Did anyone here install one of these?

Photo courtesy of Bill Wright:
Lineman Bill's Old Time Lineman's Website

Thanks Bill

[This message has been edited by Webmaster (edited 05-12-2003).]

What on earth is that heading down into that meter base??.
Is that an early form of BX?.(hope I've got the terms right, this time).

Trumpy, that cable is called a SE cable, and is still allowed by code. See article 338.

Have I installed any?? No, but torn out a bunch.

The size of the one in the picture would not pass today, as 100amps is the minimum for a dwelling, but way back then, a 30 amp service could be installed. I would be willing to bet that the service is just 110volts, too! Grounded? probably not. What about the disconnect? It is probably located above the kitchen door (2 fuses at most) or, God no....in the bathroom, over the tub?

At least the installers have the proper PPE, except for face shields!!!!

Rick Miell

I wonder of that's SE cable exiting the bottom of the meter can, headed for the Breaker (or fuse, possibly) panel?

Something doesn't click here...it's so much larger than what's coming into the can .

Mike (mamills)

Mike,

I'd guess that's conduit going down to a panel either in the basement or low on the inside wall. I've seen many old panels mounted low on the wall at about knee-high, sometimes lower. Not sure why, unless it was to save wire.

Bill

mamills:

Re: what is exiting from the bottom of the meter pan:

The cable coming in was air-insulated, so it could become hot without a big problem. Also, a penny or two in the fuse panel would allow them to use larger cable. The dimming/flickering lights were just part of that new-fangled electric.

guys belive it or not my home is supplied by old cable like this. but soon to be gone as soon as i get the new 200 amp service tied in. could this have been a 60 amp service at 110?i have a 60 amp 220 service at present.

Note the non-use of Safety Glasses by the lower worker about to plug the meter in!.
At least he's got his gloves on.
It almost looks like the right side of the ladder is floating in mid air!, due to the light level when the pic was taken.

I've torn out a few 110V 60 A services, myself, to make way for an ac installation!

Lots of gas appliances in my town.

That meter looks like it is installed pretty high too. Umless the guy on the bottom was real short. I have seen tons of these types of services. Removed many of them myself. I once worked in a building that had 60 amp. 110 volt service for a 3 family dwelling. Each apt. only had 2 circuits at 15 amp. Not many outlets in this house though everything else was gas.

What sort of era is this photo? Maybe 1940s?

I'm guessing here that as in Britain, higher rated services would have started to become more common into the 1950s as people started using heavier loads in their homes.

What would have been a typical service for, say, an average 1000 sq. ft. home back in the 40s/50s?

condenseddave:
Welcome to ECN.

I heard a story from a guy who was working in an old house that once had gas lighting.

He was drilling a hole to run some cable and suddenly heard a "whooooooooosh" -- and smelled gas.

The old gas lines were never disconnected!

Fortunately, no injuries.

That one must have been high up there on the puckometer...

Many of these 40-50 yr old meters are still functional here in the land of maple syrup and ski bunnies

i refuse to pull them, for that reason.


Once in a while, the original knife blade on slate main diso is still active also...


[This message has been edited by sparky (edited 05-18-2003).]

Here's that meter years later:
http://www.netcom.com/~wa2ise/power/bnb-meter2.jpg
And these kids are up to no good for sure:
http://www.netcom.com/~wa2ise/power/bnb-meter1.jpg
That looks like a too long cable from the meter to the main panel..... :-)

Here's that meter years later:

And these kids are up to no good for sure:

That looks like a too long cable from the meter to the main panel..... :-)