Seperate meter for Central Heat and Air

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stacyc72110

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I was wondering how many meters are allowed from the utility pole to add meters. The place is my sisters. They have two meters, one is for an office, the other for the residence. Only problem, it seems the power to the residence isn't enough power, amps, or something. There was a problem when the new trailor was wired up. I think they added a new meter loop, it kept blowing the breaker, or something. Is it possible the crimped connections aren't getting a good contact now? Maybe the blowing the breaker messed up the crimped together connections.

Is there a maximum amount of power usually that can be routed to a residence. Myself just adding the large ac unit to a seperate power pole or meter loop, and keep up with my power usage better that way. I have no idea if the power comming down the road is being over used and costing a fortune by pulling above normal amps, or what.

Right here at the trailor, the place has the usual pole, meter, and breakers outside. Then from the same wire that comes to the residence, from the road, is the seperate pole for the office. It isn't running ac at the time I notice that the central ac seems to be bogging down the power when it turns on. But since it's all comming from the road along the same wiring cables, is it possible the trailor's power needs to be a little higher? If so, where does it come if not an extra meter loop for the ac unit?

Is it possible to add a power pole, meter or something for the central ac only. I don't know much about codes and rules when adding an extra meter for the central ac unit only. Except it may reduce power consumption by keeping the load kinda low, and on the ac unit's only meter it'd stop bogging down the breaker's power in the trailor that runs a bunch of other items. At a trailor park or similar I've seen meters all lined up in rows on a thing that's similar to their mailboxes. Something like a place that holds a bunch of meters and the wiring I'd guess is all under ground.

It's similar to a thick piece of plywood in between a couple poles. It'd have three power meters on it, unless an extra was installed for a later time. But since the office's power isn't a bunch, it has a single power connection or meter loop for ac and all. The trailor would have a connection to the usual power meter, breaker thing. Then for the central ac, it'd go to it's own meter loop.

Wouldn't that save power by keeping the power usage and all, way below it's maximum available amps. Like 200 amps of maximum power, just being used for 50 amps maximum and dedicated to the ac unit only. The trailor would have plenty power at 200 amps. Nothing being heated up like the wire comming for the road.

I have no idea what the power comming from the road is. But the crimped connections may be partly burnt or worn from a power surge, a short when installed, or just a bad crimp. Is there any way to test the power for quality, maybe try and keep up with low voltages, and when? Is there anything that can be added to watch the power's quality, so it isn't ruining expensive tv's and computer, etc?

Any solutions or ideas on what could be done to have the power all distributed better. Myself three meter sounds great. Just run the ac unit's power to just at the central ac's location and add a pole, meter etc. It's an extra $15 service fee for the meter or account.

I'm unsure of what is going on with the ac unit. It may be on a heavy loaded circuit. May clear it right up to pull all the breaker out that are on the ac's part of the inside breaker box. It'd leave a bunch of empty slots for breakers, and probably trouble with overloading the other breakers. But with computers and lcd tv's when the ac turns on and the trailor has a few extra lights on, it's pretty noticeable that the ac pulls a bunch of power.

Maybe there is a rule or some tried and true method for routing the breakers and circuits away from the ac's circuit that are going to have items like a computer, lcd tv's, etc. Unless the central ac goes accross both parts of the breakers in the service panel and it pretty much effects anything that is connected to the breaker box.

I lived in a trailor about 10 years ago that you could see the sevice panels breaker connections burning out. The trim panel that goes in to make it all safe and neat, with breaker cut outs, was taken out. But at 2-3 in the morning you could look accross the room in the dark and see plasma looking electrical discharges moving from parts of the breakers connection thing in the service panel. Wasn't safe and was getting down to just a few tricks left to get it to continue to work. I was down to maybe 2-3 circuits when I moved.

But are there any laws on how many outlets of power are in your yard, to keep the power strong and less bogged down? I'm pretty sure a meter or fresh service outlet for the central heat and air would cure the problem of looking / acting bogged down. Then the trailor's power would be less loaded down and just by chance that the ac, the refridgerator, and everything comes on at the same time, while the oven is on, and washing a full load of clothes too. That a big surge of power damages the breaker's service panel.

The breakers were all wired at the factory. I'd guess they all look the same and all are in the same place from trailor to trailor, in similar trailors. But is there a rule or guide to follow when making sure the breakers are sorted, and in the best possible place? Maybe from top to bottom, and the two rails or distribution rails in the breaker or service panel. I know a little about the thing but nothing an electrician would know. Just that the circuits can only add up to the maximum the meter loop is rated. Like 200 amps is the 200 amp meter loops maximum. Don't know anything about only using about a certain percentage of the 200 amps capibilities with everything going at once. Like maybe 125 amps plugged into the 200 amp meter loop.

Shouldn't be any big deal to add a ac unit's only meter loop, should it. I agree it might look like the power company lives here, but it could be underground utilities to the ac unit, with a seperate meter loop and all on a 1 inch thick plywood board with three meters on it, or a special metal box thing made for the purpose of several meters. Then the meter reader wouldn't have to walk around looking for three meter. Just all 3 conviently right together, with a small roof above it all.

Please somebody let me know the rules in big ac units running along side the power requirements of a trailor and office. This is comming from the road about 100 yards away, then is split up twice, I think. Once for the residence and then a seperate pole for the office, I think a security yard light in there with it all too. Just needing to know the best route to go on all this, with non-blinking lights, and power surge looking.

But wanting to know more on the extra meters, or bigger meter loops, even the three-phase, or something. Maybe a big transformer with the cooling fins on it.

There are two other mobile homes out here with the furtherest about 300 yards from the road. It took 4 poles to get power from the road to the mobile home. The other mobile home is right next to the road. Any special rules on electrical power needing a big transformer, if it's got three mobile homes, a small office, and a few yard security lights all comming from about the same area at the high line wire, like between two poles or high line pole at the dirt road.

This is kinda an area similar to the boondocks. Closest WalMart is 15 miles. It's about a mile to the highway, I'd guess the electrical power is a better quality running along side the highway. Tornadoes, high wind, etc may have damaged part of something near here a few months ago, or in the last few years. I've no idea how much abuse a transformer can take, after lightening strikes from storms, striking in and near an area and all. I'm unsure if the power company stores it as extra.

Just let me know, please, if I should try and convience my brother-in-law that it's really cool to wire the 4 ton ac unit to it's own power meter, something like a 200 amp meter loop, only useing 50 amps of it. While the mobile home's 200 amp should be limited to maximum 125 amps useage. So the power has extra amps to cushion any surges. But out here in the boondocks should I be reccommended 3 phase sounding power?


Thanks In Advance,
Stacy Courtney
 
Whew that's quite a post!
Have you tried contacting a design tech at the power company? They will be able to inform you if your service line is undersized and what the requirements and costs are for installing a new meter.

My local power company just looked at our service, which hasn't been updated for 20 or 30 years, and told us our service line and transformer are too small for the size of our house [we are at the end of the line for our neighborhood].
 
Well, only having glanced at your post I'd also say contact the POCO. They are the only ones who can give you an accurate answer.

I find it kind of funny (and sad) that you equate where the place is (ie: boondocks) by it's relation to the nearest walmart. To those of us who would never set foot in that retched place I'd be more concerned where the nearest place to buy milk and 1/2&1/2 is.
 
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