A breaker disguised as a meter
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Hey Everyone!
I started off planning on simply showing the breaker meter, thinking it was going to be a 2 minute long video. Then well, 20 minutes later....🤣😁.
Not sure if many people use a device like this, but it sure is handy!
Be safe Everyone. Cheers! 🥂
** Only trained and certified individuals are allowed within the boundaries of a substation. (except for extenuating circumstances of course, ie: snow clearing). These video's are NOT intended for training or D.I.Y. Only properly trained and authorized personal are allowed to work on this equipment. Always adhere to work methods and procedures particular to the company you are working for. **
Don't forget to drop a 👊 along with where you're watching
➡ / bobsdecline
Music courtesy of:
"All good in the wood" by Audionautix
UA-cam audio
#Bobsdecline, #Beingalineman, #Lineman
I started off planning on simply showing the breaker meter, thinking it was going to be a 2 minute long video. Then well, 20 minutes later....🤣😁.
Also keep in mind everyone...
➡➡Procedures are different depending on where and who you work for. These tasks must also only be preformed by those whom are both certified as well as authorized to do so.
Be safe out there everyone and have a great week! 💪👊🍻
I would insist that the breaker box main (100-200amp) is open BEFORE I put in the meter or the test meter/breaker.. If you don't, you are assuming that the owner has not left a screwup somewhere in the house that will be bad for you and the installation.
If you want to be really helpful, strip the breaker box load breakers and test with the box main closed. You could close each of the less than 30 amp load breakers one at a time to ensure that the installation is not screwed up somehow, but that is really the owner/electrical contractor's responsibility with code enforcement inspection and acceptance.
Is that temporary meter breaker fixture something that your shop knocked together out of an old meter? It looks like something the field invented because it is so obviously useful, so I had to ask. Well made, too, I must add.
someone know in Canada which kind of formation someone with an industrial electrician formation with the 5000 hours of expr gathered, would need to work on either residential or lines ? its a 1800 hours in electromecanic not the electrician one but we get to gather hours with more experienced personel (who need to be done with the 5000 hours and a test)
Gloves, gloves, gloves don't skimp my friend. I always overrate any safety dielectric.
so when are they going to flip the 4+1 G kill switch?
Hey man idk if you'll ever see this but I'm studying Lineworking in Colorado and every week part of our homework is to watch a handful of your videos and take a test about them. You've taught me a ton and I just wanted to say thank you! I graduate next month, wish me luck!
Hey Larry! That's awesome, glad I saw this and thank you so much for sharing 👊. I wish you the best, but luck you won't need ... Just hard work and determination. Always follow your safety rules and remember 👉 No job is ever urgent enough to justify no taking the necessary steps and time to ensure safety. Cheers Larry! 🍻🤝
@@Bobsdecline Sounds like a stable, reliable job. I could never do it, though. I'll admit that I'm scared of heights.
Ah man, I'd want some compensation if a for-profit school was using my content as teaching materials.
@@T1nTodd eh at the end of the day just teaching people is enough, at least for me personally i love having people learn new things.
@@Anon54387 I have mild acrophobia and was able to climb poles for comms for a couple years, but never had to climb over 25 feet, but anything over 15 feet was tough. My first on the job climb was 20 feet, halfway up my leg was shaking and I stopped, and my foreman asked why, I said well, my legs shaking, and I'll never forget what he said to me "that's cuz your're scared, dumbass" and I was like, oh yeah, and finished climbing, drilled out the pole and finished the job. Never quite got used to it but we did have trucks for most of the job which was never hard for me to deal with, bucket work was like a cakewalk by comparison. Working on power lines? not for me, too high up sometimes, plus the danger factor, I'd be putting other people at risk and just never worried about it.
I've been binge watching your videos and really enjoying them. You obviously know what you're doing and are a great teacher. My husband is an electrician and I am far from being able to have an intelligent conversation with him, but at least I'll have a clue when he's talking at me. I'm looking forward to learning more from you. Thank you!
Thank you very much for taking the time to share Heather! 🙏🤝
Lol lol
@@Bobsdecline aaaa
@Jesus is coming. Read the Gospel. why would you post this here?
You can easily learn anything he has learned - if you're interested, then grab some books from the library!
As an electrician, I was wondering why most jurisdictions now require ringless type meter boxes, you are the first person I have seen point out how the cover could cause a dangerous situation when putting it on if it slips.
It’s not the slipping so much, it’s more if one of the lugs goes bad and pulls out with the meter. Then you’re stuck unless you got a partner that can pull the fuse.
I’ve seen ring type short out when POCO was changing meter or disconnecting. The ring can also make contact. Also I’m surprised no one called them on that 70 year old socket. Those porcelain base can break and meter jaws pull out w the meter, and the cover clearance is rather tight. As for ringless requirements I work in Wash DC as residential electrician and it’s all about the locks. Ringless is good for single family but ring type is required for multi family so they can use ring locks on stacks.
@@davidhargrove1648j
when I was a kid my father thought there was an issue with the meter reading and the utility came out with a special socket adapter - you remove the meter, put this adapter on and then the meter pops into it. It put a fixed load on the meter that then using a stop watch you would time how long it took the black mark on the wheel (this was years ago) to come around and you can verify that the meter was accurate.
