ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 260 guests, and 20 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#148830 05/02/03 02:57 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
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).]

Arc Flash PPE Clothing, LOTO & Insulated Tools
#148831 05/02/03 06:33 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
There's always a main fuse ahead of the meter in the U.K., but then our meters aren't the plug-in type.

#148832 05/02/03 03:04 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,527
B
Moderator
Trumpy and Paul — In the US, the norm is called "hot-sequence metering" and has some limitations.

Found at themeterguy web site...
[Linked Image from 64.146.180.232]



[This message has been edited by Bjarney (edited 05-25-2003).]

#148833 05/02/03 03:14 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,116
Likes: 4
Member
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
#148834 05/02/03 03:20 PM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Bjarney,
Thanks for the pic, mate.
You were saying that this system has it's limitations, what are these?.

#148835 05/02/03 07:34 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
S
Member
Some OH drops are less intimidating , and easier to deal with than older cruted up meters.

#148836 05/02/03 07:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,391
I
Moderator
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
#148837 05/02/03 09:23 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,527
B
Moderator
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).]

#148838 05/02/03 10:19 PM
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 558
G
Member
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.

#148839 05/03/03 12:19 AM
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 8
M
Junior Member
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
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5