I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can help me
figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric meter box so I can
look inside and see if water is getting into that box.

I think that water is getting into the outside meter box and then running
down INSIDE the feed wire from there into my main service panel in the
basement (not along the OUTSIDE of the feed wire, and not through the
opening where the feed enters the building). I did try calling the electric
company to get them to open it, but I am not having any luck with that.
And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on, see if
water is leaking into it, etc.

Here are two photos of the electric meter box::
http://tinypic.com/r/dmtwqx/5

http://tinypic.com/r/11jlv8y/5



It is the locking mechanism on the lower right corner of the box that I
think I need to be able to open to take the cover off the box. I don't need
to, or want to, pull the meter etc. -- I just want to look inside to look
for signs of water getting into the meter box and, if so, where the water is
coming in from.



Thanks.

On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on, see if
water is leaking into it, etc.

The meter box ought to have knock-outs on the bottom.

Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small hammer
- just bend (twist) one side of the slug.

Water will drain, if that is the problem.

Oren wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on,
see if water is leaking into it, etc.

The meter box ought to have knock-outs on the bottom.

Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small hammer
- just bend (twist) one side of the slug.

Water will drain, if that is the problem.

Or drill a hole (or two).

On 6/8/2013 4:29 PM, HeyBub wrote:
Oren wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on,
see if water is leaking into it, etc.

The meter box ought to have knock-outs on the bottom.

Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small hammer
- just bend (twist) one side of the slug.

Water will drain, if that is the problem.

Or drill a hole (or two).

Until I looked at his pictures, I was about to suggest calling the power
company and asking them to come out and replace the meter - apparently
removed by vandals and left laying on the ground - so that they could
watch television tonight. An open meter can WILL get them moving faster.

Alas, it appears they've converted him to a smart (for them) meter.
Looks like the meter is blanked out so he has no way of reading/checking
his usage. "Oops, looks like you left some lights on this month, here's
your bill for 8,700kWh; yeah, we know you generally only use 4,800kWh.
Better take care now!"g

On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:29:06 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote:

Oren wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on,
see if water is leaking into it, etc.

The meter box ought to have knock-outs on the bottom.

Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small hammer
- just bend (twist) one side of the slug.

Water will drain, if that is the problem.

Or drill a hole (or two).


Know what I mean Vern?! G

On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can help me
figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric meter box so I can
look inside and see if water is getting into that box.

I think that water is getting into the outside meter box and then running
down INSIDE the feed wire from there into my main service panel in the
basement (not along the OUTSIDE of the feed wire, and not through the
opening where the feed enters the building). I did try calling the electric
company to get them to open it, but I am not having any luck with that.
And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on, see if
water is leaking into it, etc.

Here are two photos of the electric meter box::
http://tinypic.com/r/dmtwqx/5

http://tinypic.com/r/11jlv8y/5

i DOn't know what the second picture is, but I don't think it's a
lock.

You have a seal, AFAIK not a lock.

It's the thing in the middle, dangling down. You can cut it with
wire cutters, lift the lever, and pull off the whole front grey panel
with the big hole in it.

Whether the electric company will be mad at you for this is another
question, but I did it once (or twice?) and since I didn't steal any
electricity, the next time an electric guy was there, he just put on
another seal. They sell similar seals, but since they're not
identical, the power company will still know you've been fiddling with
their stuff.

(Once they had disconnected me for failure to pay my bill. I paid it
and they said to go home immediately, because in Baltimore they won't
reconnect you if you're not there. I went home and waited a couple
hours and wanted to make dinner or something, so I got impatient and I
broke the seal and reconnected the power. An hour or two later, the
guy showed up and I told him someone else had come and done it. (That
was true, I guess, if you count me as the someone) He didn't say a
word. I guess he was ticked. But he put a new seal on it. Later I
realized that he was the only guy either disconnecting or reconnecting
for my geographical area, so he knew no other BGE guy had come.)

I have no experience with extra holes in the box. Won't insects get
in and start living there? Does that matter?


It is the locking mechanism on the lower right corner of the box that I
think I need to be able to open to take the cover off the box. I don't need
to, or want to, pull the meter etc. -- I just want to look inside to look
for signs of water getting into the meter box and, if so, where the water is
coming in from.



Thanks.

On Sat, 08 Jun 2013 18:21:32 -0400, micky
wrote:


You have a seal, AFAIK not a lock.

BTW, don't touch anything inside if you want to be able to post here
again.

On Sat, 08 Jun 2013 18:22:36 -0400, micky
wrote:

BTW, don't touch anything inside if you want to be able to post here
again.

Exactly. Keep one hand your pocket.

On 6/8/2013 4:16 PM, TomR wrote:
I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can help me
figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric meter box so I can
look inside and see if water is getting into that box.