I work in the M department and we still do this the black mark on the Wheel is equivalent to a certain amount of Watts for every rotation that makes. Generally on a single phase residential 200-amp meter at 7.2 but it can be many different numbers
@@96ej You mean watt hours?
@@namibjDerEchte yes
@@96ejWatts is a unit of power, not of energy. Watt causes speed here, energy (e.g. joules) causes revolutions.
@@96ej No, just no. You seem to need a refresher course in electricity and physics. "watts consumed per revolution" is a nonsense statement on multiple levels.
It's either joules per revolution or [kilo]watt-hours per revolution. The conversion is 3600 joules per watt-hour, or 3.6MJ per KWh.
(I suppose some smartass could make it foot-pounds per rev. but that would not be the industry norm.)
Speaking of catching things with the lawn mower, I was mowing my yard back near the utility pole and ran over one of those fused cutout doors (as Aaron calls them). It was quite a surprise. I didn't see it hiding in the grass. A crew was changing a blown one days earlier and must have dropped one in the grass.
They leave their trash - steel part laying around all the time. No brainer lawsuits laying around everywhere.
I usually install the temporary electrical services for job sites at my company as we're going to work on. I haven't ever seen a breaker on a meter like that. I think that's a great idea! It would be nice if they made different breaker ratings for the service use.
I've seen similar meters, but they've only had 15a breakers on them for special cases where somebody was on "limited or restricted" consumption because of past due bill, but they'd allow them enough to keep the furnace and refrig running
@@davep6977 Encountered that all to often...
Not a lot of arc-flash safety protocol going on while working on a presumably LIVE or actual-LIVE meter socket. You should wear your arc-flash face shield in addition to the rest of your PPE while working on a LIVE meter socket. I would bet you have one in your truck!
Watching this just makes me shake my head... You did everything perfectly!
I live part time in Mexico and they don't do any of these safety precautions! I literally watched a guy take the meter out and work with the live wires! With a pair of lineman pliers only!
Needless to say, I backed up far away! I can only imagine what would happen if he dead shorted those wires!
Love your video! Thanks for posting!
It is safe... just make sure you are not grounded!
@@bobbysmith5642 Dead short on the line side is called “available fault current” and “arc blast” not safe dude
Probably good to be standing in water . Cool off fast after the big fry
@@michaelhill1846 Yeah, barefoot preferably, you want to make sure your shoes don't get wet.
What would've happened if he got a shock would be a lot of Ayayayayyyy cabrons, some dancing and a few pendejos in between. I'm not even mexican and thats how i react to 240v🤣
Always fascinating to watch these vids as someone who is not in your trade.
Your quick connectors just blew my mind. I'm going to introduce this to my team.
I have one nearly the same but uses fuses instead of a breaker. Used it for the same purpose, checking temp poles. Nice info video.
Always amazed by how different supplies are there compared with ours.
Hi Aron great video as usuall i like the meter with the breaker built in .I hadent seen this device before so i will speak to our local linemen and tell them about the device Thank for your video !
Great video as usual. In post-production, a high-pass filter on the audio set to about 100Hz will reduce the wind noise considerably, and that will let you boost the sound of your voice to a more normal level.
Interesting, that would help a lot with go pro footage too! I'll check it out
Ahh yes temp services. I used to work for a contractor that did them for one builder in particular but it was one drop from the utility, one meter, then a panel but we would go back up the pole and pick up strings of temp poles with little 4 circuit panels on em. Nothing but #2 Triplex, " HT-6" ILSCO side by side crimps and C5 ILSCO covers for connections.....
I’ve seen electrical inspectors here in Halifax use Vaseline on the lugs but mostly now it’s a specific substance (meter grease) like you had in this vid . Awesome vid
Cheap bastards. I’m sure that’s illegal. Anti Oxidant Is what you need.
Vaseline has been used right along for automotive battery terminals & clamps to reduce corrosion & acid damage. In more recent years, however, a silicon grease has been manufactured for the same purpose.
I do hvac and have a serious respect for electricity. You guys have a lot of balls.
Hairless too! Electricity > Nair
I like your avatar--Donald Sutherland in _Kelly's Heroes?_
@@sanityassassin8161 yes sir. you nailed it.
One thing I have never liked doing is working from a bucket lift. I "had to" a lot of times in the USAF, but I never liked the experience. Much respect to those who can do it every day.
I do cell towers and when I first started I was doing what’s called “small-cell” cell towers, which are essentially telephone poles with equipment on them. I remember an occasion when we had just finished a site up and had one of our guys going in to do testing and all before we were done done and he got in a bad habit of putting our temporary power to OUR equipment like he was supposed to, INSTEAD, he unhooked our mains and hooked temp power into the breaker box. Which normally wouldn’t be an issue. NORMALLY. Not when you don’t reinstall the wires you removed and just left them hanging in the breaker box 🤦🏻 completely fused every door and moving part together on all the equipment when the city came in to put the meter can in and flip the switch, almost lost his job too.💀💀
mistakes happen, HOWEVER, he got the result he wired for. Therefore it wasnt a mistake.
