When your smart meter will be outside and needs a case

t0rt0ise

Spoonie_Turtle said:

ICSI_Yorkshire said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

SAC2334 said:

Robin9 said:

Standard meter boxes come from your local builders merchant.

When the meter does come to the end of its life I wonder what the supplier will do ?

 operators are not allowed to change the battery in situ …

Smart metering meters  seems to be a financial failure compared to the old analogue gas meters , imperial or metric, where they cause virtually zero operating problems over a 25 year period . Similar to the electric  analogue meters

I'd have thought it's the policy to replace meters rather than change the battery that's a failure, rather than inherent to the meters.

The batteries often being soldered in place could be part of that.

Thank you, that has not been mentioned any time I've read comments about it on here so did not realise.

What a bizarre manufacturing choice to make!

They obviously don't want the customer removing the battery stopping the meter.

sourpuss2021

I’ve just taken a photo of the three gas meters at the property.   To the left, behind the alkanet, is the electricity service head!

The three gas meters currently take up a space that is 80cm across and 50cm in height.  One of them (A) was replaced a year or two back.

Anyway there clearly isn’t room for three individual meter boxes here.  All I can think of is that the concrete lip could be extended over to the right and that side wall moved over.  

But might be tricky to do with the meter in place.  There’d need to be both a builder and a gas fitter working together I think? 

[Deleted User]

I would be more worried about the 3 100amp fuses. 

Smart meters only communicate when a comms hub is fitted. Why would they go?

CSI_Yorkshire

sourpuss2021 said:

The three gas meters currently take up a space that is 80cm across and 50cm in height.  One of them (A) was replaced a year or two back.

With a smart meter by the look of things. 

Outdoor service head is fun.

sourpuss2021

CSI_Yorkshire said:

sourpuss2021 said:

The three gas meters currently take up a space that is 80cm across and 50cm in height.  One of them (A) was replaced a year or two back.

With a smart meter by the look of things. 

Outdoor service head is fun.

Curious and curiouser!!

It is a Landis & Gyr G130 Gas Meter.

I’ll have to ask the people in that flat about it.

sourpuss2021

Ah no it’s just a digital meter.  It could be used as a smart meter but practically speaking it isn’t :

https://iamthemeterman.co.uk/gas/dumb-gas-meters/landis-gyr-g130-gas-meter/

SAC2334

Not unusual to see wooden cases made up to cover the outside meters in older conversion s . Electric and gas.  .the original wooden covers would have been either vandalised because tenants  could nt get into the locked box or so shoddy they dropped off . I m sure they would nt have been like that originally.Gas meters are pretty weather resistant and a common enough sight sans box 

Ectophile

I can only assume that there used to be some cabinet installed around the gas and electricity supplies.  But somebody then decided to remove it.

Because nobody in their right minds would install that type of electricity cutout outdoors.  It's not weatherproof.  It's a death trap.

sourpuss2021

Ectophile said:

I can only assume that there used to be some cabinet installed around the gas and electricity supplies.  But somebody then decided to remove it.

Because nobody in their right minds would install that type of electricity cutout outdoors.  It's not weatherproof.  It's a death trap.

My guess is it’s been like that since the house was converted into flats, 25 years ago.  The electricity meters are high up on the wall inside the main hallway.  

Nobody’s died so far.  But could electricity jump from it when someone (either me or my neighbours) has clambered down there to take a gas meter reading?  Would it particularly be an issue during a downpour?

All the more reason to want a smart meter fitted! 

Ectophile

sourpuss2021 said:

Ectophile said:

I can only assume that there used to be some cabinet installed around the gas and electricity supplies.  But somebody then decided to remove it.

Because nobody in their right minds would install that type of electricity cutout outdoors.  It's not weatherproof.  It's a death trap.

My guess is it’s been like that since the house was converted into flats, 25 years ago.  The electricity meters are high up on the wall inside the main hallway.  

Nobody’s died so far.  But could electricity jump from it when someone (either me or my neighbours) has clambered down there to take a gas meter reading?  Would it particularly be an issue during a downpour?

All the more reason to want a smart meter fitted! 

So long as you don't actually touch the fuses when it's wet, you shouldn't get electrocuted.  But they were never designed to get ained in.