I think that water is getting into the outside meter box and then running
down INSIDE the feed wire from there into my main service panel in the
basement (not along the OUTSIDE of the feed wire, and not through the
opening where the feed enters the building). I did try calling the electric
company to get them to open it, but I am not having any luck with that.
And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on, see if
water is leaking into it, etc.

Here are two photos of the electric meter box::
http://tinypic.com/r/dmtwqx/5

http://tinypic.com/r/11jlv8y/5



It is the locking mechanism on the lower right corner of the box that I
think I need to be able to open to take the cover off the box. I don't need
to, or want to, pull the meter etc. -- I just want to look inside to look
for signs of water getting into the meter box and, if so, where the water is
coming in from.



Thanks.





That's a hydraulic lock. If you need to get in you'll have to get the
utility company.
Typically rain water gets in if you have "SE" type entrance cable with
Ductseal around the rain tight fitting at the top of the box. The
Ductseal dries out leaving a space for water to travel down the cable
into the box. It usually drips onto the wires which go into the house,
which causes it to flow through the sheath with the wires and into the
service panel. Unfortunately, making holes in the bottom of the box
won't solve this, you need to prevent entry. I would run a bead of
silicone around the fitting at the top of the box. Also check that the
weatherhead at the top of the service standpipe is not broken or
otherwise exposed to rain.

"TomR" wrote:
I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can help me
figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric meter box so I can
look inside and see if water is getting into that box.

I think that water is getting into the outside meter box and then running
down INSIDE the feed wire from there into my main service panel in the
basement (not along the OUTSIDE of the feed wire, and not through the
opening where the feed enters the building). I did try calling the electric
company to get them to open it, but I am not having any luck with that.
And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on, see if
water is leaking into it, etc.

Here are two photos of the electric meter box::
http://tinypic.com/r/dmtwqx/5

http://tinypic.com/r/11jlv8y/5



It is the locking mechanism on the lower right corner of the box that I
think I need to be able to open to take the cover off the box. I don't need
to, or want to, pull the meter etc. -- I just want to look inside to look
for signs of water getting into the meter box and, if so, where the water is
coming in from.



Thanks.

This won't answer your question about getting into the box, but I'll tell
you how I dealt with water that was getting my service cable and then into
my panel.

I found the lowest spot on my service cable after the meter. It was nothing
more than a small dip in the cable. I took a utility knife and cut a tiny
slit in the outside jacket at the bottom of the dip. Water dripped out
slowly for a while then eventually stopped.

i have not had any water in my panel for years.

On Jun 8, 3:16*pm, "TomR" wrote:
I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can help me
figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric meter box so I can
look inside and see if water is getting into that box.

I think that water is getting into the outside meter box and then running
down INSIDE the feed wire from there into my main service panel in the
basement (not along the OUTSIDE of the feed wire, and not through the
opening where the feed enters the building). *I did try calling the electric
company to get them to open it, but I am not having any luck with that.
And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on, see if
water is leaking into it, etc.

Here are two photos of the electric meter box::http://tinypic.com/r/dmtwqx/5

http://tinypic.com/r/11jlv8y/5

It is the locking mechanism on the lower right corner of the box that I
think I need to be able to open to take the cover off the box. *I don't need
to, or want to, pull the meter etc. -- I just want to look inside to look
for signs of water getting into the meter box and, if so, where the water is
coming in from.

Thanks.

Mine is a one piece breaker & meter box, meter above the breakers.
Water came thru the meter and across the breakers & buss bars,
corroding it all. The water was coming in around the glass meter
because their rubber seal between the glass & metal case was gone.
Power company replaced the seal and I replaced the main breakers. I
see some crud/mold at the bottom of your meter and that could be your
problem rather than a entrance cable water leak.

On Saturday, June 8, 2013 2:34:07 PM UTC-7, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
On 6/8/2013 4:29 PM, HeyBub wrote:

Oren wrote:

On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:



And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on,

see if water is leaking into it, etc.



The meter box ought to have knock-outs on the bottom.



Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small hammer

- just bend (twist) one side of the slug.



Water will drain, if that is the problem.



Or drill a hole (or two).



Until I looked at his pictures, I was about to suggest calling the power

company and asking them to come out and replace the meter - apparently

removed by vandals and left laying on the ground - so that they could

watch television tonight. An open meter can WILL get them moving faster.



Alas, it appears they've converted him to a smart (for them) meter.

Looks like the meter is blanked out so he has no way of reading/checking

his usage. "Oops, looks like you left some lights on this month, here's

your bill for 8,700kWh; yeah, we know you generally only use 4,800kWh.