If you can follow that logic.
@@SuperChuckRaney
Perhaps he was just hard _wired_ to eventually make such a mistake.
Thank you... I'll let myself out...
@@sanityassassin8161 people are very hapy and comfortable to learn and do 35% of a job. Once they settle in, it's all downhill.
It's a personality issue really, so I guess he IS wired that way in his brain.
From an industrial spark in the UK, before energizing to ensure there’s no shorts I’d insulation test the circuit - aka Megger test it. The tester I have put’s 500v DC into the circuit (at a maximum of around 0.002A) and gives a reading in mega ohms. This would also show a breakdown in the insulation which isn’t as visible with an ohm meter. Another difference is where I work we have to use test leads with small tips to minimise shorting out. Keep up the great videos 👍
Another thing we do is earth fault loop impedance test, this gives us the reading in ohms of the line (hot) and earth (ground) back to and including our supply transformer so we know we have a good path, within spec and we can determine the fuse/breaker etc will disconnect within our max times.
He's part of the line crew, in my jurisdiction, the inspector and electrician both have to megger the service.
I work on local grid in Sweden, not much of the cabling and other materials is the same, but the way we view safety when working seems to be. We use the same typ of clamps on our pole connections on 230/400V, they work great and is very reliable.
I've been binge watching as well. 28 year electrician, and always had big respect for your end of the job.
By the way, here in National Grid NY territory, they have a rigid policy: Main breaker not off, no meter gets installed.. period. I think their logic is also that many meters got installed while a homeowner's stove was left on.. one too many fires happened. They want inf ohms (on a basic Fluke like yours) from L1-L2, L1-N, L2-N.
Thanks!... Keep up the great teaching!
Great video! Im not a line man or electrician, just interested in learning about different stuff. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Jeff! 👊👊
Love your videos bud, they always amaze me, I really appreciate all the hard work and effort you go through to provide us. Much love from the UK bud.
Thanks Kyle!
@@Bobsdecline Friend, I respect you if for no other reason than being one of those willing to chance life even in a Bucket Truck. I had a friend electrocuted even in a bucket. He was not paying attention of his clearance and fried. You can't enjoy that woman in her yard posing Naked for you or doing exotic exercises to catch your eye. I have seen it all. Believe me.
They use them to limit power for accounts behind on payment in some places. Enough to run a fridge and furnace but any more and you have to go outside and reset it. More humane than a total disconnect.
The lock outs I've seen are not customer resettable: If you accidentally go over your allotted usage, you have to call the utility, get _harangued_ over the phone for your non-payment, and on top of all that!--are billed for a service call!
Now, that's what I call crass capitalism!
I never has happened to me, but I've certainly known a few to whom it has.
@@sanityassassin8161 it was quite a whole ago when I saw one. It limited the amps to 30 or 40
I'm surprised to learn that there isn't any breaker or isolator *before* the meter.
Depends on the voltage and amperage of the service.
Our 347/600 volt meters all require a disconnect ahead of the meter
there is overload protection on the transformer, but it's rather high for a single home.
Here in Australia the service lead from the pole is wired into a black box on the exterior of the building containing a set fat fuses, fun fact; when our service tech's come to disconnect the power they take those 2 fuses out and leave them sitting in the bottom of the box, many people here take advantage of this and place the fuses back in to resore their power illegally.
@@Bobsdecline Our 230/400V meters all have breaker in front of it to avoid catastrophic meltdown of the box. I've seen one fail and there was flames coming out of the closed door._
Thanks for being so detailed with everything, in doing so, you answer a lot of questions people may have. great job!
As an electrician myself, I've found these practices very interesting although in Europe we have a different setup! 😊
I have something like that (Brooks S-120) but I don't like using it. For a meter turn on, replacement, install, etc. I do it like this on 3-wire services:
#1 Start with main breaker open, test voltage from either line side jaw to the meter can. Should get 120V, if it's 0V either the equipment isn't grounded properly or there's a short. If it's 240V there's a short from the other side.
#2 Test from neutral to all jaws. Starting top left and working clockwise, you should get 120V, 120V, 0V, 0V. If you get 120V, 0V, 0V, 0V - check to see if this is a 2-wire service, which is the correct wiring (top right and bottom right jaws are neutral). If there are indeed 3 wires coming in, the right side is out. Likewise, 0V, 120V, 0V, 0V the left side is out. 120V on the load side here will usually wind up being somebody stealing power, either with jumpers hidden in the can or from another apartment in a multi-family building, typically connected at the breakers.
#3 Test across line side jaws - should get ~240V. If the previous test passed and you get 0V, the service is bridged coming in (same leg energizing both jaws).
#4 Test from either line side jaw to both load side jaws. Should get less than ~50V. Any higher than that, there's a short between the load jaws and main breaker OR there's a secondary breaker fed out of that meter can that needs to be opened. If that's the case there will usually be another set of conductors tied into the load jaws - probably not kosher in many areas, but the city does inspections here so as long as it tests clear it's fine with me! If that's not it, you can also test to make sure there's no continuity between the line and load side of the main breaker in the open position. There are some very old circuit breakers that are known to get stuck closed.
