Need Murray Meter Socket Guts

[mkgrady]

I have a customer that has corroded terminals on his 100 amp Murray ring type meter socket and I am trying to find a new socket that I can take the guts out and use them in the old socket. I can't get a cat No. from the existing. It appears to be about 15-20 years old. The socket is really small. It measures 7-1/2 inches wide and 8-1/8 inch high. If I can't find a way to replace the socket guts he will have to upgrade the whole service.

 

[Hv&Lv]

I have a customer that has corroded terminals on his 100 amp Murray ring type meter socket and I am trying to find a new socket that I can take the guts out and use them in the old socket. I can't get a cat No. from the existing. It appears to be about 15-20 years old. The socket is really small. It measures 7-1/2 inches wide and 8-1/8 inch high. If I can't find a way to replace the socket guts he will have to upgrade the whole service.

Not trying to be funny here, try asking an old electrician around your area that has worked for himself for many years. These guys never throw anything away, and are usually glad to supply a part that they hated to throw away if someone could use it.

 

[qcroanoke]

Not trying to be funny here, try asking an old electrician around your area that has worked for himself for many years. These guys never throw anything away, and are usually glad to supply a part that they hated to throw away if someone could use it.

Or ask your POCO service guys. I've seen many a meter socket put back together with parts stashed on their truck.

 

[ActionDave]

Not trying to be funny here, try asking an old electrician around your area that has worked for himself for many years. These guys never throw anything away, and are usually glad to supply a part that they hated to throw away if someone could use it.

Good tip. My boss is the son of one of those old electricians and we have tons of old parts.

Or ask your POCO service guys. I've seen many a meter socket put back together with parts stashed on their truck.

Good tip again. I remember working on an old, old service for an old, old lady. Pair of burnt up meter lugs was the problem. Lineman dug around in the bottom of his bins and I dug around in the bottom of mine. Between the two of us we had the right lugs.

 

[satcom]

I am one of the older electricians, and never saved old used electrical equipment, I guess my view was electrical work should not be at a handyman level, my customer is my golden egg

 

[electricguy]

I am one of the older electricians, and never saved old used electrical equipment, I guess my view was electrical work should not be at a handyman level, my customer is my golden egg

We would have to make sure that the meter Socket was marked suitable for service equipment, if the lable has fallen off we would have to replace

 

[Hv&Lv]

Or ask your POCO service guys. I've seen many a meter socket put back together with parts stashed on their truck.

I am one of those (sort of), and my truck is full of old meter base parts. I generally give them to the younger electricians to make repairs such as this.

 

[Hv&Lv]

I am one of the older electricians, and never saved old used electrical equipment, I guess my view was electrical work should not be at a handyman level, my customer is my golden egg

I understand your point, but why replace the entire base just because of a burnt lug? Isn't that like replacing the entire circuit just because the receptacle burned out?

 

[mkgrady]

I am one of the older electricians, and never saved old used electrical equipment, I guess my view was electrical work should not be at a handyman level, my customer is my golden egg

I'm with you. As much as I would like to have an old part to make this work I don't save any old parts because they take up a lot of room and time to organize

We would have to make sure that the meter Socket was marked suitable for service equipment, if the lable has fallen off we would have to replace

I would not hesitate to replace an exact part with or without a label

I am one of those (sort of), and my truck is full of old meter base parts. I generally give them to the younger electricians to make repairs such as this.

I barely have enough room to haul around the parts I use every day. I throw away old stuff.

I understand your point, but why replace the entire base just because of a burnt lug? Isn't that like replacing the entire circuit just because the receptacle burned out?

I wish it were just a lug. I'm going to replace all the guts to this socket or I am going to replace the whole socket. The whole socket will cause me to have to replace the whole service (I called the AHJ and that's what he requires because the main panel is old fuses).

 

[mkgrady]

I half expected some to say that that same socket is still available from Murray and here is the cat#. Now I guess that isn't going to happen.

 

[Lep]

changing out guts of panel

changing out guts of panel

I stopped changing out panel gutts, once I got
educated on UL listing and liability.I now
Install new panels when meter jaw etc. Burn up
I don't bother hunting for parts.I don't want liability headache.