Better take care now!"g

I got a smart meter and I can check my usage fine. Maybe he needs to ask for one of these:

https://www.itron.com/na/productsAnd...20CENTRON.aspx

Oren wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on,
see if water is leaking into it, etc.

The meter box ought to have knock-outs on the bottom.

Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small hammer
- just bend (twist) one side of the slug.

Water will drain, if that is the problem.

Thanks. When I couldn't get the box open, I did try that and I was
surprised to find that no water came out. I did just what you said --
opened the knockout just a little. After nothing came out, I pushed it back
closed so the electric company wouldn't complain.

I also cut the little wire clip at the bottom and I could pry the door/cover
open a little in one corner. I could see that there is no water in the
bottom, and that the way the door/cover is mounted it looks like any water
in the bottom would drip out anyway.

Of course, all of that left me a little confused about what's going on, but
I still want to get the box open to find out.

Unquestionably Confused wrote:
On 6/8/2013 4:29 PM, HeyBub wrote:
Oren wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on,
see if water is leaking into it, etc.

The meter box ought to have knock-outs on the bottom.

Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small
hammer - just bend (twist) one side of the slug.

Water will drain, if that is the problem.

Or drill a hole (or two).

Until I looked at his pictures, I was about to suggest calling the
power company and asking them to come out and replace the meter -
apparently removed by vandals and left laying on the ground - so that
they could watch television tonight. An open meter can WILL get them
moving faster.
Alas, it appears they've converted him to a smart (for them) meter.
Looks like the meter is blanked out so he has no way of
reading/checking his usage. . . . ,

Sorry, I forgot to post that I taped a cardboard cover over the meter face
before taking the photos. I didn't want to post my actual meter number etc.
on the Internet. But, it's a regular meter and I can see the digital
readings.

HeyBub wrote:
Oren wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on,
see if water is leaking into it, etc.

The meter box ought to have knock-outs on the bottom.

Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small hammer
- just bend (twist) one side of the slug.

Water will drain, if that is the problem.

Or drill a hole (or two).

Yep, I thought of doing that too. But, since I did the knockout trick etc.,
I didn't end up needing to drill a hole.

micky wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can
help me figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric
meter box so I can look inside and see if water is getting into that
box.

i DOn't know what the second picture is, but I don't think it's a
lock.

It turns out that it is some type of locking mechanism.

You have a seal, AFAIK not a lock.

It's the thing in the middle, dangling down. You can cut it with
wire cutters, lift the lever, and pull off the whole front grey panel
with the big hole in it.

Yes, I also have that seal in the middle that you noticed. I had already
cut that with wire cutters, lifted the latch, and tried to open the door.
It's the other mechanism that is keeping the door from opening.

Whether the electric company will be mad at you for this is another
question, but I did it once (or twice?) and since I didn't steal any
electricity, the next time an electric guy was there, he just put on
another seal.

I agree, and I don't care if the electric company complains that I cut the
wire. I did try calling them first when the water was dripping inside the
main panel and onto the main breaker, but they never showed up after I
waited, waited, and waited, called them back, and then waited some more, and
then finally gave up.

On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 22:31:27 -0400, "TomR" wrote:




I agree, and I don't care if the electric company complains that I cut the
wire. I did try calling them first when the water was dripping inside the
main panel and onto the main breaker, but they never showed up after I
waited, waited, and waited, called them back, and then waited some more, and
then finally gave up.


They don't care. Anything after the meter is your problem so they
expect you to call a licensed electrician.

RBM wrote:
On 6/8/2013 4:16 PM, TomR wrote:
I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can
help me figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric
meter box so I can look inside and see if water is getting into that
box. I think that water is getting into the outside meter box and then
running down INSIDE the feed wire from there into my main service
panel in the basement . . . ,

That's a hydraulic lock. If you need to get in you'll have to get the
utility company.

I guess I'll have to do that unless I can somehow figure out how the
utility company opens that type of locking mechanism.

Typically rain water gets in if you have "SE" type entrance cable with
Ductseal around the rain tight fitting at the top of the box. The
Ductseal dries out leaving a space for water to travel down the cable
into the box. It usually drips onto the wires which go into the house,
which causes it to flow through the sheath with the wires and into the
service panel.

I think that may be what is going on in my case. I don't know what an "SE"
type entrance cable is, but it looks like there is a fitting at the top of
the meter box where the cable goes in, and there is a nut that appears to
tighten a rubber grommet (sp?) that the cable goes through. Just for kicks,
I globbed a bunch of Ductseal on top of the whole setup at the top of the
meter box (during a rain storm) just in case that would help. The rain
stopped not too long after that, so I don't know if what I did helped in any
way.

Unfortunately, making holes in the bottom of the box
won't solve this, you need to prevent entry.