#5 Test continuity between load side jaws. No continuity = no short between load side conductors.
#6 Close the main breaker, test neutral to load side jaws for backfeed. You want to see 0V.
#7 Open the main breaker again, pop the meter in, close the breaker. Voila!
#4 and #6 are really the crucial tests as far as not blowing anything up goes. This is all exactly the same for a 3-wire network service too, just substitute 208V for 240V above and you're testing from the neutral jaw rather than neutral wire.
The only time I'll use the S-120 is for a reconnect if I don't have access to the main breaker, which is rare because most of our stuff is indoors. With the new AMI meters, I can also just use the internal disconnect switch if the breaker isn't accessible when replacing a meter.
Very cool video, you just popped up in my recommended for the first time ever. Gonna go watch all the others now!
You are an a true teacher. Just because someone knows what their field/profession does not mean they can teach it to someone. Great job!👏 👍
True. This guy should never retire. He should teach the trade to young people getting into the lineman program. A true teacher.
It's nice to know that not all the linemen that work on top, look down on other's !
👍😉
Really interesting !
Thanks !
Be Safe !
We had an issue with a smart meter that cut out 1 pole and our house only got 120 v this was a brand new meter. Some of the lights in the house barely lit, but when the AC cut in the lights got brighter. (AC wouldn't cut in on 120 so it just buzzed). When the power guy removed and installed the meter he put on protective clothing and a special explosive shield over the meter.
I lost the neutral before my smart meter, and the line was sagging down to about five feet off the ground. I reported it to the utility. Instead of responding to the repair request, they polled my smart meter which showed 240 volts and canceled it. I had to threaten to report them to the PUCO, for ignoring a safety issue. During the first call, I had informed them that it ran along the property line, and kids played ball in the yard next door, right against the fence. I was informed that was not on the canceled report, so I asked if I needed to call some TV stations to show their lack of concern. Being a retired Broadcast engineer still has its uses.
Almost 40 years ago I repaired electronics for a Cable TV company. The utility had refused to allow a disconnect on our pole mouthed power transformers. They refused to allow side entry of the 120VAC, so it was a weather head, and a pair of 90 degree. They also insisted on PVC insulation, instead pf better insulation. Due to vibration, one of the conduits cracked. It filled the bottom with water. It seeped through the PVC, and stated electrolysis as the copper was dissolved into the water. When the contaminated wated became conductive enough, it arced inside the conduit, and fused the damaged wire, but continued arcing inside the conduit.
It took me four hours to get it disconnected from the secondaries. By that time, it was too late to get the needed materials to finish it that night. I repaired it the next morning, while over 5,000 customers were without service. Then, I was told it would be a minimum of three days before they could inspect it, and maybe two weeks before service was restored. Our liaison at the utility was on vacation, so their dispatch est was the only contact and they only dealt wit residential customers. As long as the homes had power, they didn't give a damn about them having TV service.
I went back up in the head technician's bucket truck. The utility used split bolts and friction tape, so I reconnected it and taped it with the same 3M tape they used. We never heard a word about it, in the following years, but after that date we were to use disconnects on new transformers, and a steel bushing through the back of the disconnect directly into the transformers, like we had been denied during initial construction.
@@michaelterrell After utility worked on a pad-mounted transformer one day, I noticed the living room lights got brighter when the wife used the microwave. Called the utility and they had a guy here in 20 minutes. He measured voltages at meter while I cycled the microwave. He called out a truck at 8PM to come fix it!! I wasn't that freaked out, but he was. He was like, "we have to fix this tonight. It's a big liability for us."
Anyway, yeah when they worked the transformer they didn't get the neutrals properly done up and were there about an hour or so reworking it. So, not all utilities are the same about that sort of thing.
@@mikefochtman7164 It seems like more and more people can't or won't do good work. Work ethics were much higher when I started working in 1966. I've lived in Florida for almost 33 years. I haven't seen a good drywall job in that entire time. People ask me who did my chain link fence. I did it. They don't understand that you get the posts all the same height, then fill i he low spots after the fence is up. You could look through the top post at one end, ant see through every one of them, to the last one.
I worked in electronics, but I've learned to do many other jobs in my 69 years on earth.
I typically watch DIY car repair videos but this popped up and I watched it. This is such a specialized trade and that is what makes these videos valuable. Very cool channel!
Just seen this video ..first time viewer and will watch more
Thanks guys! 🍻🤝👊
“Thorough” is your Middle Name and that’s a Huge Compliment. 👍🙏
Is the meter-breaker a device that you or your company custom built? I have never seen one and have been involved in electric utility work since 1985. Early in my career, I installed a meter and left the main open as I always did. The customer called up displeased that they didn't have power. When I told them the main was open the owner insisted that I come back and close the breaker for them and implied I hadn't finished the job. No one was at the house when I arrived so I closed the breaker and left. It turned out there was a cardboard box sitting on the top of the range over a burner that was in the on position. The box burned up on top of the range but fortunately didn't catch the house on fire. It just filled up the house with smoke which the owner was also irate about - and of course it was all my fault - but it taught me to never close a breaker to a new service unless the owner was there.
