i am member of maybe 15 forums, and i never be sanctioned for that kind of words, but some here try to ridiculize me, in their eyes what i wrote its impossible, in other country, things can be different and no one will ridiculize me without me giving back
This is why electronic meter are so dangerous
- Thread starter schlum
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i am member of maybe 15 forums, and i never be sanctioned for that kind of words, but some here try to ridiculize me, in their eyes what i wrote its impossible, in other country, things can be different and no one will ridiculize me without me giving back
ggunn
PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
- Location
- Austin, TX, USA
- Occupation
- Consulting Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
Whatever...
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Generally does not happen here in the US.
Closest thing I can think of is in Chicago where the meter may be outside, but by regulation the service disconnect must be inside. Not really sure what the motivation was. FYI, Chicago also does not allow the use of NM in residential construction.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Actually both gas and electric meters were often inside the house (single family dwelling units) in my area many years ago, and yes you had to let the meter reader in to read the meter.
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
When I was a "yout" just out of college, I was out the door around 7:30am and frequently didn't come home until after 6:00pm. My apartment was all electric, so during my first winter I became very aware as to the expense of electric heat. I opted to go to TODS with JCP&L. I probably saved $50 - $60 per month in the winter as a result. I remember doing a time-vs-usage curve, and with my consumption pattern it was a no-brainer.
al hildenbrand
Senior Member
- Location
- Minnesota
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
In my area, the Twin Cities of Minnesota, there is just the reverse of what you've seen, Ice.
The first half of the 1900s had natural gas, water and electric meters INSIDE the businesses and dwelling of this area.
The meter reader would leave a postcard, if no one was home. Entry was legally mandated at least once a year, and if the readings reported on the postcards were short, you got a large makeup bill.
My house was built in 1921 and only the electric meter is outside, as it was upgraded back in the '60s.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
So have you eliminated all of the other electrical things that can explode and cause fires? Breakers, switches, appliances?
What about kitchen cooking equipment which causes over 40% of the dwelling unit fires? Electrical equipment and wiring cause less than 15% of all of the dwelling unit fires....and I would bet that the number caused by meters is maybe one out of 100,000 or so of the fires that are said to be caused by electrical equipment and wiring.
Which makes it 0.00016% of installations with a reported fault.
Shot in foot comes to mind.
Don't know where you came up with that information. I think it'd duff guff.
I've been around a bit - including Canada at least half a dozen times. All the way from St Johns Island to Vancouver Island. Never came across a residence with a meter in almost every room.
I don't know what you're trying to sell, but I ain't buying.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
He meant that the meters are installed inside, one per service, but they could be in any room of the home.
I would think the solution would be to move the meters to the outside.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
Schlum,
First, welcome to the forum. It seems you are starting off on the wrong foot with this subject. I hope the responses you are getting won't scare you off. This is a VERY good site.
Now, I would like to offer some information that may shed some light on the responses you are getting.
It seems there is a problem with communications. I knew what you were talking about when you said 'meters in every room of the house', but others read the same post and got something different out of it. This happens frequently, it's no ones fault. As such, no one should get their feathers ruffled over it either, in my humble opinion.
To USA electricians, Canada does strange things. Like mounting panels sideways and having meters inside residences. To us (me anyway) the solution to meters endangering residences because they are inside would be to move them outside. Very simple fix, no new product needed, no re-engineering. They are weather tight for a reason. It would provide work for electricians and make the occupants safer.
This site centers around the NEC as used in the US. If you ask for solutions or opinions here the answers will be 99 percent based on that premise.
If you use statistics here to try to prove your point, be prepared to have your own statistics, plus others, used against you. If you say 'I know a such and such (like a meter tech)' that says 'blah blah blah', be prepared to get a response from a real 'such and such'.
This is the best site there is for electrical discussions. If you get mad and leave, it will be your loss. We would rather have you stay.
First, welcome to the forum. It seems you are starting off on the wrong foot with this subject. I hope the responses you are getting won't scare you off. This is a VERY good site.
Now, I would like to offer some information that may shed some light on the responses you are getting.
It seems there is a problem with communications. I knew what you were talking about when you said 'meters in every room of the house', but others read the same post and got something different out of it. This happens frequently, it's no ones fault. As such, no one should get their feathers ruffled over it either, in my humble opinion.
To USA electricians, Canada does strange things. Like mounting panels sideways and having meters inside residences. To us (me anyway) the solution to meters endangering residences because they are inside would be to move them outside. Very simple fix, no new product needed, no re-engineering. They are weather tight for a reason. It would provide work for electricians and make the occupants safer.
This site centers around the NEC as used in the US. If you ask for solutions or opinions here the answers will be 99 percent based on that premise.
If you use statistics here to try to prove your point, be prepared to have your own statistics, plus others, used against you. If you say 'I know a such and such (like a meter tech)' that says 'blah blah blah', be prepared to get a response from a real 'such and such'.
This is the best site there is for electrical discussions. If you get mad and leave, it will be your loss. We would rather have you stay.
Well, you are generous and may be correct but it is difficult to interpret
"there is meter in almost every room in a house"
in any other way.
Could be in any room? Might be?
Assuming there is a problem to be solved.
According to the link he posted there have been seven complaints about the issue in four and a half million installations.
Thanks you're very kind. I came here to give informations on the meters because the electricians here have no answer concerning fires with meters.
In my first thread, first sentence, i said i am french so sorry for my english, i wrote not even once a year in english, so i was expecting everybody here to understand me and my english if you forget some language and word error. So yes i feel mad but i rewrite 3 times the sentence before sending, smoothening the words
Yes, my friend works in a utility but i am not a newbie either, i have made 1 year in electric engineering and take many courses in electronic and i have also a diploma in high precision soldering including repair with lead or RoHS, multi-lawyer pcb and can do pcb inspection. I am near 60 years old and i am not here to be bullyed. All what i wrote is the truth and i respond and prove all what i said.
I also choose especially 3 incidents with exploding and fires meters that involve many meters so you can eliminate all the bad customer wiring and jaws. Maybe in US, your meter are outside but that is not the case in Canada, just in montreal only there is more than 400,000 inside houses so the danger of the exploding meter is real. i just thinking security for everyone but maybe i am wrong
Don't remember it ever being otherwise in UK - until recently. Jan 2015 in my case.
I now have smart meters for gas and electricity.
They can be read remotely so the days of the meter readers is going, going........
And I'm not terribly worried about an imminent conflagration resulting.
But the only objective evidence/information you cited lists notes seven incidents out of several million installations.
Can you not see how this might undermine your stance?
Mais, ?a ne fait rien.
Well, over voltage on the utility line not happening so often. Utilities don't collect all the incidents and publicize it. It take time to me to collect the informations on the internet but i am sure that there a lot more incidents that i have already find. It is only tip of the iceberg. It's Omerta everywhere. In Ontario, nobody knows that there were so much defective meter until the auditor general 2 months ago said that 800,000 installed (16%) meters cannot communicate, the installers also said that 25% were defective. Ontario Power never said anything about that. Simple, there is too much money involve already and they have no plan B
When you do...........
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Not communicating is not even close to "exploding". In what way were the 25% defective?...I really doubt that 25% exploded or caught on fire.
My sentence was not related for meter explosion but for the fact the utilities don't say anything about defective meter
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