Tag: electric meter

Socket Type Meters

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Socket type meters, also known as S base meters, are the most common electric meters out there today. What are the characteristics of a socket type meter? Where can they be used? What types of socket type meters are there?

What are the characteristics of a socket type meter?

Socket type meters are characterized most notably by the blades on the back of the meter. The meter baseplate holds all of the metering components. It has blades that come out of the the back of it. These blades plug into a meter socket. Hence the name socket type meter. What must be noted is the fact that the number of blades on the back of the meter varies based on the type of meter it is. This means that there are different meter sockets as well to accommodate the different types of meters.

Socket type meters are easy to install and remove. They just “plug in,” so to speak, just like plugging a cord into a receptacle. Because socket type meters can be plugged in, this means that they can make and break the load. Or, in easier terms, they can be used to turn the power on or off simply by pulling and reinstalling the meter.

Since socket type meters are so easy to install and remove they make it easy to perform maintenance. Many utilities have testing programs where all of the meters are changed-out on a cyclical basis to perform testing.




A socket type meter is usually denoted with an “S” after the form number. For example, a form 2s meter is a socket type meter because of the “S”.

Where can socket type meters be used?

They can be used in all sorts of situations. They can be used to meter residential, commercial and industrial customer. In fact, most homes, at least in the U.S. are utilizing socket type meters today. These types of meters are the go to meter. Socket type meters are also often used as sub meters. They are cheap and easy to install which is what makes them so popular.

What types of socket type meters are there?

The short answer is all of them. There are form 2s meters all the way to form 9s meters with every thing in between. This allows the socket type meter to be used to meter every type of service out there. These meters are also often times fitted with demand registers to allow them to meter demand. And with the electronic registers, these meters are now more capable than ever.









All about A Base Meters

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A base meter

A base meters are one type of meter that has been used for many years. What are the typical characteristics of an A base meter? What are A base meters used for? How many different types of A base meters are there?

 

What are the typical characteristics of an A base meter?

Older A base meters typically had a baseplate that was flat on the back. This held all of the components of the meter and gave them a base to mount to. The base was flat because the meter was mounted to the wall inside a meter base enclosure. The older A base meters were characterized by a rectangular bottom where the terminals were and a rounded top. This is also where the globe and disc assembly were mounted.

The connections to an A base meter are on the bottom. This is also where the power is brought in. It is also where the power is sent to the customer in the case of a self-contained meter. These meters can be used, depending on the type of meter it is, with single phase or three phase power. A base meters are also used in transformer rated installations as well. In this case they are used with CTs and PTs.

What are A base meters used for?

A base meters are used for metering residential, commercial and industrial customers. Although they are not as widely used as they once were, A base meters are still in use today. There are also even models that are available with AMR and AMI modules installed. This allows easier reading and communications than were once possible. When used with most residential customers an A base meter will normally have four terminals. Two of the terminals are line in terminals and the other two are line out terminals.








So, to figure out which are which you can do a simple test with a voltmeter. Note that this only works if the meter is energized and the power is on to the service. To figure out which terminals are which check the voltage between each terminal. So, start with the far left terminal and check it against the one beside it. If you get a voltage then those two are different phases. If you get zero then those two are the same phase.

A base meters are also used for commercial and industrial customers. However, in this capacity they are normally used as transformer rated meters. If this is the case they will normally be enclosed in a large meter base with a glass window on them so the meter can be read without opening the meter base.

How many different types of A base meters are there?

Well, this can be sort of a loaded question. The way that I look at this question is how many different service types can be measured by an A base meter. And the answer to that is, all of them. There are A base meters that can meter the entire scale of service types. Whether it be 120/240v, 240v delta, 120/208v etc. So, there are just as many meter types in the A base world as there are in the S base world. This means that for whatever need you may have an A base will cover you.

Conclusion

A base meters were once a mainstay in the electric meterman’s arsenal.

They are not used nearly as widely as they once were but they can still be a viable option for those older installations where an upgrade may be difficult or too expensive. Furthermore, A base meters are characterized by flat baseplates and terminals on the bottom. They are also used in many different types of installations. This also means that there are many different types of A base meters still out there in use today.







What are test switches for?

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Every now and then in the electric metering field you will run across a transformer rated metering installation that does not have a test switch. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Most CT rated installations require that test switches be installed. These switches can be used for a few different things. To test the meter, to shunt the CT’s, to safely remove the CT rated meter from service and they can also be used to check the voltage and the amperage on the service without actually having to open an enclosure or go into a fence.

Why do certain installations not utilize test switches? The answer here would most likely be cost. The meter bases or CT rated installations that you will typically find without test switches are form 3s and form 4s meter bases. Form 3s and form 4s meters are many times found on large residences and sometimes large temporary services such as construction services or school trailers that are not thought to be in service very long. The cost of installing the test switch along with the cost of the larger meter base to hold the test switch is often times a deterrent. Also, in the case of residences one could argue that they just do not use enough power to justify putting a large meter base and test switch on the wall because the meter will be changed out when all of the form 2s meters are changed on their neighbors homes.

