This doesn’t look kosher to me…
Service entrance buried in a raised bed, about 18" of soil.
Picture isn’t great, but what you’re seeing is the (already open) portion of the service entrance below the meter.
Companion picture is of a “normal” meter and entrance on the same building.
Any suggestions for recommendations? I’m thinking the raised bed could cause water to get into the panel (but no water or rust was found inside)
Comments?
Hi Thomas,
That would have to be wrong on several counts
Regards
Gerry
Thanks much, Gerry.
If this is part of the meter socker assembly the utility company should fix it.
Absolutely NOT. I’d say probably over 90% of the country the customer is responsible for everything (except the meter itself) from the taps down or the lateral up. This includes the meter pan.
How do you know this for certain?
That looks to me like a meter pedestal rated for burial. I am pretty sure it can be buried right up the that latch visible in the photos.
\
No. The sparky who originally installed it is wrong :mrgreen:
Customers do not install meter boxes.
Darn Electricians!
No, they install flower beds.
Funny Pete,
I thought the ones rated for direct burial had to be in a wooden lead lined box and at a depth of 6 feet 
I learn something new every day :mrgreen:
Regards
Gerry
Do you have proof that the homeowner did this? Huh?
By Occum’s Razor, blame the sparky.
I’l bet the the person who laid the pavers in the first picture was a moon lighting electrician. :shock:
Pete,
Around here the socket is set by the POCO. Contractor just runs SE tail out. POCO terminates to socket.
Is it just me, of does this sound, somehow, kinky? 
We GOTTA get some better terminology, don’t you think?
Regards
Gerry
I stand corrected, Gerry.
I once knew a guy who named his new company “Moon Light Electric”. No joke. :shock:
You must have a different kind of dirt up there if you can direct bury a paint over steel can. Around here that would rust off at the ground in a year or two. They rust up bad enough 5 feet off the ground.
And, indeed, you can already see the rust coming along quite nicely on the unburied portion.
Recommended removal of the small raised garden for numerous reasons. Wood-framed brick veneer structure, moisture being held against the house, chance of water entry, damage to interior, structure, contents and finishes, wooden sill below grade, blah, blah, blah. The buried electric just put the “slam” into the dunk.
Have a lookie below. Like I said, the one in the link is to be buried almost to the upper cover latch.
Milbank is one of the largest meter socket manufacturers in the world.
http://www.milbankmfg.com/products/catalogs/CatalogFiles/PDF/5240%2005-07.pdf
I am really not trying to be a P-I-A, but it’s just you guys can’t “slam” something simply because you think it is not right.
If I installed that service, and someone put that planter in after, then a H-I comes in and says I installed the service wrong, I’d be pissed! That makes me look bad for NO reason. Then I have to go out of my way to defend myself due to NO fault of my own. All because of an opinion not based on fact.
See where I am coming from.
Perhaps - but around here the electrician picks up the meter base from the power company, mounts and wires it from the mast down through the meter terminals to the panels, or from the meter to the panel in the case of underground service. The POCO then installs the conductors from their transformer, usually at the same time the meter is plugged in after final inspection.
