# Little Professional advice please



## GnB Co. (Apr 8, 2009)

We are currently on a siding job, We had to disconnect the meter base to side behind it as i pulled the meter and disconnected from the house, We let the meter base hang while we finished the siding as i reconnected the meter for temp power, I strapped the base and the conduit back to the house back to its existing spot, Now the HO tells me they get alot of dimming of lights when the service is under load, does anybody have a idea what would be causing this? :blink: I checked the ground also the main and nothing came loose. The main service is a 100 amp single phase, I appreciate any advice. I'm lost for what would cause this


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

Whip out the cell phone and call your electrician.


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## Tiger (Nov 21, 2007)

GnB Co. said:


> We are currently on a siding job, We had to disconnect the meter base to side behind it as i pulled the meter and disconnected from the house, We let the meter base hang while we finished the siding as i reconnected the meter for temp power, I strapped the base and the conduit back to the house back to its existing spot, Now the HO tells me they get alot of dimming of lights when the service is under load, does anybody have a idea what would be causing this? :blink: I checked the ground also the main and nothing came loose. The main service is a 100 amp single phase, I appreciate any advice. I'm lost for what would cause this


Am I reading this correctly that you pulled the utility meter out of the meter base/socket?


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

Tiger said:


> Am I reading this correctly that you pulled the utility meter out of the meter base/socket?


It's more likely that he pried the meter can off the wall with a pry bar and left the whole works hang. That's risky as hell, since about 50% of the time a screw that was holding the can on the wall falls down on a hot lug and causes a meltdown.

I think in this case, though, the problem is pretty simple. Dimming lights = loose connection. A connection that was fine until it was disturbed. That loose connection could either be at the PoCo taps or in the meter can. hard to say without being there. First, I'd call the PoCo, since that's free. If they give the all-clear, then you'll have to call an electrician. 

Siders... don't pry meter cans off the wall. There's too much at risk and those loose fasteners inside the meter box can be a booby trap for the next guy that works inside it (if it doesn't blow up on you first). Call your electrician.


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

At any time during the process
did it occur to you that this 
might be a bad idea?


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## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

Tiger said:


> Am I reading this correctly that you pulled the utility meter out of the meter base/socket?





GnB Co. said:


> i pulled the meter and disconnected from the house


Sure seems that way. I think letting anyone not an electrician **** with the meter is plain stupid. You have 100 A of unfused power coming in. If you did pull the meter, you are an idiot


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## GnB Co. (Apr 8, 2009)

Tiger said:


> Am I reading this correctly that you pulled the utility meter out of the meter base/socket?


Yes I'm pretty familiar with electrical myself, Also i have a licensed electrician that works for my company but slight problem there he is on vacation in Mexico for another week..lol my luck,


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## mdshunk (Mar 13, 2005)

GnB Co. said:


> Yes I'm pretty familiar with electrical myself, .....


You can't be that famaliar or you wouldn't have done what you did. You'd also know what the problem is and wouldn't have to ask. Hey, seriously, you're putting yourself and your company at great risk when you do this, and I'd encourage you to stop this dangerous practice immediately. An electrician does this for 100-150 bucks. Way cheaper than time in a burn unit or dealing with a houes fire. At least this time you only have a customer that's accusing you of messing up their electric and not burning their house down.


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## GnB Co. (Apr 8, 2009)

mdshunk said:


> It's more likely that he pried the meter can off the wall with a pry bar and left the whole works hang. That's risky as hell, since about 50% of the time a screw that was holding the can on the wall falls down on a hot lug and causes a meltdown.
> 
> I think in this case, though, the problem is pretty simple. Dimming lights = loose connection. A connection that was fine until it was disturbed. That loose connection could either be at the PoCo taps or in the meter can. hard to say without being there. First, I'd call the PoCo, since that's free. If they give the all-clear, then you'll have to call an electrician.
> 
> Siders... don't pry meter cans off the wall. There's too much at risk and those loose fasteners inside the meter box can be a booby trap for the next guy that works inside it (if it doesn't blow up on you first). Call your electrician.


