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Joined: Jul 2002
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Regarding Mark's(marktlm123) comments about PoCo employees recieving shocks when removing meters to isolate installations. Is this a recognised practice(removing the meter)?. I would have thought that there would be a fuse or some other device, on the Line- side of the meter, to do this(isolate the installation) in a safer way?.
[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 05-02-2003).]
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Joined: Aug 2001
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There's always a main fuse ahead of the meter in the U.K., but then our meters aren't the plug-in type.
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Joined: Apr 2002
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Trumpy and Paul — In the US, the norm is called "hot-sequence metering" and has some limitations. Found at themeterguy web site... [This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 05-25-2003).]
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Several years ago the Utility (POCO) on Long Island changed the Meter Pan requirements to include a Manual Bypass Lever in all new installations including Residential. This allows the meter to be pulled or inserted after the switch is closed without any arcing.
Bill
Bill
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Bjarney, Thanks for the pic, mate. You were saying that this system has it's limitations, what are these?.
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Some OH drops are less intimidating , and easier to deal with than older cruted up meters.
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Joined: Jan 2003
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Trumpy, I think the limitations Bjarney is speaking of are those that show in the picture.
Bad things can happen pulling and replacing meters Hot.
As sparky said some times better to cut off the overhead but at some point you will be reconnecting Hot which brings its own problems.
We are finding more utilities going with "cold" sequence(Main ahead of CTs) metering for services above 400 amps.
Oh, if you have not seen the back side of an undamged meter I guess the picture is not much help. The meter shown has a lot of metal missing.
Hopefully the missing metal was not blasted on to any persons.
[This message has been edited by iwire (edited 05-02-2003).]
Bob Badger Construction & Maintenance Electrician Massachusetts
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iwire, that's a good comment. The left blades in the meter photo represent the load-side three phases, plus the neutral tap on one of the middle stabs—at the lower side of the meter socket when operating. The three melted "nubs" at the right side of the picture were once ‘full-sized’ more like the 8-o’clock blade, and normally connected to the ungrounded line-side phases.
Not having the right PPE—it may have been hard to leave such an incident without copper-plated knuckles and eyebrows {and less-than-tidy underwear.}
[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 05-02-2003).]
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Joined: Nov 2002
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How many here will fess up to doing a residential panel change,entrance cable and all,by simply removing the meter, leaving the line side of the meter base hot?
I don't do it any more,but I'm betting others have done it also.
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Joined: Apr 2003
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With these meters it's commom for about 5 houses to be on one bucket(tansformer), so if your pulling a meter thats old or has problems you have about 1000 amps plus at 240 behind that and thatb wil hurt you. I think from know on i'll the power company remove the meter, it's there there equipment and they usaly lock it out so let them deal with it.
Mark
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