Arcing when removing meter.

[JFletcher]

:?

A split bus panel does not work that way. Here is a split bus diagram.

View attachment 17905

My mistake, I was thinking of the top half of the split bus

No-Ark Model #116-68C.

The left side breakers are, from top to bottom, labeled a conventional 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15. The right side however goes 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 17, 14, 16, 18. Breakers #17 and #18 (which are both 1p with a 2p breaker between them) have no amperage markings and each feeds a lug in the top half of the panel.

To secure all power, the 2 2p breakers and 2 1p breakers in the bottom half of the panel (where the feed lugs are) must be turned off. If one was just securing the top half, then both 1p breakers #17 and #18 would have to be secured.

Here's what the panel looks like:



eta: I've seen older CH tri-split panels that have 6 2p breakers in the top 1/3rd of the panel (no main); all 6 must be shut off to pull a meter.

 

[kwired]

My mistake, I was thinking of the top half of the split bus

No-Ark Model #116-68C.

The left side breakers are, from top to bottom, labeled a conventional 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15. The right side however goes 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 17, 14, 16, 18. Breakers #17 and #18 (which are both 1p with a 2p breaker between them) have no amperage markings and each feeds a lug in the top half of the panel.

To secure all power, the 2 2p breakers and 2 1p breakers in the bottom half of the panel (where the feed lugs are) must be turned off. If one was just securing the top half, then both 1p breakers #17 and #18 would have to be secured.

Here's what the panel looks like:

View attachment 17908

eta: I've seen older CH tri-split panels that have 6 2p breakers in the top 1/3rd of the panel (no main); all 6 must be shut off to pull a meter.

You have the same thing JFletcher presented, just with the mains on the bottom instead of the top.

 

[meternerd]

Well...with a user name like "Meternerd" you probably figured it was just a matter of time before I chimed in. Those who said arcing should not happen, they are right. Those who think arcing can never happen are not. Yes, the solid state meters used today still contain power supplies, but they are so low power any arcing outside in daylight wouldn't be noticeable. I've been a utility meter/relay tech for longer than I care to remember. I haven't seen it all, but I've seen enough. My humble opinion is that pulling and replacing meters without proper training and PPE is just plain criminal on the part of the POCO. There is no way to know the condition of the socket when pulling a meter. Anything from broken plastic jaw mounts, loose wires, overheated socket jaws that are welded to the meter, missing cover screws that allow the meter cover to fall across the top meter stabs when pulling the meter, etc. No sermon from me, because you all probably know the stories as well as I do, but contracting to do meter change outs is becoming more and more common and underestimating the potential danger can lead to serious injuries ..or worse...! I had to give safety classes to our contractors and my intention was to make them RESPECT (to the point of "near terror") the job. Videos are just movies about somebody else, but when it's YOU in the hospital, it gets personal. OK, just a little sermon....Sorry!

 

[JFletcher]

Well...with a user name like "Meternerd" you probably figured it was just a matter of time before I chimed in. Those who said arcing should not happen, they are right. Those who think arcing can never happen are not. Yes, the solid state meters used today still contain power supplies, but they are so low power any arcing outside in daylight wouldn't be noticeable. I've been a utility meter/relay tech for longer than I care to remember. I haven't seen it all, but I've seen enough. My humble opinion is that pulling and replacing meters without proper training and PPE is just plain criminal on the part of the POCO. There is no way to know the condition of the socket when pulling a meter. Anything from broken plastic jaw mounts, loose wires, overheated socket jaws that are welded to the meter, missing cover screws that allow the meter cover to fall across the top meter stabs when pulling the meter, etc. No sermon from me, because you all probably know the stories as well as I do, but contracting to do meter change outs is becoming more and more common and underestimating the potential danger can lead to serious injuries ..or worse...! I had to give safety classes to our contractors and my intention was to make them RESPECT (to the point of "near terror") the job. Videos are just movies about somebody else, but when it's YOU in the hospital, it gets personal. OK, just a little sermon....Sorry!

Preach on. The closest call Ive ever had to "REALLY UGLY" was throwing a disco on a 10 ton AC unit. Corrosion had caused the center phase knife/fork mechanism to weld together, and it came loose along with the wire when I shut off the disco. There was maybe 1/4" clearance between that and the deadfront, which probably would have exploded had contact been made; the unit was wrongly fed with 2/0 coming from a 250A breaker, located in the main switchboard being fed from a 500kva xfmr just outside.

and kwired, thx for the clarification

 

[kwired]

Preach on. The closest call Ive ever had to "REALLY UGLY" was throwing a disco on a 10 ton AC unit. Corrosion had caused the center phase knife/fork mechanism to weld together, and it came loose along with the wire when I shut off the disco. There was maybe 1/4" clearance between that and the deadfront, which probably would have exploded had contact been made; the unit was wrongly fed with 2/0 coming from a 250A breaker, located in the main switchboard being fed from a 500kva xfmr just outside.

and kwired, thx for the clarification

Looks like I should have said you have the same thing Jumper presented, just turned upside down, but looks like you figured it out.