# Pulling a smart meter.......



## drspec (Sep 29, 2012)

the last time I pulled one, 6 fire trucks, 10 police cars and 2 ambulances came up on me in less than 30 seconds. Helicopters were hovering overhead while I was beaten to within an inch of my life and was told if I did it again they would kill me.


actually I pulled it, did my troubleshooting, reinstalled it and went home.

no problem


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

What happens depends on the laws in your area and the rules of the POCO.


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## LegacyofTroy (Feb 14, 2011)

Ummmm, that kinda happened to me.....a POCO rep, 2 stump jumpers, the constable , and some cop cars showed up about 45 minutes after pulling meter to replace a 200a main......Fortunately, the arresting officer was on my high school baseball team and we good friends back then, He let me go , but for about 10 minutes I was handcuffed, and unable to do anything, ( very embarrassed ). I finished my job after all that extra BS and needless to say, I haven't pulled one since.........but, I did find a way around all that ,,,,, I simply tilt meter up, keeping line side intact, dis-engaging the load side and keep bottom of meter separated until repair is made. 

So far they haven't caught on yet ............


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## FastFokker (Sep 18, 2012)

Time to learn to do panel upgrades LIVE!


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## rrolleston (Mar 6, 2012)

LegacyofTroy said:


> and some cop cars showed up about 45 minutes after pulling meter to replace a 200a main......


You need to work faster.


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

FastFokker said:


> Time to learn to do panel upgrades LIVE!


Unfortunately, I think we'll see a rise in working stuff hot (and the ensuing fires, explosions, injuries, deaths, etc.) because the meter cannot be pulled and re-installed without consequence. 

Where are the safety zealots when they could actually be of use?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

FastFokker said:


> Time to learn to do panel upgrades LIVE!


Time to learn how to pull just the BOTTOM of the meter. :whistling2:


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## FastFokker (Sep 18, 2012)

I haven't done either yet... (YET)

But to me it would seem safer to work on it live, knowing it's live.. than working on it _dead_, when the meter could shift and energize the conductors, when you least expect it.


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

FastFokker said:


> I haven't done either yet... (YET)
> 
> But to me it would seem safer to work on it live, knowing it's live.. than working on it _dead_, when the meter could shift and energize the conductors, when you least expect it.


 
Whut? :001_huh: :blink: :001_huh:

Your name reminds me of a joke I heard long ago.

There was a WWII vet at a bar reminiscing about his days in the Army Air Corps. He was drunk and yelling, "I shot down 3 Fokkers that was a shootin at me during one mission!" 

When challenged as to the accuracy of his claims advising him the Fokker was a WWI airplane and he couldn't have shot down 3 Fokkers during WWII, he replied, "Oh yes I did!" "These Fokkers was Messerschmitt's!


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## FastFokker (Sep 18, 2012)

LARMGUY said:


> Whut? :001_huh: :blink: :001_huh:


lol i have no idea, am I missing something on the pull the bottom of the meter? 

Do you guys have separate components or something? Ours are all one piece.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

FastFokker said:


> lol i have no idea, am I missing something on the pull the bottom of the meter?
> 
> Do you guys have separate components or something? Ours are all one piece.


I follow you, ours are all one piece as well. If he is pulling the bottom out only, I am hoping he is placing something to be able to protect himself and secure the meter from accidentally making contact with the meter jaws.

I would have to fire you for that. Pull a permit, call the POCO, and do it right. Your life, my life, our families are worth more than screwing around with stuff live. I'm pretty much over the "I am 20 and never gonna die" stuff. Just my 2 cents.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

FastFokker said:


> lol i have no idea, am I missing something on the pull the bottom of the meter?
> 
> Do you guys have separate components or something? Ours are all one piece.



Ever notice a meter that's got a red tag? The power's been shut off, _but the meter is still installed_.

How do THEY do it? Keep the meter installed but turn the power off?










Simple:










They boot the lower tabs with little plastic condoms.


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## FastFokker (Sep 18, 2012)

Ours are remote controlled connect & disconnect.

Can even be turned off remotely as fire department is coming to a house fire.

Ours also have a "tamper detection" equipment built into it.. not sure what exactly that entails.


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

Our's are remote as well. I had a customer that claimed to have no power to a common area, multi unit building. The HOA did not pay the bill.

Called the POCO and paid the bill, power was switched on without anyone ever coming.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

FastFokker said:


> ..........
> Ours also have a "tamper detection" equipment built into it.. not sure what exactly that entails.


Usually a 'tip sensor'.


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## FastFokker (Sep 18, 2012)

I agree, more guys (electricians and non) are going to be doing work on services, live.. and blow up. 

I'm sure some POCO will get sued because some nice guy died, because you can't just remove and replace the smart meter without incident. Oh it's coming!


