# Still cant get a 320 meter. Been 6 months



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Almost like you could claim it’s a conspiracy.


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## Breakfasteatre (Sep 8, 2009)

I dont understand why some of these things have such long lead times?

Its a meter base right? Has a sheet metal enclosure, some red fiberglass bits and some aluminum lugs. What is so complicated about that, that they cant make them to meet demand? Bizarre


If you can get me a part number or specs, i can check out my canadian suppliers


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## oldsparky52 (Feb 25, 2020)

backstay said:


> Almost like you could claim it’s a conspiracy.


By whom? For what purpose? 

I think it's a combination of a lot of things.


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## oldsparky52 (Feb 25, 2020)

Breakfasteatre said:


> I dont understand why some of these things have such long lead times?
> 
> Its a meter base right? Has a sheet metal enclosure, some red fiberglass bits and some aluminum lugs. What is so complicated about that, that they cant make them to meet demand? Bizarre


Good questions.

I understand there are long lead times and shortages on a lot of items. Could it be China's lockdown policy affects us all since we sent all our manufacturing over there?

Might be a great time to invest in our manufacturing. Sort of like an infrastructure?

Oh, wait, that might be socialism. Well, capitalism will fix it, no matter what the price.  

Just joking around y'all, don't get all worked up, I'm not a socialist but I do believe unregulated capitalism fails society in the long run.


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## Breakfasteatre (Sep 8, 2009)

I assume it effected you guys down there too, but at the height of the pandemic, the shortages on any square D breakers besides 15a singles was hilarious.

Shut down all of the american plants and send them down to mexico, besides 1, which manufactures the 15a single poles. The mexican plants all shut down due to rampant covid outbreaks and square d breakers cant be found anywhere. shot themselves in the foot

at least thats what the supply house told me...for one job i had to purchase 'refurbed' breakers from a surplus shop


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## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

oldsparky52 said:


> By whom? For what purpose?
> 
> I think it's a combination of a lot of things.


Have you asked why? In all this time I see no logical reason for such a deep drawn out shortage. And it’s over many manufacturers. I don’t have an answer, I’m just naturally suspicious. Sq D had a plant in Mexico shut down from the China Flu, then another one burnt down.


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## u2slow (Jan 2, 2014)

What about a 400A? Or an unusual 320A configuration that's old stock? 

Wouldn't be the first time I had to substitute something a little different to get the job done.


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## SWDweller (Dec 9, 2020)

Having bought meter sockets before there is not a lot of information on the unit your looking for,





Milbank U2448-X-RGE 4 Terminal Ringless Large Closing Plate Lever Bypass Rochester Gas And Electric | Cooper Electric


4 TERM RNGLS LRG CLS PLT LVR BYPS ROCHESTER GAS AND ELECTRIC




www.cooper-electric.com












320 Amp 5-Terminal Ringless Side Wireway Overhead/Underground Lever-Bypass Meter Socket







www.crsett.com


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## Slay301 (Apr 23, 2018)

Been having better luck with talon meter bases over milbank and they are both are approved for our poco


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## oldsparky52 (Feb 25, 2020)

backstay said:


> Have you asked why? In all this time I see no logical reason for such a deep drawn out shortage. And it’s over many manufacturers. I don’t have an answer, I’m just naturally suspicious. Sq D had a plant in Mexico shut down from the China Flu, then another one burnt down.


Anything is possible and I don't dismiss the possibility, but I feel it is low on the probability list. 

With all the disasters over the last couple of years, hurricanes, tornados, wild fires, flooding, there is an increase in demand. I think the shortages were showing up about the time covid was kicking, which then impeded manufacturing recovery. This scenario I believe to be more plausible. 

I'm not saying there is not the isolated case of meddling in the supply chain, but if it is a coordinated effort, where would you look? China?, Russia?, Both? Was our intelligence agency asleep or complicit?


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

I can’t find (blank) a.k.a. I found (blank) I just don’t want to pay for it. Simple supply and demand. Same story on every forum or group 

On the Facebook groups people say they can’t find a simple 200 amp socket anywhere. That’s baloney because I’ve got ten of them listed on eBay right now.

When you need something that nobody in the country seems to have, and that’s what it takes to get the job done, why should they give it away?

