Analog Electric Utility (Watthour) Meter Questions
Q: I am interested in an analog meter with the old-fashioned style arrows and spinning disc. Who manufactures the Part number 50? Does it plug in to where a Digital Smart Meter has been? Will it fit?
Asked by: Barbara Bowman - 2/14/2015 (Submit an answer)
A: These meters are standard all across the USA. They will fit your typical home electric utility meter socket. The meters work in all 50 states and are even California approved.
The regular meter for $47.95 is exactly what you're talking about - an old-fashioned simple analog meter with the disc that spins around and the "pointers" that point to numbers. It's a typical 5 dial pointer watthour meter. We've had never had an incompatibility issue or anything like that - they always work :)
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Answer provided by: SHAUN KRANISH (2/15/2015)
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Q: Who is the manufacturer of these analog meters and are they compatible in Canada? Thank you.
Asked by: marilyn - 6/23/2015 (Submit an answer)
A: These meters should work well in Canada - we have shipped many up to Canada and have not had any complaints. As far as we know, the meters used in Canada are the same as the US (standard throughout North America). They should work just great up in Canada!
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Answer provided by: Shaun Kranish (6/24/2015)
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Q: Is this meter bi-directional? Will it work with grid-tied solar?
Asked by: Grace - 6/28/2015 (Submit an answer)
A: Yes, these meters are fully bi-directional and should work fine with solar systems. They have been used for this purpose, and we have not received any complaints or had any issues with the use of the meters with solar or with any other application.
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Answer provided by: Shaun Kranish (7/26/2015)
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Q: Is there a difference in the size ?Out of the 2 which one would be able to handle more electricity through it ?My house is like 2000 ft.² and I have three air conditioning units which is about 10 tons of air. So my question is is is one of these able to handle more power than the other ?Or do you have another one on hand that would take more electricity through it that would be better than the two you show here?
Asked by: Kane Price - 8/2/2015 (Submit an answer)
A: The meters we carry are rated at 200 amps. This is the standard across the country. Very, very few homes have service greater than 200 amps. I'm sure your service is 200 amps or less. You can verify this by looking at your MAIN circuit breaker panel and look at the number on the main breaker - it is usually 100 or 200. Most people never use even 100 amps let alone 200 :)
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So you can use either of the meters we carry. Most people just get the standard "pointer" style meter. I know for certain that it will handle your power needs.
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Answer provided by: Shaun Kranish (8/2/2015)
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Q: This meter will not go on regular electric grid, I want to monitor laundry room how much power (electricity) is used by those machines,is this complete hook up, like cables go in and cables go out, or addition base go to it to install this meter?, please let me know, additional pictures appreciated to see it from behind (back)of it.Thanks
Asked by: Rich - 4/3/2015 (Submit an answer)
A: Hi Rich,
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These meters are standard, and can be used with 120 volts or 240 volts. To sub-meter devices in your house, you would need a meter socket to go along with these. We can provide you with a standard meter socket. Please check all local codes to make sure you are wiring everything correctly to code.
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Answer provided by: Shaun Kranish (6/24/2015)
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Q: Will my electric company allow me to install this meter in place of my current smart meter?
Asked by: Tim - 12/25/2015 (Submit an answer)
A: Electric companies are people. So there is no telling how they will react. However, we can say that our customers overall have very good results with installing these meters. I can only think of 1 or 2 cases where the customer has had very poor reactions by the power company people. We highly recommend sending in the legal notices first. Those along with more information can be found here:
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Answer provided by: Shaun Kranish (12/28/2015)
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Q: Can analogue electricity meter be adjusted to reduce/increase the spinning disc? if yes how???
Asked by: kelly - 1/14/2016 (Submit an answer)
A: Yes, there is a way to adjust the meters, but as we do not manufacture the meters ourselves, we cannot give you a definitive answer on the how-to. There is probably a single adjustment screw.
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These meters all come tested and calibrated by the manufacturer. They are also sealed with a tamper-evident seal, and if the seal is removed the warranty is also void. If the meter is used with a utility company, removing the seal would also show that the meter has been tampered with. So unless you are using it for a very special purpose, we highly recommend against trying to adjust it. Adjusting it in any way would make the meter read inaccurately. It comes from the manufacturer VERY accurate - so it is inadvisable to try to change it.
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Answer provided by: Shaun Kranish (1/14/2016)
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Q: For the meter reading do I include all 5 numbers, since the 5th number is constantly moving?
Asked by: Dymon - 1/26/2016 (Submit an answer)
A: Yes, you should read all of the numbers on our meters. All 5 digits represent the kilowatt hours reading.
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Answer provided by: Shaun Kranish (1/27/2016)