Sub panel for ADU or new dual socket meters?

[Skycamper]

Hi there, my first post here,
I installed this in 2015 which is a 150 amp GE powermark gold 8 circuit 4 space meter/load center

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-PowerMark-Gold-150-Amp-4-Space-8-Circuit-Meter-Socket-Load-Center-TSMF415CSFLP/302751170

Now I want an ADU in my backyard. Power company says you can sub-meter or upgrade this meter base to a dual meter base. If I decide to use a sub meter I could go to the main panel in the house but I dont want to rip up my walls and the location is not convenient. Can I run a main breaker off the 4 spaces available in the load center at the meter base shown in the photo? I could use a WiFi power monitor in the panel in the ADU. There is a 150 amp panel in the main home which is only 720 sq/ft. Main home has gas so the only major appliances in there are the stove/dryer and a few 120V 1000 watt cadets. The ADU would also have gas so I just need space for one cadet, dryer, lights, and plugs, maybe a mini-split.

What would be the largest sub panel I could run? which is about 30 feet away. Im not sure the meter socket load center is where I can start the run to the sub panel but there are 4 knock outs in there, wondering how big a breaker could fit?? I have replaced the main electrical panel in the last 3 homes ive owned over the years had worked with the county for permits as a homeowner. Definitely dont want to do anything not up to code. Its been a long time since I tackled a problem like this and may give this to an electrician if I have too. Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[Megawatt]

Hi there, my first post here,
I installed this in 2015 which is a 150 amp GE powermark gold 8 circuit 4 space meter/load center

https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-PowerMark-Gold-150-Amp-4-Space-8-Circuit-Meter-Socket-Load-Center-TSMF415CSFLP/302751170

Now I want an ADU in my backyard. Power company says you can sub-meter or upgrade this meter base to a dual meter base. If I decide to use a sub meter I could go to the main panel in the house but I dont want to rip up my walls and the location is not convenient. Can I run a main breaker off the 4 spaces available in the load center at the meter base shown in the photo? I could use a WiFi power monitor in the panel in the ADU. There is a 150 amp panel in the main home which is only 720 sq/ft. Main home has gas so the only major appliances in there are the stove/dryer and a few 120V 1000 watt cadets. The ADU would also have gas so I just need space for one cadet, dryer, lights, and plugs, maybe a mini-split.

What would be the largest sub panel I could run? which is about 30 feet away. Im not sure the meter socket load center is where I can start the run to the sub panel but there are 4 knock outs in there, wondering how big a breaker could fit?? I have replaced the main electrical panel in the last 3 homes ive owned over the years had worked with the county for permits as a homeowner. Definitely dont want to do anything not up to code. Its been a long time since I tackled a problem like this and may give this to an electrician if I have too. Thanks for any help you can offer.

View attachment 64200

Your best bet is to install a 60 amp double pole breaker in your panel outside and install a 125 amp main lug only sub panel which would need #6 wire. You can install a bigger breaker but you cannot exceed the amperage rating of any panel. I bet your house since it’s gas only draws 30 amps at any given time. So don’t worry about overloading your panel

 

[Megawatt]

Your best bet is to install a 60 amp double pole breaker in your panel outside and install a 125 amp main lug only sub panel which would need #6 wire. You can install a bigger breaker but you cannot exceed the amperage rating of any panel. I bet your house since it’s gas only draws 30 amps at any given time. So don’t worry about overloading your panel

You also have to pull 4 wires to your sub panel

 

[Skycamper]

Thanks for responding, so youre saying install a 60 amp double pole in the box below the meter since it has 4 spaces available (2 after I install the breaker) and then 6/3 romex through condiut? Can I take it under the house and pop out the back of the home so I dont have to dig so much? The ADU is in back of the main home to the left in that photo. I have to also run a gas line along the same side of the home so it would be nice to avoid putting the two in the same trench unless its allowed. I can check with the utilities on that.

Thanks so much!

 

[Megawatt]

Thanks for responding, so youre saying install a 60 amp double pole in the box below the meter since it has 4 spaces available (2 after I install the breaker) and then 6/3 romex through condiut? Can I take it under the house and pop out the back of the home so I dont have to dig so much? The ADU is in back of the main home to the left in that photo. I have to also run a gas line along the same side of the home so it would be nice to avoid putting the two in the same trench unless its allowed. I can check with the utilities on that.

