a problem with electric meters?

I still want to see 200a DPDT switch gear that will fit inside that meter and still have room for the RF module and the actual metering hardware.

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I don't (and didn't) say it couldn't; only that I can't find enough specifics on actual operational details in the brochure to infer that it really does (shunt 240V that is).

I can see the disconnect; I don't see how one can draw the conclusion on the other (from that piece of data, anyway, and a quick search didn't find reference to doing so by any combination of keywords I could think of to try).

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For some reason this group is much worse for that than the other ones that I regularly read.

My newsreader shows about 25 lines of message without scrolling. If I can't see any new content in that - just quoted material from the previous message - then I just don't bother reading whatever it is that the poster has to say and move on. cheers

Jules

Cranky old men.

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com posted for all of us...

And I know how to SNIP

The switching operation would probably create enough problems with the RF module.

Looks like some sort of latching relay..

Looks like some sort of latching relay..

To do pilot control for whatever load(s) will be shed...

Nice try.

That is a "load control METER BASE" not the meter. They did not change the meter base here.

I see we found another clueless moron, welcome to my kill file..

e:

ter opened up..

While it's in the meter base, it does show that it can be done and that the switch is fairly small. Would seem it could easily fit in a smart meter as well.

opened up..

The thing I don't see is he DPDT switch necessary to put both sides on the same phase ... as if you could really do that.

I only have to point at multiwire circuits in the house so see the folly of that., The idea that the main breaker would protect the SE cable is silly too. It is going to be 2 breakers in parallel when you put one phase down 2 paths.

All of this talk has me wanting to cut the seal, pull my meter and look under the bottom to see if there is a "relay cover" as described in the link Keating put up.

opened up..

If you ever looked at the meters (or watched them being installed), when they're not installed in the meter socket, one quickly realises the "meter base" is part of the Service METER..

Pair of single phase meter sockets...

Typical sideways view of 3 phase meter..

meter opened up..

Why wouldn't they just limit the power to some lower level, in the first place?

As you point out, it's not going to happen.

art meter opened up..

ide quoted text -

Because disabling the 240V would affect only the AC, water heater, stove, dryer, etc. and leave the 120V loads on. It would shed what are usually the largest loads and also not the most critical. You could kill those for say 15 mins at a time while leaving all the 120V circuits on.

If you just set the limit at some limit, say 40 amps, when you go above that, all the meter could do would be to turn off all the power to the whole house. An obviously better strategy, though more difficult to implement would be to have the big loads be smart too. That way they could selectively turn them off, in some priority order. It could even be set so the homeowner decides the order, ie water heater first, etc.

If you have ever worked in the trade you know the "meter base" is the socket.

meter opened up..

quoted text -

Go over the limit and have the meter call the mothership for instructions. No safety concerns at all.

smart meter opened up..

- Hide quoted text -

It's not an issue of safety. It's an issue of what can the meter or the mothership then do? With the disabling 240V loads you shed the largest loads which are also ones that you can more likely do without for 20 mins.

If you go over say a 40 amp limit, the meter calls the mothership. But then what? Short of calling the home to tell people to turn stuff off, which I guess is an option assuming anyone is even home, all they can do is kill the power to the whole house.

Keating's link with the picture

Would be nice to see a good story on smart meters.