Illegal taps

Electrical · System Grounding · printed page 91 (PDF page 92)

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Book index entries

Electric Taps – Illegal Illegal Electrical Taps Taps – Illegal Electrical Electric Service – Box

Text in the illustration

to ground
illegal tap
on
off
service box
meter
distribution panel
watch for illegal taps
where household circuits
are tapped off the
service box directly
(upstream of the meter)
note:
this situation would not typically occur with a
combination circuit breaker panel, since the meter is
almost always upstream of the combination panel

Generated explanation

The illustration shows an open fused service box connected by conduit to an electric meter, which in turn connects to a distribution panel. A grounding conductor extends from the service box toward ground. A separate circuit runs from the service box to a switch enclosure at the left, highlighted by a dashed circle as an illegal tap. This household circuit connection is upstream of the meter, bypassing metering. A note distinguishes this arrangement from a combination circuit breaker panel, where the meter is almost always upstream of the panel.