Thanks so much!

If you run it under your house it don’t have to be in conduit. You can buy 6/3 with a ground romex approved for wet locations and approved for direct burial. Once you come from under your house you need to sleeve it with conduit going into the ground and when you come out of the ground it also needs to be sleeved in conduit to your sub panel. Yes you can put the gas line and the romex in the same ditch, just make sure it’s 24 inches deep and good luck

 

[Skycamper]

Ok so Im having a hard time even getting someone out here to give me a bid. But in the meantime Im wondering if I should upgrade to a dual socket meter base or simply add a meter socket right next to the one in the photo. Im assuming you splice the wire before it enters the original meter socket after the power is turned off by the utility? Which is less expensive or I guess less work?

 

[Skycamper]

I should also add, my utility project manager told me that the transformer cannot handle another hard connection, therefore he has asked that I install a 2nd meter either replacing my single meter socket for a dual one or adding a 2nd meter socket next to it. My question would be do I need to install a 2nd mast and weather head through the eve of the house like in the photo or is there an easier way?

 

[Megawatt]

I should also add, my utility project manager told me that the transformer cannot handle another hard connection, therefore he has asked that I install a 2nd meter either replacing my single meter socket for a dual one or adding a 2nd meter socket next to it. My question would be do I need to install a 2nd mast and weather head through the eve of the house like in the photo or is there an easier way?

I really don’t understand what you want to add a second meter. If you are concerned about overloading your panel, you can turn on everything in your house and will not overload your panel. Don’t make it more complicated than it really needs to be.

 

[Skycamper]

I really don’t understand what you want to add a second meter. If you are concerned about overloading your panel, you can turn on everything in your house and will not overload your panel. Don’t make it more complicated than it really needs to be.

One day id like to sell this property and having separate meters would mean separate electric bills. And I can think of a whole pile of reasons for that. Did you have something else in mind that I could do? I do like simplicity. For example, I def wont be able to separate the water mains so I thought about a private meter that I can read myself. In this case its not expensive to separate the electric bills. But is that what youre thinking?

 

[Megawatt]

One day id like to sell this property and having separate meters would mean separate electric bills. And I can think of a whole pile of reasons for that. Did you have something else in mind that I could do? I do like simplicity. For example, I def wont be able to separate the water mains so I thought about a private meter that I can read myself. In this case its not expensive to separate the electric bills. But is that what youre thinking?

No I didn’t have anything else in mind and didn’t realize that you wanted separate meters, and was looking to sell

 

[Skycamper]

No I didn’t have anything else in mind and didn’t realize that you wanted separate meters, and was looking to sell

The utility says their meters can handle 200 amp. I have an appointment with an electrician on March 6th. Im wondering what I will be able to upgrade to? I would rather not buy a marked up unit thats $800 from the local Platt electric which is why id like to buy my own. What would be the options here? Would this max out at 200 amp dual socket that has 100 amp per side? I know my service entrance cables are 4-4-2.

 

[Megawatt]

The utility says their meters can handle 200 amp. I have an appointment with an electrician on March 6th. Im wondering what I will be able to upgrade to? I would rather not buy a marked up unit thats $800 from the local Platt electric which is why id like to buy my own. What would be the options here? Would this max out at 200 amp dual socket that has 100 amp per side? I know my service entrance cables are 4-4-2.

Again you can’t overload your 100 amp panel, you are not going use that much power for what you want

 

[Skycamper]

Megawatt, yes im not worried about that. But do you have an opinion of which dual meter socket I should buy? Something with exterior disconnects on both sides?

 

[Megawatt]

Megawatt, yes im not worried about that. But do you have an opinion of which dual meter socket I should buy? Something with exterior disconnects on both sides?

I’ll be honest with you I have never had a need for duel meters, but I’ve worked on a few houses that don’t have disconnects and the only way to kill the power is to pull the meter. Please install disconnects so you can isolate your panels. Go to your local electrical parts house and they will fix you up with dual meter bases.

 

[Skycamper]

I’ll be honest with you I have never had a need for duel meters, but I’ve worked on a few houses that don’t have disconnects and the only way to kill the power is to pull the meter. Please install disconnects so you can isolate your panels. Go to your local electrical parts house and they will fix you up with dual meter bases.

I appreciate that and I appreciate your responses since you were the only one to give me some advice! No one lets you pick their brains sometimes.