Since I did try making a hole in the bottom, I ended up figuring out that
didn't work or solve the problem.

I would run a bead of
silicone around the fitting at the top of the box.

I'll definitely do that along with any other sealing that I can think of
around the lid of the box etc.

Also check that the
weatherhead at the top of the service standpipe is not broken or
otherwise exposed to rain.

I'll look again, but so far, from ground level, I don't see anything wrong
higher up.

On 6/8/2013 7:42 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 22:31:27 -0400, wrote:




I agree, and I don't care if the electric company complains that I cut the
wire. I did try calling them first when the water was dripping inside the
main panel and onto the main breaker, but they never showed up after I
waited, waited, and waited, called them back, and then waited some more, and
then finally gave up.


They don't care. Anything after the meter is your problem so they
expect you to call a licensed electrician.
just to clarify, are you the property owner or a tenant? In all places I
have lived, or had businesses, the meter belongs to the power company.
All else belongs to the property owner and is his responsibility. Water
getting into the meter box is not the power company's problem.

Paul

DerbyDad03 wrote:
"TomR" wrote:
I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can
help me figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric
meter box so I can look inside and see if water is getting into that
box.

I think that water is getting into the outside meter box and then
running down INSIDE the feed wire from there into my main service
panel in the basement . . . ,

This won't answer your question about getting into the box, but I'll
tell you how I dealt with water that was getting my service cable and
then into my panel.

I found the lowest spot on my service cable after the meter. It was
nothing more than a small dip in the cable. I took a utility knife
and cut a tiny slit in the outside jacket at the bottom of the dip.
Water dripped out slowly for a while then eventually stopped.

I definitely wanted to do that since the idea makes sense to me.
Unfortunately, from the meter down into the service panel is all a downhill
slope of the feed wire. The is no "low spot" or drip loop. If there was, I
would have tried your trick to drain the water out of the line. Instead,
the only "low spot" is inside the main panel where it is dripping out of the
feed cable.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 22:31:27 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

I agree, and I don't care if the electric company complains that I
cut the wire. I did try calling them first when the water was
dripping inside the main panel and onto the main breaker, but they
never showed up after I waited, waited, and waited, called them
back, and then waited some more, and then finally gave up.

They don't care. Anything after the meter is your problem so they
expect you to call a licensed electrician.

Some of that did surprise me. I got different stories each time I called
the electric company about this. One electric company rep person did say
that they are only responsible up to the meter, so if the problem is after
the meter, it's my problem and not theirs. That would make me think that if
water was getting into the meter box, it would be their problem, based on
what they said. But, I actually thought that they are only responsible up
to the drop -- which is why I always pay an electrician who is putting in
new service to do the drop, the meter box, the main panel, etc.

But, what surprises me the most is that if I have an electrical problem, and
they come out and see what it is, I thought I could either pay an
electrician to fix it or have the electric company fix it and charge me for
the repair. For example, if I have an electric stove that isn't working, I
thought they could fix it and bill me. In my area, gas and electric is
supplied by the same company, and that's how they handle the gas side of
things regarding repairs. So, I assumed that they would do the same with
the electric side of things -- but maybe I'm wrong about that.

Paul Drahn wrote:
On 6/8/2013 7:42 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 22:31:27 -0400, wrote:

I agree, and I don't care if the electric company complains that I
cut the wire. I did try calling them first when the water was
dripping inside the main panel and onto the main breaker, but they
never showed up after I waited, waited, and waited, called them
back, and then waited some more, and then finally gave up.

They don't care. Anything after the meter is your problem so they
expect you to call a licensed electrician.

just to clarify, are you the property owner or a tenant?

I own the property.

On 6/8/2013 11:09 PM, TomR wrote:
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 22:31:27 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

I agree, and I don't care if the electric company complains that I
cut the wire. I did try calling them first when the water was
dripping inside the main panel and onto the main breaker, but they
never showed up after I waited, waited, and waited, called them
back, and then waited some more, and then finally gave up.
They don't care. Anything after the meter is your problem so they
expect you to call a licensed electrician.
Some of that did surprise me. I got different stories each time I called
the electric company about this. One electric company rep person did say
that they are only responsible up to the meter, so if the problem is after
the meter, it's my problem and not theirs. That would make me think that if
water was getting into the meter box, it would be their problem, based on
what they said. But, I actually thought that they are only responsible up
to the drop -- which is why I always pay an electrician who is putting in
new service to do the drop, the meter box, the main panel, etc.

But, what surprises me the most is that if I have an electrical problem, and
they come out and see what it is, I thought I could either pay an
electrician to fix it or have the electric company fix it and charge me for
the repair. For example, if I have an electric stove that isn't working, I
thought they could fix it and bill me. In my area, gas and electric is
supplied by the same company, and that's how they handle the gas side of
things regarding repairs. So, I assumed that they would do the same with
the electric side of things -- but maybe I'm wrong about that.



