Old residential meter enclosure

[hillbilly1]

The thing just seems like a terrible idea to me.

It doesn't have snap action.
The contacts don't wipe.
There's no arc chute.
I'll bet most electricians or firemen would never dream such a thing existed.
There's no labeling to warn of what it does. (or more importantly, what it doesn't do )

The only purpose it could possibly serve seems to me to be way too trivial to warrant it's use.

Since the contacts "make" before the meter stabs "break" no snap action, contact wipe, or arc chute is required. On the newer ones their is a warning label. Meter removal is supposed to be done by authorized personnel only. (With most POCOS electricians removing meters are not authorized personnel and can lead to jail time and fines, though rarely enforced)

 

[kbsparky]

...Some power companies still require 'Horn bypass' sockets which like this one automatically bypass with the removal of the meter....

This type of bypass is not automatic. The "Horns" are merely protrusions on each terminal where one can easily attach alligator-clip jumpers to bypass the meter during routine maintenance without power interruption.

Click here for a .pdf showing the guts of horn bypass.

I guess they call it "horn" bypass since the horns resemble those that might be imagined to be on the head of a devil.

 

[al hildenbrand]

This type of bypass is not automatic.

Take another look at Goldstar's image of the guts of the "horn bypass" we're talking about. Notice that all of the bybass hardware is right in there between the four meter jaws, . . .not sticking out from the jaws as the Square D graphic you posted shows.

Goldstar's shows two phenolic "fingers" that stick forward in the direction that the meter jaws point. These two phenolic fingers stick out just far enough, that the back of the meter, itself, hits the finger before the meter is seated in the socket. The phenolic is pressed into the back of the socket, sliding inside their guides, and pressing against each of two moveable bus bars that are down in the ceramic base of the socket.

The exact type of meter movement has to meet the tip of the phenolic finger in a predictable manner, so, the Power Company is the one that approves the sockets for installation with their meter.

The line side of the meter socket is automatically shorted to the load side whenever the meter movement is removed from the jaws, thus allowing the phenolic fingers to slide forward, pushed by the spring at each bus bar.

 

[realolman]

Since the contacts "make" before the meter stabs "break" no snap action, contact wipe, or arc chute is required....

Hope there aren't any spider turds back there. :smile:

I still think it's a lousy idea.

 

[kbsparky]

Take another look at Goldstar's image of the guts of the "horn bypass" we're talking about...

Goldstar's image is that of an automatic bypass mechanism, not a "horn" bypass. Further discussion of this issue revealed that many power companies may require a horn bypass on replacement meter boxes to facilitate manual bypassing of the meter for maintenance purposes. The difference here again is manual vs automatic bypassing of the meter.

Notice that all of the bybass hardware is right in there between the four meter jaws, . . .not sticking out from the jaws as the Square D graphic you posted shows.....

The graphic I linked to is indeed a "horn" bypass, aptly named from the devil-type horns. Any manufacturer that offers a horn bypass uses similar hardware.

I do not dispute that the automatic bypass hardware is right there between the jaws.

 

[jaylectricity]

What about path of the least resistance?

 

[goldstar]

Sorry, I neglected to mention this but in both cases where I ran into this type of meter enclosure the POCO was the same and the houses they served were all electric. No gas or oil heat. Not sure if that was a reason why the POCO used this type of meter enclosure. If I get an opportunity to speak to one of their inspectors I'll try to get an answer to why they used this type of enclosure and post it here.