Electric Meter Question

Basically you and your friend want to know why the disk was moving so slowly? Is that the question?

yeah this is but take care the meter not have any fault of any over load but it was work normally and then start be slowly sudennly

If I understand correctly, it sounds like the disk on your electric meter turns faster some of the time then suddenly starts to turn slower. Is this what is happening? With the available information, what you are seeing is probably normal operation of the meter. The slower it turns, the less your electric bill will be.

The first thing to keep in mind is that there is no "normal" speed for the disk on your meter to turn. It isn't like a motor that runs at a constant speed all the time. The disk turns faster when the load is greater, slower when the power demand is less. The speed of the disks rotation is dependant on a few factors to make it work; current draw, line voltage and line frequency are the most noted. There are a few other factors but they aren't really required for this discussion.

The disks rotation speed is directly related to changes in any of these conditions. If any one of these parameters changes it will affect the way your meter measures and you will see it by watching the rotation speed of the disk change. Current draw is dependant on customer usage. For single phase AC, using Ohms Law, P=I*E, the more current used, the more power you will consume. The more power you consume, the faster the disk turns. If you are working with a three phase line there are a few more steps in the calculation, but again, they aren't really relevent here.

Line voltage, line frequency and line phase are the responsiblity of your power company and are supposed to remain constant. This is not always the case depending upon where you live. If you know the incoming power feed is reliable then you can eliminate it as a possible cause.

Current draw on the other hand is consumer driven. The more "stuff" you have plugged in, the more current you will draw. Also, there are many devices in the home that run automatically such as refrigerators, A/C units, thermostat controlled heaters and so on. These devices will cause a heaver current draw on start-up and then the current will drop when the device has reached its running current. This makes your meter turn faster for a short period of time. Motors are the most notable in observing high initial current draw since, depending on the load, they can take a while to reach a lower stable run current. Even if a motor is running constantly and it is turning a mechanical device that has a variable load demand it will affect the current draw, thus affecting the speed of the meter's disk. If you have recently unplugged or disconnected anything with a motor, heater or anything that ran all the time this may also be the reason you are seeing this sudden drop in the speed of the disk.

Remember slower disk speed=More money in your pocket.

Are you aware that the disc moves in proportion to the load? In other words, if you are using very little electricity, the disc moves slowly. If you are using a lot, the disc moves faster. If you are using a lot, and the disc moves slowly, then the meter has failed (mechanical friction, for example). I the meter has failed, your power company would be very happy if you'd tell them.

Are you saying that when alll loads are turned off in your house, refrigerator, freezer, a/c etc. then the meter still creeps very slowly?If so, then it could be you have a small load, such as a night light or such on.

Most modern appliances have a keep-alive circuit that draws a small amount of current, tvs, vcr, computers, even if switched off.Have you had a sudden increase in your power bill without explanation? If so, it is possible that a buried wire has been nicked by gardening or digging.Do you have a well, or city water? If a well, turn off the breaker to the pump and then check it.If you have access to a clamp-on ampmeter, or slot-type ampmeter, check the hot wire with the pump breaker turned on, but pump not running. If you have a sneak circuit, this will find it.Should be zero amps.Check all buried wires this way.(yard lights,fountains, pool lighting, pumps, etc)

Now, if you want to see if the meter itself is creeping, turn off your main breaker(s)(Some houses have one, but can have up to a maximum of six).

There should be no movement of the wheel.If there is, you have a bad meter.Insist that the power company change it even if they say it is normal.

Remember, it is to their benefit if it creeps with all load removed.

Hope this is helpful

Obenay N. Pebvy

Regards.

It is not Keep-alive but "Stand-by" Current but not if Switched-off but Computer= if "Shut-Down"; refrigerator, freezer, Aircondioner, Controlled-Heaters = when tripped-off on reaching the SET Temperature.

If all lights & Appliances are "Switched-off" and still the Meter-Disk creeps slowly, look for residual-leakage in your house wiring.

Note:

As most of the modern homes have "Residual Leakage Circuit Breaker" [the term may be out-dated] installed for safety against leakage in House Appliances, it will shut-down home power ifn case of leakage in house-wiring.

Then the creeping of Meter disk may be "knowns are un-known" process.

The term you use has never been used by professionals in the USA.

However,it may have been used by a bumpkin at a Lowes Store

The breaker you are referring to is an :ARC_FAULT circuit breaker.It detects loose, or arcing connections, that are potential fire starters. Most new (U.S.) homes are required now to have a main breaker with this feature built in.(With the exception of Arkansas:they haven't got electricty yet).

As for the standby voltage issue:I did not state that refrigerators draw a standby current, (although the newer ones with a digital clock certainly do).I am sure it could be interpreted that way, but I figured common sense would prevail.Forgive my preumption.

The older AT computer power supplies used a toggle switch on the power supply that turned ALL power off to the computer.The newer computers, however, keep a monitoring (and I use the term loosely, lest it be challenged at some future date) circuit alive.It monitors input(s) form the front panel switch, thru the keyboard, back to the supply to turn it full on.

Your tv has a circuit that is alive, unless unplugged or turned off at the breaker, or the cord has been cut, or chewed by a dog or cat, or an insect, or some other type of vermin or pet, or perhaps a wild animal, or unless it has become tangled in your weedeater or mower, or unless a storm or carelss driver has knocked out your power, and of course if your standby generator is not working, and your wife hasn't taken it in a divorce settlement,and multitudinous other variables too numerous to mention, suffice it to say that under "Normal" conditions, the above is true, waiting for a signal from your remote control to turn it full on.

Same with a VCR,DVD,etc. (the above exclusions apply here also)

This may seem like a very small amount of current, but on a nationwide basis, it is tremendous.So much so that research is constantly ongoing to find ways to reduce this "Stand BY" or "Keep Alive" current.I used the term so that the layman could understand it.Forgive me for insulting your intelligence.I should have known better by the well spoken manner in which you address this blog.

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."

O.N.P.

if your meter rotates without any load means it leads to pay high value of money to EB.But your meter rotates slowly with load it is benefit to u. reason for this is 1.improper calibration 2.presence of high amount of breaking torque note:notify me is this answer useful to u