# Beware of this meter can.



## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Just a heads up. In 35 years, I had not come across this one.

I make a habit of always testing for power, even with the meter pulled out.

I was quite surprised to see an old residential meter can with self closing test lugs. I pulled the meter out to do some work and.....















When the meter is installed, the brown tabs push the spring loaded jumpers back.


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## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

What the??????? I saw a camp last week with the meter in place and no 240 at the main. The can and the panel were back to back. Meter was registering:blink: Wasn't there for work, I went to help get the camp open for summer. I still am scratching my head


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## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

What the hell???


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

nasty


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

76nemo said:


> What the??????? I saw a camp last week with the meter in place and no 240 at the main. The can and the panel were back to back. Meter was registering:blink: Wasn't there for work, I went to help get the camp open for summer. I still am scratching my head


Poco's often put a plastic sleeve on the metal prongs when the service is disconnected. A camp may turn the power on only during a certain season so the poco leaves the meter but puts the sleeves so no power can be obtained. One needs to call the poco to get it energized


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> Poco's often put a plastic sleeve on the metal prongs when the service is disconnected


Usually for non payment.

When I was a young knucklehead in the 70's recession, I can't count the number of times I had my power shut off. POCO would put the plastic sleeves in, I would pull them out. They put them in again and I'd pull them out (cause I were smart).

I came home one day...power was off....I pulled the meter but found no sleeves. Follwed the drop to the pole and saw that they cut my feed :jester:


I like to think that I was helpful in the development of meter locks :thumbup:


Good times.


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

220/221 said:


> Usually for non payment.
> 
> When I was a young knucklehead in the 70's recession, I can't count the number of times I had my power shut off. POCO would put the plastic sleeves in, I would pull them out. They put them in again and I'd pull them out (cause I were smart).


When I was a young freelance deck builder, I had trouble paying the bills on time too. I moved into a cheap old farm house with my girlfriend. I tried to have the power connected and they told me there was an outstanding bill for that address. I explained it wasn't mine. They said have the landlord write a letter and have it notarized. He said "oh no, I ain't-a puttin' my name on nothin..." I was too young and dumb at the time to know I had legal routes I could pursue.

I pulled the meter and removed the plastic tabs. That lasted for 3 months. One day I came home from work, and the GF said we had no power. The meter was gone. So, I pulled the cover off and jumped it. That lasted another two months. One day I came home, and there was a big lock on the can itself... Well, I drilled 4 holes on the plastic cover and jumped it again:laughing:.

I also learned to close the gate at the end of the drive, and that kept them out for awhile. But ultimately I came home one day and the whole damn service drop was gone:laughing:

Good times indeed.


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## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

Dennis Alwon said:


> Poco's often put a plastic sleeve on the metal prongs when the service is disconnected. A camp may turn the power on only during a certain season so the poco leaves the meter but puts the sleeves so no power can be obtained. One needs to call the poco to get it energized


 

Never once seen that here or in NC. I am not a resi guy or a construction guy, but that's new to me. In NC and here in NY, they yank the meter and put a plexi-glass cover in place over the can opening. What keeps the plastic inserts from staying in the wipers when the meter's yanked again?????


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> What keeps the plastic inserts from staying in the wipers when the meter's yanked again?????


Sometimes they stay in, sometimes they pull out with the meter. POCO wants to leave the numbered meter on site for obvious logistical reasons.




> But ultimately I came home one day and the whole damn service drop was gone:laughing:


My brother from another mother :thumbup:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

220/221 said:


> Just a heads up. In 35 years, I had not come across this one.
> 
> I make a habit of always testing for power, even with the meter pulled out.
> 
> ...


Yes, it's called "automatic bypass". What's normally bad about them is that they sometimes only lightly close, and arc and spark and carry on under load. Never really thought about the potential safety issue, but you bring up a good point. It would be customary to assume that, if the meter is removed, the power is off. Not so with automatic bypass.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks for the heads up.. must of been a bitch getting off the cover with the mounting bar running across the whole can  I would of been watching the line side, never thinking about the load lugs. 

Goes to show *NEVER* take your job for granted that is was easy


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## grich (Jan 14, 2008)

220/221 said:


> Just a heads up. In 35 years, I had not come across this one.
> 
> I make a habit of always testing for power, even with the meter pulled out.
> 
> ...


And to top it all off...you had to work with Zinsco and FPE panels...yum!


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## cmec (Feb 11, 2008)

Its called a non interrupting meter socket, they were made so there wouldnt be outages when meters are changed .
Way I understand it they were for commercial only, but they were used on houses when wppco furnished meter sockets.
They also come in round ones too, This goes back to the most basic rule of electrical work IF SOMONE TELLS YOU THE POWERS OFF GO CHECK IT YOURSELFE.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

i learned the hardway the other day to always TEST after you shut off a breaker. some jerk used a bunch of single pole breakers instead of 2 pole, i shut the breaker off and taken the wire off and it hit my hand and i got a zap.

they were feeding 208 single phase lights so the wire was being backfed by the breaker below it. 

it didnt hurt just startled me. if it was 480 single phase i would of gotten 277


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## prldrp1 (Jun 1, 2009)

forget that to get the 208 to the lights took 2 hots, therefore a 2pole OR two singlepoles?.......Granted, Like you say, a B.S. installation, but you always have to remember your voltages, how they get there and always...TEST....and DOUBLE TEST!!!!!!


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## Toronto Sparky (Apr 12, 2009)

Ever seen where they pull the meter and replace it with a cover that has a 10 amp breaker in it?
That way they can pull the power but leave enough to run the furnace in cold climates.


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## prldrp1 (Jun 1, 2009)

just asking.....but shouldn't there been a main breaker (150-200 amp it looks like) in that first panel off that meter? There are single pole breakers in it so its not really a DP panel....its being used as a power/lighting panel


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## cmec (Feb 11, 2008)

Toronto Sparky said:


> Ever seen where they pull the meter and replace it with a cover that has a 10 amp breaker in it?
> That way they can pull the power but leave enough to run the furnace in cold climates.


 The RURAL ELECTRIC CO OPS use them here for non or late payment .IF you drive up to a service call and see one beware , cash up front or , pre payment with a card .


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Toronto Sparky said:


> Ever seen where they pull the meter and replace it with a cover that has a 10 amp breaker in it?
> That way they can pull the power but leave enough to run the furnace in cold climates.


Yeah, they do that here in the winter too. They have 10's, 15's and 20's. I think it's an Ekstrom part.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> just asking.....but shouldn't there been a main breaker


Originally it_ probably_ had only *six *breakers, one which fed the other panel.


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