On the other side of that, add it to the cost of the job. You raise the price $2500 to pay for the socket, what are they going to say? No that’s too much, we’ll go with the other guy that doesn’t have the equipment to do the job?

It’s like when people complain about landlords raising rent. If you work at Walmart and your expenses keep rising, you’re going to ask for more money or you’re going to find an employer that will pay you more. If rentals are your income, and let’s not get into if that’s a “real” job or not, but either way if that’s your paycheck you’re going to ask for more money or find a tenant that will pay you more.

If you live where POCO doesn’t give you a socket, your $60 meter base is now $200. It’s gonna be that way for a while, strap in and hang on.


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

The square D breaker that has found it’s way into my truck cab says Made in USA on it.


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## Breakfasteatre (Sep 8, 2009)

matt1124 said:


> The square D breaker that has found it’s way into my truck cab says Made in USA on it.


Let me guess, single pole 15a?


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

Breakfasteatre said:


> Let me guess, single pole 15a?


LOL actually yes it is


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

backstay said:


> Have you asked why? In all this time I see no logical reason for such a deep drawn out shortage. And it’s over many manufacturers. I don’t have an answer, I’m just naturally suspicious. Sq D had a plant in Mexico shut down from the China Flu, then another one burnt down.


One of their plants shut down due to the coronavirus, and one burns down, and “you don’t see any logical reason?“

Another issue involves logistics. A lot of people when Covid first hit and right up until now, decided it’s time for me to retire I’m done with this CRAP because I’m not gonna go report to an office filled with people at my age and end up dead it’s just not worth it to dream house we put up will just skip the swimming pool or will just log cabin in the front of it and you stand in construction for the rest whatever.

Plus a lot of people are working limited hours and limiting their contact with other people. So dock workers, truck drivers, (very big shortage of truck drivers OTR and long haul), employers are refusing to raise wages despite the fact that there were so many companies out there begging for help, they will do anything to get people to come in an interview and take a job except raise wages, because their existing current workforce which is still there because clearly they have to work, is not in any position to rock the boat and demand wage increases. They are in fact being told, yeah we’re going to test the waters and see if we can hire a few new people, not being let in on the desperation in the back up of waters that’s so many companies in United States have right now. Because if employers pay the $25 an hour people want to come in and risk their freaking lives for Covid, then they’re going to be forced to raise all of their existing staff up to at least that level as well .

Anyone who’s been employed at the same place for a while now proprietor Covid, now is the time to threaten to quit, or… Actually quit!


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Another reason is because of all the storm, fire, volcano, flood damage the demand is all over. 

As others also said people are retiring because why bother to work. Those that are left are demanding higher wages so the factory owners are also saying why bother and close the doors. I have been trying to buy a certain type of light fixtures. Large companies such as Lithonia do not want to make small order fixtures. I needed 32 fixtures. I found one company that will make it but by the time I got the fixtures approved the company closed the door and sold the company. This happened twice over the past year. The owners did not want the aggravation and retired.


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## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

"Just-in-time" supply/delivery works pretty good. Until it doesn't.


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## Buck Parrish Electric (Jan 8, 2021)

Part of the shortage may be the toilet paper syndrome. My suppliers say that whenever they get meter bases people buy them whether they need them or not.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

Buck Parrish Electric said:


> Part of the shortage may be the toilet paper syndrome. My suppliers say that whenever they get meter bases people buy them whether they need them or not.


I believe this. I know someone who buys a bunch at a time


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## mofos be cray (Nov 14, 2016)

oldsparky52 said:


> Good questions.
> 
> I understand there are long lead times and shortages on a lot of items. Could it be China's lockdown policy affects us all since we sent all our manufacturing over there?
> 
> ...


We don't have anywhere near unregulated capitalism. We have highly regulated capitalism. Unregulated capitalism is anarchy.


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## MotoGP1199 (Aug 11, 2014)

Some on ebay right now starting g at $980


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## 205490 (Jun 23, 2020)

Checked with my distributors in bay area, best I could get is 36 week lead time! Sorry


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## SteveBausch (8 mo ago)

May I suggest an unintended consequence of ready access to 320/400 meters?

Okay, big meters for all! Right now! Come and get them!