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## joe cool (Jun 4, 2009)

Ours send a signal every 15 minutes or so but no one is paying any attention to it. When a farmer's ag meter is pulled so the bums can steal the copper no poco swat team ever shows up. When you report it the next day they can look at their records and tell you when the last signal was received, but by that time the copper is long gone.
I have pulled SMUD and PG&E meters for hours at a time and it seems no one cares. Who are they going to send but a lineman. Our linemen are good guys and easy to work with. Besides, what law are you breaking by pulling and then replacing a meter?


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

FastFokker said:


> lol i have no idea, am I missing something on the pull the bottom of the meter?
> 
> Do you guys have separate components or something? Ours are all one piece.


 
The working hot was what I was referring to. I thought that working safe (power off) was the holy grail for electricians.


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## FastFokker (Sep 18, 2012)

LARMGUY said:


> The working hot was what I was referring to. I thought that working safe (power off) was the holy grail for electricians.


Jimmying a smart meter, sort of on, sort of off doesn't seem like working safe to me.

Many guys (sparkys and not) would pop the meter out, do their unpermitted panel upgrade (or whatever else), and then pop the meter back in. If they can't pop it out now, they'll probably just work live.

Probably someone will get fried, zapped or blown up and there will be a big lawsuit over it.. and then we will be allowed to remove smart meters willy nilly, once again.


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## carryyourbooks (Jan 13, 2010)

LegacyofTroy said:


> Any body ever get caught pulling one of these smart meters out to fix a problem ? If so , what were the consequences? We used to be able to pull the old meters and fix the issue, but now there are signals being sent that let people know if the meter has been tampered with.....


i don't know where you are in tx, but they don't play that chit here in houston. last week i needed a meter removed so i could change the panel. i didn't need the power turned off as i was only needing to replace the load size wires. poco came out and asked how long i needed the meter out. i told her i didn't know.....a few hours to change a 30 space panel. she said she couldn't do it, that i needed a temp disconnect. i told her wth, i'm just replacing the panel. she handed me some goofy pamplet so i would know what i needed in the future. so, another poco guy comes out to fulfill the temp disconnect (underground pedestal) and he sees we only need to replace the load side wires of the meter, so he pulls the meter, we change the wiring, he stabs meter back in.

inspector shows up about a hour later, approves it, and we are down the road. i swear they don't know if they are coming or going. it irritates me when i keep having to go back to the customer with a different story depending on what the poco decides to do that day.




480sparky said:


> Ever notice a meter that's got a red tag? The power's been shut off, _but the meter is still installed_.
> 
> How do THEY do it? Keep the meter installed but turn the power off?
> 
> ...


those were used with analogs. smart meters don't need no stupid tabs.:whistling2:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

LegacyofTroy said:


> Any body ever get caught pulling one of these smart meters out to fix a problem ? If so , what were the consequences? We used to be able to pull the old meters and fix the issue, but now there are signals being sent that let people know if the meter has been tampered with.....


I've done it many times,no problems yet..:thumbsup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

carryyourbooks said:


> ..........
> those were used with analogs. smart meters don't need no stupid tabs.:whistling2:


Then them smart meters are very smart if they can figure out how to make contact with an ordinary meter socket without the tabs.


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## FastFokker (Sep 18, 2012)

Was reading about our smart meters last night and was surprised to see they have surge protection built into them... up to 575V. :thumbsup:


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## caseyelectric (Oct 19, 2008)

Any meter pulled by an electrician of any caliber in my area will get you a hefty fine. I don't do it. I go the proper procedure of permits inspections and poco linesmen


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## LegacyofTroy (Feb 14, 2011)

Yes, but you I and both know that there are those certain times when things just need to get done , for whatever reason and time isn't on our side.


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## carryyourbooks (Jan 13, 2010)

caseyelectric said:


> Any meter pulled by an electrician of any caliber in my area will get you a hefty fine. I don't do it. I go the proper procedure of permits inspections and poco linesmen


 
we did one a few months ago. the poco sent out an investigator to take pics of my van and job site. the job was in the boondocks. he nothing else to do.


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## FastFokker (Sep 18, 2012)

Time to get a big magnet made of a competitor who drives the same type and colour of truck, to use on those days!


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

LegacyofTroy said:


> Yes, but you I and both know that there are those certain times when things just need to get done , for whatever reason and time isn't on our side.


Our power companies here are pretty good about sending a lineman out if you use the no pwer/need to change the main breaker excuse.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

micromind said:


> Unfortunately, I think we'll see a rise in working stuff hot (and the ensuing fires, explosions, injuries, deaths, etc.) because the meter cannot be pulled and re-installed without consequence.
> 
> Where are the safety zealots when they could actually be of use?


Well, I work for a company that I am sure you would call safety zealots and we would ..... and do schedule the power company to kill the power. 

Pretty simple really.


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