These things do vary from location to location. In downstate NY, the
utility company owns the overhead wires from the pole to the building,
and the meter. The property owner owns the box that the meter plugs
into. The real pia is that they get to put a lock on your box, to
protect their meter.

On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 23:09:32 -0400, "TomR" wrote:


But, what surprises me the most is that if I have an electrical problem, and
they come out and see what it is, I thought I could either pay an
electrician to fix it or have the electric company fix it and charge me for
the repair. For example, if I have an electric stove that isn't working, I
thought they could fix it and bill me. In my area, gas and electric is
supplied by the same company, and that's how they handle the gas side of
things regarding repairs. So, I assumed that they would do the same with
the electric side of things -- but maybe I'm wrong about that.



Depends on the area. Where I live (CT) and work (MA) the utilities do
nothing after the meter.

On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 22:31:27 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

micky wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can
help me figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric
meter box so I can look inside and see if water is getting into that
box.

i DOn't know what the second picture is, but I don't think it's a
lock.

It turns out that it is some type of locking mechanism.

You have a seal, AFAIK not a lock.

It's the thing in the middle, dangling down. You can cut it with
wire cutters, lift the lever, and pull off the whole front grey panel
with the big hole in it.

Yes, I also have that seal in the middle that you noticed. I had already
cut that with wire cutters, lifted the latch, and tried to open the door.
It's the other mechanism that is keeping the door from opening.

I guess they added that after people like you and me started opening
the box ourselves.

Last week I got a smart meter. My doorbell was covered with ivy and
he says he knocked. I think I heard him knock on t he next townhouse
after he had already installed mine. He said if I wanted they would
take out the smart meter and put in the old style.

What gets me is that when I didn't pay on time, they took a long time
to disconnect me, but now they can do so with the blip of an electron.
They may not wait as long. Of course they might reconnect more
quickly. I doubt they will charge less.

On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 23:09:32 -0400, "TomR" wrote:


But, what surprises me the most is that if I have an electrical problem, and
they come out and see what it is, I thought I could either pay an
electrician to fix it or have the electric company fix it and charge me for
the repair. For example, if I have an electric stove that isn't working, I
thought they could fix it and bill me. In my area, gas and electric is
supplied by the same company, and that's how they handle the gas side of
things regarding repairs. So, I assumed that they would do the same with
the electric side of things -- but maybe I'm wrong about that.

Where do you live. lhd = Lower Hydrangea. Didn't the Marx
brothers do a movie there?

On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 22:45:20 -0400, "TomR" wrote:


I think that may be what is going on in my case. I don't know what an "SE"
type entrance cable is, but it looks like there is a fitting at the top of
the meter box where the cable goes in, and there is a nut that appears to
tighten a rubber grommet (sp?) that the cable goes through. Just for kicks,
I globbed a bunch of Ductseal on top of the whole setup at the top of the
meter box (during a rain storm) just in case that would help. The rain
stopped not too long after that, so I don't know if what I did helped in any
way.

You found a way to stop the rain!

Unfortunately, making holes in the bottom of the box
won't solve this, you need to prevent entry.

Since I did try making a hole in the bottom, I ended up figuring out that
didn't work or solve the problem.

I would run a bead of
silicone around the fitting at the top of the box.

I'll definitely do that along with any other sealing that I can think of
around the lid of the box etc.

Also check that the
weatherhead at the top of the service standpipe is not broken or
otherwise exposed to rain.

I'll look again, but so far, from ground level, I don't see anything wrong
higher up.

Attach a mirror, pointing down, to a helium balloon. Then you can see
the top from above. Let me know if this works.

On Sat, 08 Jun 2013 16:34:07 -0500, Unquestionably Confused
wrote:


Until I looked at his pictures, I was about to suggest calling the power
company and asking them to come out and replace the meter - apparently
removed by vandals and left laying on the ground - so that they could
watch television tonight. An open meter can WILL get them moving faster.

Alas, it appears they've converted him to a smart (for them) meter.
Looks like the meter is blanked out so he has no way of reading/checking
his usage.

YOu're right. I thought that was the dryer vent.

"Oops, looks like you left some lights on this month, here's
your bill for 8,700kWh; yeah, we know you generally only use 4,800kWh.
Better take care now!"g

Drill gently, and not far through the sheet metal box.
Don't want to drill into a live wire, and make sparks.
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..
..
"TomR" wrote in message ...


Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small hammer
- just bend (twist) one side of the slug.

Water will drain, if that is the problem.

Or drill a hole (or two).