Got out of work early just in time for this one. 9 hours isn’t a bad day.
Not a bad day at all Mike! Long weekend coming up!
@@Bobsdecline I don’t think we get paid holiday for Easter where I work. Pretty sure we work as normal. I’ll have to ask tomorrow morning and see, thanks for mentioning that! Hope all is well Aaron.
There have been more than a few times where I got a call for a blank meter display only to find out that Tech before gunked up the meter stabs and socket clips with the anti-oxidant and caused such a bad connection that the meter was not getting enough voltage to light up. Once I cleaned off all the anti-oxidant and applied the proper grease, VIOLA! Meter turns on.
You did an excellent job explaining this. I'm a retired Distribution Operations Technician. I've literally done it all in the Power Bidness.. 36 years I fought this battle. Retired 13 years ago. It was a good living, but I don't miss answering the phone everytime the weather was bad. But I still can't sleep when the weather is bad outside...
Guess there are some jobs you just don't get over. I am proud to see the 11 towns and Cities grow that I helped build over my years on the job.
Stay safe my Brother....
I know where your coming from. Retired in 2014 after 31 yrs. I still wake up when I hear thunder off in the distance, 😂. I loved my job. Grunt to climbing to bucket.
Hey your red probe on your meter looks just like mine, bent! Lol
They should make those things out of titanium because I’ve gone through more of them than I care to admit to.
Good vid-have a great week!
Jamming into the strands! Lol 👊🍻
A bent meter tip means you're using it. Nothing wrong with that
What's in the bed of your truck you have to blur? pickup a dead 🪝er or something?
Lol...6:56 looks like just the name of the boom lift motor / hydraulics.
@Bobsdecline - Lineman blogger you made a huge mistake and you're lucky you have fingers.
At the 3:20 Mark... the screwdriver is touching the casing and touching your middle finger, THEN with your index finger you touch a hot lead...
Sorry to say it, but that is incredibly unintelligent...
Your mistake was???? You measured no voltage across the two leads
HOWEVER
you didn't test either lead to ground...
You could have had 120 volts to ground across that lead you touched and the other lead could have been open and you would have shown zero voltage...
Retired phone company pole dancer here... ;o)
We only had 52 volts to ground DC, but we did have an AC ring voltage of 90 volts that could blow us right off a pole.
Think about how lucky you were, next time do better for your family...
Stay safe, it only takes one mistake...
Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view!"
Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam."
Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!"
Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..."
Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!"
Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky."
Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction."
Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the momentt?
What?
@@justforever96 ANYONE FOR TRIFLE ?
THE DUCK'S OFF !
Always work Safely and go home @ the end of the shift....!
I'm a lineman for an ISP and it's always a treat to watch these. Us telecomm guys have to have someone to look up to. Lol
_Literally!_
OK,... _someone_ had to say _it._
really irks me when comm guys call themselves lineman
@@byohazord It's the best way to describe the job, I do all of the same shit at a different voltage.
You might want to check the meter for shorts as well if in the off chance that it's shorted internally.
I noticed the 2” pvc didn’t have a plastic bushing on load side of meter. How did this pass NEC code inspection.
And no grounding conductor
How in the HELL did this pass inspection. NEC
Our dmm meters are calibrated and tested everyty two years. There is a recall for fluke 87 mark V DMM's with certain serial numbers due to taking too long to show voltages above 500v. Mine was one of those. I got an older tested model. Please be safe and aware. Nice video.
In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Fluke Corp., of Everett, Wash., is voluntarily recalling about 40,000 digital multimeters. About 17,200 were sold in the U.S. Multimeters are used to measure voltage, resistance and current. The recalled units can take longer than normal, up to 18 seconds, to display readings of AC voltages above 500 volts. Users can misinterpret the delayed reading to mean that high voltage is not present. If high voltage is present, users could be exposed to a risk of shock, electrocution, and thermal burns
Using a DMM as a voltage indicator isn't great anyway. Here in the UK the HSE guidance note GS38 says that you should use a proprietary test lamp or 2-pole voltage detector (no, no volt pens either) to prove dead (and use a known live source or voltage proving unit before & after to prove said tester) to avoid multimeter booboos. No accidentally testing HRC fuses or getting stuck by auto ranging there.
It's call galvanic corrosion 😉
The weak point of the meter base is the aluminum tabs that link the wire lugs to the meter lugs. Due to thermal expansion/contraction the aluminum tabs end up cracking over time (30-40 years) and then end up trying to burn the side off your house. The meter tabs also get weak over time and don't make a tight connection to the meter base hence they end up causing high resistance thus the meter tabs end up being welded to the meter and the excess heat melts the aluminum tabs in the process seeing how they are the thinnest part of the connect.
The lesson here is don't mount the meter base to the side of your house because the electric company isn't legally responsible for it just so you know even though it's their meter that typically causes the problem. You got to love how the demarcation point is totally different for the electric company when compared to the telephone or cable company 🤣
7:26 Even though the nut is insulated, I got nervous about the other end of the wrench going so close to the neutral.
