# Little plastic boot covering new digital wireless meter, whats it for??



## sparky250 (Aug 28, 2012)

Hey guys I was doing repair work to a feeder in a condo building today so I had to remove one of the meters on a 6 stack. I had to pull all the meters actually to get the bottom panel off so I could remove the feeder.

Anyways when putting the meters back in I noticed a little plastic tab/boot covering one of the pins on one of the meters. There was another meter socket with the plastic stuck in the socket and there were a few plastic boots the must have fell onto the floor when I removed the meters.

Im assuming this plastic piece eliminates contact between one of the 4 pins and its corresponding socket. Anyone know which pin these plastic tabs go on?? Are only 3 of the 4 pins used for some method of meter reading in a condo building, ive never encountered these when I have pulled a meter on a single family house.

All the meters were 4 pin, two ontop line side and two on bottom load side. 

Let me know if u guys need more detail.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

sparky250 said:


> Hey guys I was doing repair work to a feeder in a condo building today so I had to remove one of the meters on a 6 stack. I had to pull all the meters actually to get the bottom panel off so I could remove the feeder.
> 
> Anyways when putting the meters back in I noticed a little plastic tab/boot covering one of the pins on one of the meters. There was another meter socket with the plastic stuck in the socket and there were a few plastic boots the must have fell onto the floor when I removed the meters.
> 
> ...


Yeah, in my area when an apartment is empty the power company puts those on the meter terminals to cut off the power to the empty unit. This allows them to leave the meter on site but also makes sure no one can get power in that unit without setting up a new account.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Yep, it's exactly what Bob mentioned, or either someone didn't pay their bill. If this is the first time you've seen those boots, your experience must be pretty limited?


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## sparky250 (Aug 28, 2012)

This makes perfect sense. The meters have not been in use for a while as the building is being gutted and the main 400A switch has been off for some time.

I have never pulled a meter off a house thats been vacant for a long time. So ya with regards to this post my experience with vacant unused meters is very limited.


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## Bbsound (Dec 16, 2011)

BBQ said:


> Yeah, in my area when an apartment is empty the power company puts those on the meter terminals to cut off the power to the empty unit. This allows them to leave the meter on site but also makes sure no one can get power in that unit without setting up a new account.



Those with a red seal is what they use around here for shutoffs.


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## JohnR (Apr 12, 2010)

If it is a shutoff case, make sure you get paid before you leave.


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## guest (Feb 21, 2009)

And make sure you replace all those plastic tabs before your replace the meters. Hint: Top two tabs are line side and that's where the tabs should be placed. 

Otherwise you may get a nasty-gram from the POCO for messing with their cut-off tabs.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Around here, I see yellow tabs on empty properties, and red tabs on no-pay shutoffs.


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## kbsparky (Sep 20, 2007)

mxslick said:


> And make sure you replace all those plastic tabs before your replace the meters. Hint: Top two tabs are line side and that's where the tabs should be placed.
> 
> Otherwise you may get a nasty-gram from the POCO for messing with their cut-off tabs.


Better check with the POCO on that. Around here, they boot off the load side of the meter, so the "smart" meter can still communicate with the home base....


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## guest (Feb 21, 2009)

kbsparky said:


> Better check with the POCO on that. Around here, they boot off the load side of the meter, so the "smart" meter can still communicate with the home base....


Good point.....thanks. 

Damn smart meters. 

Ours here are ********, last power outage we had the POCO couldn't see that they were offline, they said they showed no outage. :laughing:


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

Throw em away. Cut the locks. Cut the red tab. Throw all of it away. Lol


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## niteshift (Nov 21, 2007)

Here was always clear boots on the meter tabs, if there was a issue with BGE's payment. (before smart meters)


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

niteshift said:


> Here was always clear boots on the meter tabs, if there was a issue with BGE's payment. (before smart meters)


The tabs are clear, the meter seals are colored.


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## Davethewave (Jan 6, 2012)

BBQ said:


> Yeah, in my area when an apartment is empty the power company puts those on the meter terminals to cut off the power to the empty unit. This allows them to leave the meter on site but also makes sure no one can get power in that unit without setting up a new account.


Happens when tenant doesn't pay his bill. Had service call where tenant had " dropped a leg " and half the unit wasn't working. Tuned out he hadn't paid up so in went the tabs. He ended up with a $225.00 bill and POCO came and put the other tab back on. Ha. I believe that the tabs go on the load side. Anyone had experience or heard of a smart meter with a tilt trip?


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Davethewave said:


> Happens when tenant doesn't pay his bill.


Here they are used for both non-payment and inactive meters.


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## woodchuck2 (Sep 18, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> Around here, I see yellow tabs on empty properties, and red tabs on no-pay shutoffs.


Seems to about the same here. For active meters we went from grey seals to clear, yellow for inactive and if i remember correctly the shutoffs were either red or gold. I remember doing work for my old boss on a Friday job where he cut the gold seal, did the repair and hot wired the socket until Monday so the guy would have heat. When we arrived Monday the POCO was there waiting with LEO's ready to take my boss to jail. Neither of us knew what the gold seal was and quickly learned it was installed for non payment. Apparently the home was seasonal and had been broken into, the perp turned on the water and lived there for some time before leaving. When he left he turned off the heat but not the water letting it freeze and fill the basement full of water. So the owner found the house broken into, had the power shut off and apparently there was a disagreement with the HO and the POCO of what money was owed thus the odd seal installed. After replacing the service panel in the basement my boss felt sorry for the guy and hot wired the socket so the heat could be turned back on. He talked his way out of it but we learned to NEVER hot wire a socket in any way to help a HO.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Around here they can turn the power off from the office. I wouldnt call them smart meters though. its not like when the person doesnt pay their bill the meter knows and turns it off, its more of a remote function meter at best.


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