Yep, I thought of doing that too. But, since I did the knockout trick etc.,
I didn't end up needing to drill a hole.

"TomR" wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
"TomR" wrote:
I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can
help me figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric
meter box so I can look inside and see if water is getting into that
box.

I think that water is getting into the outside meter box and then
running down INSIDE the feed wire from there into my main service
panel in the basement . . . ,

This won't answer your question about getting into the box, but I'll
tell you how I dealt with water that was getting my service cable and
then into my panel.

I found the lowest spot on my service cable after the meter. It was
nothing more than a small dip in the cable. I took a utility knife
and cut a tiny slit in the outside jacket at the bottom of the dip.
Water dripped out slowly for a while then eventually stopped.

I definitely wanted to do that since the idea makes sense to me.
Unfortunately, from the meter down into the service panel is all a downhill
slope of the feed wire. The is no "low spot" or drip loop. If there was, I
would have tried your trick to drain the water out of the line. Instead,
the only "low spot" is inside the main panel where it is dripping out of the
feed cable.

If it's a downhill slope, an opening in the jacket might still let the
water flow out.

Perhaps you could force a drip loop (it wouldn't need much) along the run
to coax the water to flow to the slit.

I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can help me
figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric meter box so I
can look inside and see if water is getting into that box.

I think that water is getting into the outside meter box and then running
down INSIDE the feed wire from there into my main service panel in the
basement (not along the OUTSIDE of the feed wire, and not through the
opening where the feed enters the building). I did try calling the
electric company to get them to open it, but I am not having any luck with
that. And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on,
see if water is leaking into it, etc.

Here are two photos of the electric meter box::
http://tinypic.com/r/dmtwqx/5

http://tinypic.com/r/11jlv8y/5



It is the locking mechanism on the lower right corner of the box that I
think I need to be able to open to take the cover off the box. I don't
need to, or want to, pull the meter etc. -- I just want to look inside to
look for signs of water getting into the meter box and, if so, where the
water is coming in from.


*Try inserting an allen wrench inside of the small hole in the center of the
barrel and turning it. That what they use when I need a lock removed. If
it is too rusted, they cut it off with an angle grinder. Shoot some Liquid
Wrench in there before trying to remove it. One thing though, removal of
the lock could be construed as meter tampering.

You may not see much evidence of water in the meter. The water could be
traveling down the service entrance cable from the top at the weatherhead
and continue down into the basement. Older cloth type service entrance
cable can absorb water and that will also drip down into the electric panel.

Some cures for this are to replace the service entrance cable and
weatherhead, caulk the existing weatherhead, caulk the top of the meter
socket where the cable enters the connector.

TomR wrote:
Oren wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on,
see if water is leaking into it, etc.

The meter box ought to have knock-outs on the bottom.

Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small hammer
- just bend (twist) one side of the slug.

Water will drain, if that is the problem.

Thanks. When I couldn't get the box open, I did try that and I was
surprised to find that no water came out. I did just what you said --
opened the knockout just a little. After nothing came out, I pushed
it back closed so the electric company wouldn't complain.

I also cut the little wire clip at the bottom and I could pry the
door/cover open a little in one corner. I could see that there is no
water in the bottom, and that the way the door/cover is mounted it
looks like any water in the bottom would drip out anyway.

Of course, all of that left me a little confused about what's going
on, but I still want to get the box open to find out.

Keep in mind that the power people like to be the ones to remove and replace the
meter seal. You should be talking with them.

DerbyDad03 wrote:
"TomR" wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
"TomR" wrote:
I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can
help me figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric
meter box so I can look inside and see if water is getting into
that box.

I think that water is getting into the outside meter box and then
running down INSIDE the feed wire from there into my main service
panel in the basement . . . ,

This won't answer your question about getting into the box, but I'll
tell you how I dealt with water that was getting my service cable
and then into my panel.

I found the lowest spot on my service cable after the meter. It was
nothing more than a small dip in the cable. I took a utility knife
and cut a tiny slit in the outside jacket at the bottom of the dip.
Water dripped out slowly for a while then eventually stopped.

I definitely wanted to do that since the idea makes sense to me.
Unfortunately, from the meter down into the service panel is all a
downhill slope of the feed wire. The is no "low spot" or drip loop.
If there was, I would have tried your trick to drain the water out
of the line. Instead, the only "low spot" is inside the main panel
where it is dripping out of the feed cable.

If it's a downhill slope, an opening in the jacket might still let the
water flow out.