You should check voltage from neutral to ground, just in case you have an energized neutral, or ground.
most trailer generators are wired wrong. A buddy got tired of me bitching about it one day, he, being an intelligent male adult, had never neard of what I was talking about......w had a full blown argument.
I wet the ground down and explained to him that the "technique" he was taught was only for the narrow application of wood stud framing. He still was bitching, so I asked him to hand me a set of pliers (that he had to touch bare metal to access)
After it knocked the shyt out of him....he understood how Christmas lights work AND how that fits in the "wiring" conversations.
Most trailer generators have an energized ground.
@@SuperChuckRaney
"He understood how Christmas lights work" -- I've _got_ to remember _that_ one!
Take care, and don't get your wire crossed!
@PJ PachasaJr
I've had _that_ happen before!
Check your outlets for proper polarity before connecting _anything_ that makes contact with the cable system.
Wait. Is that breaker a 1 pole only??
You do have 2 live poles right?
It's a Square D breaker, their 2 pole breakers have only one operating handle.
I've got one of those meter breakers it was left on top of a bail if hay on my property after getting service connected 😂 love free tools and equipment 😂
you just measure ressistence we put 500v testing voltage to check for a short cirquit in holland so if blank parts are close to eachother it will show
They should of named it the scaredy-cat meter, you are afraid to plug in the regular meter...
"The Scooby Doo" has a much better ring to it 🤔
I've never seen a breaker/meter like this before. If I were to build something like this, I would be tempted to include a small amount of resistance in series with each leg of the breaker, just to limit the available fault current (AFC) should there be a short. It could save the breaker contacts. It doesn't look like it records power usage like a real meter, but rather, a test apparatus.
Hi Aaron, great content & very thorough as well. 👍🏻👍🏻👊🏻👊🏻
No, I have never seen that “breaker thing” before. We just open the customer main & check our voltage on top to confirm we are good. Then check the customer load side like you did. We leave the customer main in the off position. We don’t mess with that. If there was something bad downstream from that? Their breaker will open.
As far as that goop for the meter jaws? We insert the meter in dry. It’s copper on copper anyway. Unless I can’t shut the customer meter off? Then I’ll put some Penetrox on the meter stabs like you did to help prevent arcing.
One thing I did notice what we do just a tad different? Some of us will slip an extra meter seal inside the meter can. That’s for the next troubleshooter who might visit down the road? If he cuts the seal & checks inside quickly? He doesn’t have to make an extra trip to the truck to grab another one.
But the next guy after him is out of luck, unless he _does_ go back to gt another one out of the truck, to replace the one he used. So it doesn't really save any work.
@@justforever96 The fact of the matter is I thought to grab two meter seals instead of one. It’s on the next person who checks to bring two meter seals instead of one & so on & so forth. The reality is not that I thought of that or not. Most customers pay their light bill on time & most meter cans are not opened more than once. It’s the few that are checked often. Or the customer has not made a payment & meter service has to “boot” the meter for non payment.
For those less enlightened? Inside the meter can are metal “jaws” that hold the meter in place. Often times it’s 4 jaws per meter unless it’s a special meter? The more times a meter is pulled & “booted”. That stretches the jaws ever so slightly so as to not hold the meter as well. If this happens frequently? The customer could develop a “hot” spot or loose connection inside their meter can. Meter cans are often customer owned equipment. So if they fail to pay their light bill & it damages their meter can in the long run? “They are in all reality shooting the selves in the foot.” Between fees from the power company for a turn off & turn on. Extra money for deposits & possible damaged equipment down the road. It’s very fool hearty to not pay your light bill. Most are willing to lend an ear & will bend over backwards to set up a payment plan. Some money instead of no money will prevent catastrophes down the road.
They made a big deal about upgrading our meters to smart meters. Then I put solar panels on the house and apparently my 'smart' meter could not subtract. So they had to install a smarter meter. I thought that was pretty funny.
Nope. The meters are specifically designed to not measure backflow above a certain amount. So if you run a generator and hook it up wrong, it wouldn't subtract from your energy bill etc. In Germany for example you need a dedicated meter for backfeeding into the grid which only counts the solar energy going into the grid.
I looked at the manual for the most common Itron electric meter and it's a configurable setting as to whether it will subtract or not.
Just came across your videos. Found one by accident and now watch often. As an inside electrician, I’ve done quite a bit of 13.2 work and worked with our line crew. Awesome videos.
@6:58 the blur cuts out long enough to pause and Zoom In. What's the point of hiding the name of the boom lift motor?
Great job there Young Man 😎 be safe out there also
Whats that thing in the back of your truck that you tried to blur out but is completely visible at 7:22? Even when not blurred I cant tell what it is.
Where I live you can not break the neutral in the meter can. It must just pass through only...
8:00 my heart kept jumping every time he did that . i do hvac and i know what would happen if he wasnt wearing those gloves
I like the meter grease idea. Could be used on other lugs too, like those black insulated low voltage screw blocks in your boat. Seen them turn greenish and the screws corrode slightly. I think it would help those small tinned lugs.