Installing a transformer rated service without a test switch can be a bad thing. One thing that you have to remember is that when you pull the meter in a CT rated service and you do not use a test switch is that you are opening the circuit of the secondary side of the CT. This leads to a build up of voltage on this circuit which is dangerous to metering personnel. The proper procedure without a test switch would then be to shunt the secondary side of the CT before pulling the meter.

Test switches can be used to test the meter. With different types of test equipment they can be used to test the meter in service using the load that is available at the customer’s site. This can be a good test to show exactly how the meter is metering the service under the load that is currently on the service. You can also test the meter using a phantom load while it is still in the meter base using the test switches.








Test switches are also used to test the CT’s in the service. You can use various different types of test equipment to test the CT’s. You can test the burden on the CT circuit as well as determine how many amps are on the CT circuit as well.

To remove the meter from service you need to shunt the CT. There is a switch that does this for you. Shunt the CT out and you can safely remove the meter from service. You can also use the test switches to remove all voltage from the meter as well before removing the meter from service and before installing the meter in service.

With the new regulations regarding arc-flash hazards and safety, many utilities have adopted safety policies that no longer allow their personnel to work inside energized cabinets, pad mount transformers or other enclosures if the service is too large or if the voltage is too high. This is yet another thing that the test switch can be used for. It can be used to check and make sure that the customer is getting the proper voltage. You can also check the rotation in the meter base at the test switch as well.

All in all, it is a good practice to install test switches in all of your CT rated metering installations. They will allow you to test the meter in service, test the CT’s in service as well as allow you to check voltage and rotation. Test switches also allow you to safely install and remove meters from service by isolating the blocks of the meter base from current and voltage.








The Meter Technician Profession

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So you are thinking about getting into a career in the electric utility industry and you are not really sure what you want to do. There are several career paths that you could choose. A few are power lineman, or engineer, or even maintenance mechanic. What I want to persuade you to do is to think about becoming an electric meter technician.

The electric meter technician is possibly a job that you have never even heard of. In addition, you may have never given any thought to becoming one. So what does and electric meter technician do?

Well, contrary to popular belief, we do more than just read watthour meters. We are not just “meter maids” as some lineman would have you think. Electric meter technicians do read electric watthour meters. But we meter techs also do much more than that.

To be an electric meter technician one should have, or be able to develop, a strong electrical background. Furthermore, you will want to have graduated high school. In addition, if possible, have taken some college courses in electrical theory. It would be even better if you could get an associate’s degree in electrical technology. This education will be helpful in understanding how watthour meters work. It will also help in understanding how the entire electric utility works as a whole.

Electric meter technicians test watthour electric meters either in the shop with test equipment or in the field with watthour meter test equipment. They also check residential, commercial and industrial metering installations for proper wiring and metering accuracy. There are meter techs who specialize in some of these areas. Some meter technicians only deal with residential metering installations and customers. Others deal only with commercial and industrial customers. While others may only stay in the shop and test watthour meters.

The ideal electric meter technician will be able to work outside all day. Outside the meter tech will do things such as change out electric meters, check on high bill complaints, low consumption or stopped meter orders. Meter techs will also work outside installing new metering equipment on instrument rated metering applications.

The electric meter technician will also be called upon to explain billing to customers.







Many times customers do not understand their bill and the meter technician is usually the last person the customer will talk to. The customer has normally already called in and talked to someone on the phone. They were not satisfied over the phone and now want to talk with someone in person. The meter technician is that someone. Because of this the meter tech will need to have strong interpersonal skills to be able to answer the customer’s questions. In addition they will also need to be as professional as possible. You do not want to go out a customer’s residence or business dressed like a slob. That ruins your credibility right away.

Electric meter technicians will also need to be able to perform above basic tasks on the computer. Part of the job requires the meter tech to be able to program watthour meters, download information from the meters, create new programs for the meters as well as run reports out of the billing system to find out if there are any errors. You will need to have an eye for detail. Many times you will be looking for something that stands out as unusual. Being able to determine from that information if there is a problem that needs to be checked and repaired is crucial.

An ability to do algebra also comes in handy as well. Electric meter technicians also use many formulas to complete their work. If current transformers and potential transformers need to be installed you will need to know how to calculate the multiplier. Also, you will need to know how to size the current transformers to the service to be metered. Another thing that you will need to be able to do is calculate and electric bill with demand. Many times customers will not understand demand. So it will be up to you to explain it to them in a way they can understand. There will be times that you will need to explain the math to the customer so that they understand what is going on.

Being a meter technician is a highly rewarding career. Notice that I said career and not job. The electric meter technician is a specialized field and most who are in the field work until retirement. Which also means that there are not a ton of jobs available. So when you get one, keep it! Also worth noting is that it will typically take between 5-7 years to become fully proficient as a meter tech. But even then you will constantly be learning new technology.

So, with that I hope that you give the electric meter technician career a chance.