I did think about that, and I guess it is still a possibility as I think
more about it. I knew I couldn't/shouldn't do that on the outside of the
house because that could give rain water a new way to get inside the feed
wire. The only other place would be the two feet or so inside the house
from where it enters the house to the top of the main service panel. It
would have to be in a part of the run that is not above the main panel so it
wouldn't drip onto the panel -- and that location is pretty hard to get to.
I'm sure I'll want to try other options first, since keeping the water from
getting inside the feed wire in the first place would be the best solution.

But, if I do end up trying this, maybe I could put a tiny slit along the
bottom and put a small piece of cloth tape (or tie a small piece of cloth)
there to cause the water to drip there and not run down the outside of the
feed and into the main panel. Or, maybe do the slit idea and wrap a little
Ductseal around the feed below that point to create a drip point.

I do know all of the above is a little hokey to do or try, and I think that
finding the source of the problem would be better. But, while it was
pouring rain outside and the problem was active and dangerous, and I
couldn't get the utility company to come out there, doing one of the above
tricks may have worked or helped -- at least temporarily.

Perhaps you could force a drip loop (it wouldn't need much) along the
run to coax the water to flow to the slit.

I did look when the problem was happening, as well as afterward, and there
just is zero slack or ability to create a drip loop in the line itself. I
wish I could have done that, and if I could, that probably would have been
one of the first things I did.

I appreciate the suggestions.

John Grabowski wrote:
I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can
help me figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric
meter box so I can look inside and see if water is getting into that
box. I think that water is getting into the outside meter box . . . ,

It is the locking mechanism on the lower right corner of the box
that I think I need to be able to open to take the cover off the
box. I don't need to, or want to, pull the meter etc. -- I just
want to look inside to look for signs of water getting into the
meter box and, if so, where the water is coming in from.

*Try inserting an allen wrench inside of the small hole in the center
of the barrel and turning it. That what they use when I need a lock
removed. If it is too rusted, they cut it off with an angle grinder.
Shoot some Liquid Wrench in there before trying to remove it. One
thing though, removal of the lock could be construed as meter
tampering.

Just out of curiosity, I'll probably try that in the next day or two. I
don't have small allen wrenches (I have them, but can't find them), but a
friend has them and I'll borrow his and see what happens.

Before posting my original post, I did some searches online and found one
YouTube video that looked like a possibility:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXz0H5D6jEc .

That actually doesn't look like what I have, but it gave me the idea to try
pushing something in to try to "spread the pin apart" (if there is one,
which I doubt). That didn't work.

You may not see much evidence of water in the meter. The water could
be traveling down the service entrance cable from the top at the
weatherhead and continue down into the basement. Older cloth type
service entrance cable can absorb water and that will also drip down
into the electric panel.

My service entrance cable is newer and is plastic, not cloth, and looks like
it is in perfect condition. I'll look more up top (from the ground, since I
am not going up there) to see if I see any possible problem areas up there.

Some cures for this are to replace the service entrance cable and
weatherhead, caulk the existing weatherhead, caulk the top of the
meter socket where the cable enters the connector.

I am going to do all of the "caulk the top of the meter socket where the
cable enters the connector" stuff, and related caulking in and around the
meter box, today. It would be great if that solves the problem, but I'll
have to wait for more rain to know for sure.

On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 22:17:27 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

Oren wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on,
see if water is leaking into it, etc.

The meter box ought to have knock-outs on the bottom.

Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small hammer
- just bend (twist) one side of the slug.

Water will drain, if that is the problem.

Thanks. When I couldn't get the box open, I did try that and I was
surprised to find that no water came out. I did just what you said --
opened the knockout just a little. After nothing came out, I pushed it back
closed so the electric company wouldn't complain.

I also cut the little wire clip at the bottom and I could pry the door/cover
open a little in one corner. I could see that there is no water in the
bottom, and that the way the door/cover is mounted it looks like any water
in the bottom would drip out anyway.

Of course, all of that left me a little confused about what's going on, but
I still want to get the box open to find out.


Just thinkin' out loud. If the power head mast is through the roof,
I'd check the flashing on the roof - ensure it is sealed.

On 6/9/2013 10:49 AM, TomR wrote:
John Grabowski wrote:
I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can
help me figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric
meter box so I can look inside and see if water is getting into that
box. I think that water is getting into the outside meter box . . . ,

It is the locking mechanism on the lower right corner of the box
that I think I need to be able to open to take the cover off the
box. I don't need to, or want to, pull the meter etc. -- I just
want to look inside to look for signs of water getting into the
meter box and, if so, where the water is coming in from.

*Try inserting an allen wrench inside of the small hole in the center
of the barrel and turning it. That what they use when I need a lock
removed. If it is too rusted, they cut it off with an angle grinder.
Shoot some Liquid Wrench in there before trying to remove it. One
thing though, removal of the lock could be construed as meter
tampering.