For plenty of random electrical connections no need to get fancy specialty grease. Just get a tube of dielectric grease and you can use it most places. It's the same stuff AutoZone sells as headlight bulb and battery terminal grease. I don't know what extra is in meter lug grease but I bet it's 10x the cost for something that's irrelevant for most electrical connections. Stick to plain dielectric grease or Noalox where necessary.
I have a think the lower end version of that volt meter, I got a ton of flack for using it to check a generator. It was the best I could get and it was green so don't have to worry about mixing it up with somebody else's yellow thing.
This is fascinating content. Do you ever get residents/passers-by who ask you questions about the jobs you're working on? I'm always tempted, but I figure it's better not to distract someone who's working around high voltage. I'd really like to know how the technicians seemingly replaced all the smart meters for my building without my unit losing power, or if I merely imagined that. Anyway, you've earned my subscription, cheers!
Hey Norman, thanks for the sub!
When performing a simple meter swap, there's no need for testing in most circumstances. The actual swap happens pretty quick! It's likely there was at least a quick blip at some point.
If ever you're curious and thinking about approaching a crew, just use a common sense read of the situation.
During live line work on high voltage, the guy on the ground is likely trying to pay attention and be an extra set of eyes to each and every move. Another example of a bad time to approach would be during a tailboard meeting before a job.
It also depends on the crew, some guys love to chat and some don't.
When appropriate, I love explaining to the residents what we're doing and why! It's great PR and helps locals better understand our system.
Two big things to look out for:
-Don't cross through any barriers/cones/caution tape.
-Dont walk underneath someone working.
We quite often get questions from the residents and most times they are well received! 😎✌️.
Cheers! And thanks for the question 👊👊
what could you possibly be blurring out in the back of the truck?
Much respect for what you do and how well you go about doing it. It takes a person who knows what they're doing and the right way to do it. You're a amazing electrician and deserves the respect due.
👊👊 Thanks King David!
Why is the back of the truck blurred out? What would be back there that would be sensitive to show?
Thank you for taking time to teach while you work. You are an amazingly knowledgeable lineman. And your willingness to engage with the public on how its done. In short, (pun intended) your awesome!
Appreciate the comments very much Wayne 🤝
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When I sometimes watch these electrical utility related videos I am amazed at the level of the safety procedures employed. Twenty plus years ago I worked as contract "security rider" with the electrical utility in Rochester, New York. The crews that I accompanied worked strictly on the load side. I _never_ saw anyone use insulated gloves, I don't think it was even an option. Ordinary leather was used, and used to directly wrangle bare hots, even _phase-to-phase,_ into place. The connectors used were bare metal as well. They would insert the load into one side and the _live_ feeder into the other. Then they'd use two _uninsulated_ wrenches to tighten up the hardware. Then, holding the _hot_ connector in hand, they'd wrap a few nominal layers of electrical tape around them. Again, this was all done _live_--I _know,_ I occasionally saw _sparks fly_ when there was a load, or a tool _slipped._ I rode with many different guys, they all used the same procedures. I guess things _may_ have changed in twenty years?
There’s always gonna be cowboys out there
At least no one got injured from the sound of it.
I love my clampmeter, the hook accessoiry is really handy when having my hands full 👍
It's fascinating to see this, in Germany it's basically all underground (in cities), France has some more of those overhead lines.
In large cities in the US lines are underground, in a lot of the smaller cities its polled. America is massive, and underground shuttling would cost a lot, not to mention when you have a short or break of can be difficult to find the issue. Imagine looking over 4000 miles of electrical line because someone dug too deep in a state somewhere.
Anyone know why he needs to blur whats in the back of the truck? Thanks.
Square D is famous for its ability to trip and clear a fault.
surprised thy didn't have a cover over the breaker
Saw a couple of those come across Government Liquidation site a while back and wondered what they where for, thanks for sharing.
Grandpa was a substation Forman and dad was high voltage electrician.
What is the brand of grease you are using? Is it just Dielectric grease but still curiousthe brand thanks. Thanks for the video!
Our meters are wildly different from yours. They ar not connected the same way at all
I love that breaker meter! That looks like it would work so much better than my current meter! I need to ask for the upgrade.
Imagine how much it would save on my power bill! ;)
I don't understand how it would save you money. The breaker doesn't just shut the meter off so it stops reading your power use, it shuts off the whole line and you loose all power. That will save you some money off your bill (if you don't mind a dark house and no power to your fridge), but you can do the exact same thing by flipping the master breaker in your breaker box. Just most people would rather pay the money and have the power. Do you really think they would install a device that lets a person just shut their meter off a the flip of a switch, while still getting all the power they want?
@@justforever96 the breaker device REPLACES the Meter, so IF they installed it for me, they would have no way to meter how much power I used, thus greatly reducing my bill!
It's a joke, but technically accurate! ;)
@@ke6gwf but u only get 30 Amps gotta keep the load light.
@@magicalphones I had forgotten about that...
Well, I guess I just can't run the dryer and AC at the same time, and make sure all the lights are LED.