No we never just rip the base off the house, I just need to check over the lugs and point of connection again,


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

Anti-wingnut said:


> ....... You have 100 A of unfused power coming in. .......


More like _*tens of thousands of amps*_. Ever look at a standard resi breaker? It should have either _10kaic_ or _22 kaic_ on it. That means it is capable of turning off *10,000* or *22,000* *amps* (respectively) by itself. 

*THAT* is how much power your are screwing around with on residential electrical services. The size of the main breaker has _nothing_ to do with how much power the transformer out on the street can supply.


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## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

*Call these guys!*

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*







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rewiring your old existing home wiring to changing a light fixture. 
Our professional electrician is here to help you with
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All electrical work by GnB obeys by the NEC (2008)


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## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

Years ago I had an electrician come out to re-install a box that was removed prior to siding. I had heard stories about those screws falling and hitting that hot bar so no way would I attempt it. Sparky proceeds to put the screw on the end of his bit, maneuver it into place, and OOPS! he drops it. All was ok, try again, OOPS! still ok. At this point I had an idea. Told him to wrap elec tape around the screw and bit to keep it from falling, screw it in, and pull back on drill to remove tape. Worked like a charm. I bet he still uses that trick.


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## GnB Co. (Apr 8, 2009)

mdshunk said:


> You can't be that famaliar or you wouldn't have done what you did. You'd also know what the problem is and wouldn't have to ask. Hey, seriously, you're putting yourself and your company at great risk when you do this, and I'd encourage you to stop this dangerous practice immediately. An electrician does this for 100-150 bucks. Way cheaper than time in a burn unit or dealing with a houes fire. At least this time you only have a customer that's accusing you of messing up their electric and not burning their house down.


Well i do let my electrician deal with things like this, So what you are saying there is a different way to pull a meter out of its socket without crossing lug and causing a short?? I only asked a question i didn't mean to get criticized


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Here, I can call POCO a day 
ahead and they'll come out and
drop the lines for just about
any reason for free.
All they ever seem to ask is,
"What time?"


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## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

480sparky said:


> More like _*tens of thousands of amps*_. Ever look at a standard resi breaker? It should have either _10kaic_ or _22 kaic_ on it. That means it is capable of turning off *10,000* or *22,000* *amps* (respectively) by itself.
> 
> *THAT* is how much power your are screwing around with on residential electrical services. The size of the main breaker has _nothing_ to do with how much power the transformer out on the street can supply.


I knew it was unfused, and had a direct connection to both Three Mile Island and Grand Coulee. I don't even like looking at that stuff.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

GnB Co. said:


> Well i do let my electrician deal with things like this, So what you are saying there is a different way to pull a meter out of its socket without crossing lug and causing a short?? I only asked a question i didn't mean to get criticized


 
Yea, the pros have tools for that.





















I got $10 bucks that says you used bare hands, a hammer, and were wearing normal street clothes.


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

480sparky said:


> Yea, the pros have tools for that.
> ..............
> I got $10 bucks that says you used bare hands, a hammer, and were wearing normal street clothes.


I always wear sunglasses. :thumbsup:


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## GnB Co. (Apr 8, 2009)

480sparky said:


> Yea, the pros have tools for that.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well you lost your 10 dollars i had salisbury 17,000 volt gloves with face protection,Guys I do have great respect for electrical power and what its capable of providing, Like i said i have a electrician who works for us. i should have known better than to ask for advice here, Thanks anyways


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

GnB Co. said:


> Well you lost your 10 dollars i had salisbury 17,000 volt gloves with face protection,Guys I do have great respect for electrical power and what its capable of providing, Like i said i have a electrician who works for us. i should have known better than to ask for advice here, Thanks anyways


No offense intended here, but you lay out all this money for arc flash protection yet can't troubleshoot a simple dimming light?

It sounds like you're way in over your head and try to use purchasing expensive tools to make up for it.


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## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

All electrical work by GnB obeys by the NEC (2008) 

Is that right? Doesn't seem like the case here


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