacity for it.

 

[Nocturnal]

You will need to run it from the breaker box. That's your meter can (they are locked for a reason). The small covered box may be pre-wired for an outdoor outlet or just be a junction box for wiring that heads somewhere.

 

[davewill]

Looks more like a combo box:

 

[Avid]

Which meter box is yours? If yours is the left one and the area under the meter has open slots for a 50amp double pole breaker, you could be in business. It would be simple to hit a knock out and drop a short section of cable to a 14-50 weatherized enclosure.

 

[Akikiki]

There's different ways to do what you need. Its not a one solution problem.

What's on the other side of that wooden panel wall? Guessing, but I'd ask for a breaker box to be installed there and run from there to the place where you want the outlet. The breaker box would cost you a little more for this effort, but it would give you an immediate circuit cutoff and its own breaker. Much safer.

An electrician installed my 50 amp circuit and ran to the desired location for the outlet in my garage from a box like that. He used a "block" to bring the 50 amp circuit off it from my meter like you want to do. He said it would not pass code and could not get a permit. This was a quick temp fix. Later, we performed a planned service panel upgrade (that we permitted and I paid for) from 100 amp to 200 amp and the new panel provided separate terminals for the 50 amp circuit to run to a new breaker box then continue on to the outlet.

 

[Avid]

Looks more like a combo box:

If that is the box, it might be a tad difficult for the 50, not a lot of room if their are other breakers

 

[kmac5855]

Thanks all.maybe my best bet is just to have someone come out and give me a quote!

 

[eprosenx]

Thanks all.maybe my best bet is just to have someone come out and give me a quote!

If you just open one of those boxes (they look identical so I suspect either would be fine) and take pictures we can probably give you a good idea of options.

Hopefully what you will find is a main electrical service disconnect (like 200a). And if we are in luck, this model of panel will have some breaker slots downstream of that which would allow you to put in a 240v breaker for a plug or wall connector.

 

[Blup85]

Fun! Let's take bets. My money is on a 8 slot 200 amp combo box, with a 20amp single pole for the carport, a 30 double pole for the ac, and a 100 amp double for the townhouse subpanel. Leaving 3 slots open, and enough room for a 50amp double pole.
OP. Take some pics!

 

[KenC]

I'd take a peek at the left meter box since it's not sealed. And, I'd take a peek behind that outlet cover plate, circled in green, to see if it's wired, for a future outlet, or a junction box, which would mean it's not usable since the outlet has to be on a dedicated line.

 

[eprosenx]

Fun! Let's take bets. My money is on a 8 slot 200 amp combo box, with a 20amp single pole for the carport, a 30 double pole for the ac, and a 100 amp double for the townhouse subpanel. Leaving 3 slots open, and enough room for a 50amp double pole.
OP. Take some pics!

I like this game!

My bet is also an 8 slot 200 amp combo box, but lets say there are no circuits in the external panel box other than the feed into the subpanel inside the unit. Hard to say what the amperage of the feed to the inside is. Heck, it could just be feed-through lugs with from the bottom of the 200a bus...

My bet is that that there will be a pair of slots for @kmac5855 to install a 50a breaker in. The trick will be wiring it out of that panel to wherever it needs to go without tearing up that nice looking wall.

 

[Akikiki]

Betting huh? I bet its a 100 amp service for each meter and there's no existing breakers. There will be 4 slots.

Edited after he provided inside pics. I was way off. 200 amp service and 20 slots.

 

[kmac5855]

Alright we got some bets! I took a pic of underneath the panel box and then under the outlet cover as well. IF you cant see the pics too cleary (its late here) the numbers above do say "200". Let me know what you guys think and thanks again for the help! PS I do have someone coming out either tomorrow afternoon or the weekend. That panel is right where I park so hoping this is an easy (cheap $) job!

 

[eprosenx]

Alright we got some bets! I took a pic of underneath the panel box and then under the outlet cover as well. IF you cant see the pics too cleary (its late here) the numbers above do say "200". Let me know what you guys think and thanks again for the help! PS I do have someone coming out either tomorrow afternoon or the weekend. That panel is right where I park so hoping this is an easy (cheap $) job!View attachment 340915 View attachment 340916

Nice!

Well we were all wrong.

So looks like a 200a main with what I bet are feed-through lugs that go to the inside panel.

If we trust the outer cover then there are 20 spots in that panel!

However: It is completely possible that there is a much smaller bus inside there, or even NO bus at all for breaker positions (though that would be weird).

Is there a sticker on the inside cover of that flap that you can take a picture of please? We need to see all the detailed text and instructions (particularly the model # which might let us find documentation online).

My prediction is that you are in pretty good shape if your HOA will let you attach a receptacle somewhere there. Actually though, have you considered a Wall Connector? I find them more attractive, less likely to be stolen, more waterproof, and just overall better. I like having my UMC in the car at all times too.

Also, that cover you took off covers the "Ufer" ground connection point. Your main electrical service is grounded via a piece of rebar that goes into the concrete. Totally standard way to do things these days.

 

[eprosenx]

Also, pictures with the inner panel removed would be awesome as well (requires removing one screw). Don't do this unless you are comfortable exposing live wires and can do it safely. (maybe take pictures when electrician shows up)

And don't do it to someone else's panel. Only the one feeding your unit. ;-) It would be easy to accidentally bump off the 200a main circuit when taking off the cover.

 

[kmac5855]

Also, pictures with the inner panel removed would be awesome as well (requires removing one screw). Don't do this unless you are comfortable exposing live wires and can do it safely. (maybe take pictures when electrician shows up)

And don't do it to someone else's panel. Only the one feeding your unit. ;-) It would be easy to accidentally bump off the 200a main circuit when taking off the cover.

Thank you! I will take some more pics tomorrow early afternoon and upload them here.

I must confess that I dont even know which panel is for my unit!

 

[kmac5855]

Nice!

Well we were all wrong.

So looks like a 200a main with what I bet are feed-through lugs that go to the inside panel.

If we trust the outer cover then there are 20 spots in that panel!

However: It is completely possible that there is a much smaller bus inside there, or even NO bus at all for breaker positions (though that would be weird).

Is there a sticker on the inside cover of that flap that you can take a picture of please? We need to see all the detailed text and instructions (particularly the model # which might let us find documentation online).

My prediction is that you are in pretty good shape if your HOA will let you attach a receptacle somewhere there. Actually though, have you considered a Wall Connector? I find them more attractive, less likely to be stolen, more waterproof, and just overall better. I like having my UMC in the car at all times too.

Also, that cover you took off covers the "Ufer" ground connection point. Your main electrical service is grounded via a piece of rebar that goes into the concrete. Totally standard way to do things these days.

Do you think the wall connector is worth the extra $500 + install? Money isnt a huge concern here but Id rather keep the $500 unless there is a great benefit. FYI Im in socal SDGE territory and plan on charging in super off-peak hours (12-6a). My roundtrip commute during weekdays is approx 70 miles per day and prob average 20-30 miles per day on the weekend.

Havent purchased the model 3 yet but been doing a TON of research prior! From the sounds of it I would be able to take delivery in 1-2 weeks from order for the RWD black color version.