It's 30 amps 220, and I have lived in houses with 30 amp main fuses, so it's doable! Lol
@@ke6gwf definitely doable. Free electric I could adapt my life around 60 Amps of 120. I'd just lose all the 220 appliances. A good 60kw of storage and a good whole house inverter I could easily Ballance my life around that steady flow rate. wouldn't have to change a thing then.
I'm not not an electrical guy, but I always learn something about how people in the trades do things. Thanks Lineman Blogger!
Although I'm a surveyor (now retired) by profession and not an electrician, I still like to keep up on it as I was considering becoming an electrician over 40 years ago. That meter socket breaker is a new one to me, for sure. Makes me want to go out and get one just for kicks!
damn talk about a camera with fisheye...
How many Teslas can be added ? I'm thinking not a lot !
Excellent discussion, thank you very much.
When I was on the fire dept. We had a structure fire it was a double wide and they had two butter knives glowing red connected to the meter box. I have no idea why who put those knives in wasn’t still there dead by the box but they weren’t. Of all the power coming in shorted out and started a fire. Just seeing this brought that memory back. Thought I’d share
I've seen that as well...
When you picked up 122v top to bottom of your meter socket with the breaker on your digital volt meter it is reading the resistance of the wire & potentially energized equipment in the loop in this situation. Sometimes GFCI breakers will show a voltage reading too. Also if a service has an automatic transfer switch for a generator you can pick up full voltage because the control circuit relays show load. Analog volt meter would still read 0 volts until it detects actual load or fault. They aren't as sensitive to resistance. I backed up my digital with the analog if I had doubts. Good video brother. I do like the plug in breaker though. I've never seen one of those. I also love those connectors. Stay safe my man & keep up the good videos. You even taught an old dog some new tricks. Happy Easter from Louisiana.
You got a dead body in the back of the truck or something?
As a former semi truck/trailer mechanic, I'm only used to working with 12V systems. I was always curious about the differences (and they are vast) between automotive and household electrical setup and maintenance. These videos are a great learning tool and definitely satisfy my curiosity. Keep them coming!
I'm not even a lineman. No serious interest unless my current career tanks. But I find it super interesting and I love this content!
Interesting to know that American supply feeds don't have a fuse/SMCB before the meter. Kind of scary considering I've witnessed a meter failure after an overvoltage event before. The meter started getting hot and releasing the magic smoke at 400V 3~. I was really happy that I was able to flip the SMCB's off before the meter went up in flames.
The 126 line voltage is at the high end of ANSI C84.1 voltage standard, Range A. You can’t go much higher in Range B, so yeah, you might let the planning engineers know it’s high or let Operations know. That feeder may be very long, and thus voltage will be lower out at the far end, and it appears you are next to a substation or a regulator bank.
Just down the road from the sub!
Cool video!
The crew missed that lol no they left it for you! Lol
What are you blurring in the bed of the truck?
Nice to have bucket access. Its all built up where I work & we usually have to hike everything. That being said, voltage & continuity checks, verify open maln & it is the customer/electrician responsibility to close the main. Top side is ours, bottom & beyond belongs to the cusyomer.
My job was to make it work safely for years . On a given day it might be a computer supply ... then it could be a 6000 hp motor, which dimmed the entire grid . Yes the work was diverse and sometimes nerve were frayed... after 6 years I transferred to a quite indoor job at the local convention center, responsible for the buildings electrical systems, and clients wiring needs, the indoor version of what I had left, lower voltages 480 top end... did I mention European wiring yea color code and voltages all wrong ... I did have one problem I was totally unprepared for, in coming breaker that fed 6 transformers, went bad, glowing yellow orange, fused half way engauged... one by one I unloaded the transformers, removing the load from the defective breaker, called management and waited... an aux unit , wired in but first each element connected had to be checked. 10 hours after my shift ended the building was back up and safe. Of course sometimes the problem is on the side of the utility company, fire eye, gfi, tripped the main feed while ,Janet Reno , spoke to a private group. Man everybody there had a gun .. working with the local linemen was a kick, as this a front on Reno was not taken lightly, the young engineer was. ,green, nice way of saying it, 11 hours later he was still sweating, the linemen were trying not to laugh as was I, he was chasing a moving ground condition .. yea grounds dont move... seems the fire eye system had a 2 volt signal on the ground... the why of this escapes me perhaps moisture and dis simalar metals, thought the young man was going to have a melt down. Retired and miss the people from around the world, the politicians, even astronaut or two, and the stars, stage screen and sports .. but now my electric is often measured in millivolts... just as demanding but safe ...good luck to you , take care.
Why is the back of the truck blurred out?
I once wanted to check for voltage at a water heater, and did what you told me not to do. I had my meter set to ohms. I had about a micro-second to read the resistance of Bonneville dam. I wasn't fast enough. I got a new meter.
Ohms generally shouldn't hurt anything to connect to voltage, that's a pretty poor meter design to fail in that case. It's the amps scale (or even just the amps probe jack) that's the big problem, but even that should just pop the fuse in the meter..
When I was a kid, I used my Radio Shack _Archer_ meter to measure how much _current_ the local electrical utility could put out... I'll never do _that_ again!