Why Electric codes are important

We recently were asked to check out an electrical meter base on an island home.  During the inspection process, a large hole was noted in the bottom of the meter.   The electrician noted that there was solid rigid electrical conduit feeding into the bottom of the meter and had pushed its way into the bottom of the meter base causing the problem.  The most likely cause of this was the ground water freeze/thaw cycles. 

This intrusion caused extreme pressure on the wiring, connections, and hot buses into the side of the meter housing.  As a result, different components were constantly arc welding inside of the meter housing.  This arcing had been a long-term issue that resulted in a 2” hole through the back of the solid steel meter base housing.  It’s very likely that a house fire would have happened eventually. 

Local codes require that a flexible conduit be installed instead of a solid rigid one due to ground frost heaving known to cause these types of problems.  We replaced the entire damaged meter base assembly and installed the proper flexible conduit so this does not happen again in the future. 

This is a great example of how some seemingly simple codes can save drastic possible house fires and other major issues.  Hiring electricians that know and understand these codes is vitally important to your family’s safety and also preventing damage to your home and possessions.  If you are unsure about anything, it’s best to call a professional and ask them to take a look.  

Call Last Frontier Electric at 907-315-3125.  We’d be happy to help you!