Every new house owned or built by a college graduate gets one, cause they can read the writing on the wall, and the writing is:

A ban on natural gas hookups.
Fast chargers for our two cars (50 amps each)
Induction ranges (50 amps)
Tankless water heaters (up to 150 amps)


So, forward thinkers go with big meters, the utilities take notice, communities take notice, and moratoriums on big meters propagate. Cause they can't or won't build more power plants.

And the old housing stocks, houses or buildings where you can't upgrade the service? Those housing stocks collapse in value, unless you buy side-by-side, with existing 150-200 amps on each property. The second house is for taking showers or charging the cars. The enclosed walkway is a nice feature. And everybody needs a Zoom room, right?

Some urban planners see it coming, and perhaps the manufacturers do, also. To delay the inevitable collapse of the inner cities, the folks that are consciously restricting big meter box products are hoping to spread the misery around, but I doubt it will work for long.

How hard is it to pool resources and buy a smaller company with the needed certifications and start making the good stuff?


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

SteveBausch said:


> May I suggest an unintended consequence of ready access to 320/400 meters?
> 
> Okay, big meters for all! Right now! Come and get them!
> 
> ...


You mentioned collage graduate with their EVs. Three houses up from me there is a couple who both have EVs and their respective 50 amp receptacles. Their profession dictates they are collage educated or at least I hope they are. They are all green minded and stuff but not too bright on electrical safety. I see their cars plugged in all winter outside with the cords left on the ground. 50 amps each with a chincy weather rated cover. They have no garage. They had a guy who works for an electrician do the service change and 50 amp receptacles because they did not like what I told them and my price. Is the job done right? No. Does it work? Yes. Why is our tax money going to subsidize these installs? 
What you said makes a lot of sense. People are preparing for the mandated all electric house so they are installing the 320 amp services now. To bad the grid is not prepared for it.


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## SteveBausch (8 mo ago)

Yes, it will become a social equity/equality issue.

In Brooklyn, people are running cords across sidewalks and through trees.


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## HertzHound (Jan 22, 2019)

How can the inner cities collapse? I thought under the new world order, we’re supposed to move back into the cities. No more urban sprawl. Leave the open space for more farms to feed the masses.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

HertzHound said:


> How can the inner cities collapse? I thought under the new world order, we’re supposed to move back into the cities. No more urban sprawl. Leave the open space for more farms to feed the masses.


No we have to leave the open spaces for the rich, famous, and politicians to play and point their fingers at us. Telling us how bad we are. Like when they all take their private jets to these global warming conferences.


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## u2slow (Jan 2, 2014)

kb1jb1 said:


> People are preparing for the mandated all electric house so they are installing the 320 amp services now. To bad the grid is not prepared for it.


Still, there's a big gap between service capacity and average utilization. Always surpised what i could manage to run on 100-150A services just by being practical. Many industrial environments do load management instead of burdening themselves with increasing (generating) capacity.


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## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

u2slow said:


> Still, there's a big gap between service capacity and average utilization. Always surpised what i could manage to run on 100-150A services just by being practical. Many industrial environments do load management instead of burdening themselves with increasing (generating) capacity.


Common sense people realize you cannot run everything at once. How many of us ran into a person who was trying to run the coffee pot, microwave, and toaster at the same time insisting that there is a short somewhere. For some reason they do not understand what happens when 4000 watts are on a 2200 watt circuit.


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## SteveBausch (8 mo ago)

The cheap Revlon blow dryer at Walmart is 1875 watts. How many houses can tolerate that load at the bathroom sink?


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## Buck Parrish Electric (Jan 8, 2021)

HertzHound said:


> How can the inner cities collapse? I thought under the new world order, we’re supposed to move back into the cities. No more urban sprawl. Leave the open space for more farms to feed the masses.


In Durham NC they built a big, beautiful ball field right downtown (The Durham Bulls). Wow, that made a huge difference. It's been about 20 years since they built it. People were skeptical at first. But it has really *re-vitalized the city.*

Raleigh had a chance to do that with NC States new football field. Instead they chose to build it right on the outside of town and close to I-40. A lot of folks come to the game they get off at I-40. After the game they get right back on the interstate and leave.


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