 

[Speshulk]

I have a customer that has corroded terminals on his 100 amp Murray ring type meter socket and I am trying to find a new socket that I can take the guts out and use them in the old socket. I can't get a cat No. from the existing. It appears to be about 15-20 years old. The socket is really small. It measures 7-1/2 inches wide and 8-1/8 inch high. If I can't find a way to replace the socket guts he will have to upgrade the whole service.

Why would you have to upgrade the whole service? If replacing the guts would be sufficient, then wouldn't changing the meter pan suffice also? Why not just have the utility company turn you off and change the pan?

 

[mkgrady]

I stopped changing out panel gutts, once I got
educated on UL listing and liability.I now
Install new panels when meter jaw etc. Burn up
I don't bother hunting for parts.I don't want liability headache.

If you had the exact same meter socket you would not take the guts out of a new one and put them in to the existing? If that is what you mean why would that be a liability problem? In this case the meter socket enclosure replacemment will trigger a requirement to replace the whole service. See next reply for more on that.

 

[mkgrady]

Why would you have to upgrade the whole service? If replacing the guts would be sufficient, then wouldn't changing the meter pan suffice also? Why not just have the utility company turn you off and change the pan?

Around here the utility does not turn it off. The electrician disconnects at the weather head, does the service change or repair and then remakes the connection.

The inspector indicated that if I change the meter socket I must upgrade the main panel because it is fuses. I'm not sure that requirement is enforceable but I don't disagree with it. If I am goint to change the socket and panel and add two ground rods I might as well change the SE cable also.

 

[Speshulk]

Around here the utility does not turn it off. The electrician disconnects at the weather head, does the service change or repair and then remakes the connection.

The inspector indicated that if I change the meter socket I must upgrade the main panel because it is fuses. I'm not sure that requirement is enforceable but I don't disagree with it. If I am goint to change the socket and panel and add two ground rods I might as well change the SE cable also.

Sounds like an inspector with his head up his ass. If I'm reading this right, changing the parts of the system that actually have an electrical function (the lugs) is ok, but changing the enclosure that the lugs are housed in causes you to upgrade the entire service? That makes absolutely NO sense.

And if the utility is letting you do all your own connections anyway, why not just change out the pan and not tell the inspector?

Just curious: Over the course of this conversation that we've all had the opportunity to leisurely participate in, has the customer been in the dark?

 

[mkgrady]

Sounds like an inspector with his head up his ass. If I'm reading this right, changing the parts of the system that actually have an electrical function (the lugs) is ok, but changing the enclosure that the lugs are housed in causes you to upgrade the entire service? That makes absolutely NO sense.

And if the utility is letting you do all your own connections anyway, why not just change out the pan and not tell the inspector?

Just curious: Over the course of this conversation that we've all had the opportunity to leisurely participate in, has the customer been in the dark?

No I loaned him a flash light (he said while trying to be funny).

The work requires an inspection. The customers power is still on but the connections are less than 100%. I'll probably get the job to upgrade the service the next time the connection goes bad. If I could have found the meter socket guts the repair would have been done by now. In the mean time he is digesting my proposal (and probably some others) to replace the service.

 

[jumper]

So, the inspector is saying that you have to replace the fuse panel if you replace the meter pan?

Did you ask him for a code or rule section, because I do not see it it the MA amendments.

http://www.mass.gov/eopss/docs/dfs/osfm/cmr/cmr-secured/527012.pdf

 

[220/221]

I half expected some to say that that same socket is still available from Murray and here is the cat#. Now I guess that isn't going to happen.

In many cases, a meter socket is a meter socket. It's generally just two pieces, screwed to the can. The only difference I've encountered is the depth which can be adjusted in a pinch.

 

[ActionDave]

In many cases, a meter socket is a meter socket. It's generally just two pieces, screwed to the can. The only difference I've encountered is the depth which can be adjusted in a pinch

There is tape all over the service conductors. Who landed them in the lugs?

 

[220/221]

There is tape all over the service conductors. Who landed them in the lugs?

POCO taped them "safe" then came back to land them .