Just out of curiosity, I'll probably try that in the next day or two. I
don't have small allen wrenches (I have them, but can't find them), but a
friend has them and I'll borrow his and see what happens.

Before posting my original post, I did some searches online and found one
YouTube video that looked like a possibility:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXz0H5D6jEc .

That actually doesn't look like what I have, but it gave me the idea to try
pushing something in to try to "spread the pin apart" (if there is one,
which I doubt). That didn't work.

You may not see much evidence of water in the meter. The water could
be traveling down the service entrance cable from the top at the
weatherhead and continue down into the basement. Older cloth type
service entrance cable can absorb water and that will also drip down
into the electric panel.

My service entrance cable is newer and is plastic, not cloth, and looks like
it is in perfect condition. I'll look more up top (from the ground, since I
am not going up there) to see if I see any possible problem areas up there.

Some cures for this are to replace the service entrance cable and
weatherhead, caulk the existing weatherhead, caulk the top of the
meter socket where the cable enters the connector.

I am going to do all of the "caulk the top of the meter socket where the
cable enters the connector" stuff, and related caulking in and around the
meter box, today. It would be great if that solves the problem, but I'll
have to wait for more rain to know for sure.


There are some cray-zee futher muckers out there making illegal power
hookups for a price and getting themselves prison terms when they're
caught. Guess where it happens a lot? ^_^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-4cSLH1DEA

TDD

On 6/9/2013 3:17 PM, The Daring Dufas wrote:



There are some cray-zee futher muckers out there making illegal power
hookups for a price and getting themselves prison terms when they're
caught. Guess where it happens a lot? ^_^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-4cSLH1DEA

TDD


....and there are some homeowners that don't put up with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWi54WtEwBU

It's the 2 legged dogs you have to worry about.

Oren wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 22:17:27 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

Oren wrote:
On Sat, 8 Jun 2013 16:16:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:

And, I do need to look inside the meter box to see what's going on,
see if water is leaking into it, etc.

The meter box ought to have knock-outs on the bottom.

Punch one up , without knocking is out complexly. Punch, small
hammer - just bend (twist) one side of the slug.

Water will drain, if that is the problem.

Thanks. When I couldn't get the box open, I did try that and I was
surprised to find that no water came out. I did just what you said
-- opened the knockout just a little. After nothing came out, I
pushed it back closed so the electric company wouldn't complain.

I also cut the little wire clip at the bottom and I could pry the
door/cover open a little in one corner. I could see that there is
no water in the bottom, and that the way the door/cover is mounted
it looks like any water in the bottom would drip out anyway.

Of course, all of that left me a little confused about what's going
on, but I still want to get the box open to find out.

Just thinkin' out loud. If the power head mast is through the roof,
I'd check the flashing on the roof - ensure it is sealed.

Thanks. No, mine does not go through the roof -- it's on the side of the
house.

On 6/9/2013 5:57 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On 6/9/2013 3:17 PM, The Daring Dufas wrote:



There are some cray-zee futher muckers out there making illegal power
hookups for a price and getting themselves prison terms when they're
caught. Guess where it happens a lot? ^_^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-4cSLH1DEA

TDD


...and there are some homeowners that don't put up with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWi54WtEwBU

It's the 2 legged dogs you have to worry about.

If I were on the jury, I would explain "jury nullification" to my fellow
jurors and convince them to set the hero free. ^_^

TDD

TomR wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
"TomR" wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
"TomR" wrote:
I'll spare everyone the details, but my question is if anyone can
help me figure out a way to open the lock on an outside electric
meter box so I can look inside and see if water is getting into
that box.

I think that water is getting into the outside meter box and then
running down INSIDE the feed wire from there into my main service
panel in the basement . . . ,

This won't answer your question about getting into the box, but
I'll tell you how I dealt with water that was getting my service
cable and then into my panel.

I found the lowest spot on my service cable after the meter. It was
nothing more than a small dip in the cable. I took a utility knife
and cut a tiny slit in the outside jacket at the bottom of the dip.
Water dripped out slowly for a while then eventually stopped.

I definitely wanted to do that since the idea makes sense to me.
Unfortunately, from the meter down into the service panel is all a
downhill slope of the feed wire. The is no "low spot" or drip loop.
If there was, I would have tried your trick to drain the water out
of the line. Instead, the only "low spot" is inside the main panel
where it is dripping out of the feed cable.

If it's a downhill slope, an opening in the jacket might still let
the water flow out.

I did think about that, and I guess it is still a possibility as I
think more about it. I knew I couldn't/shouldn't do that on the
outside of the house because that could give rain water a new way to
get inside the feed wire. The only other place would be the two feet
or so inside the house from where it enters the house to the top of
the main service panel. It would have to be in a part of the run
that is not above the main panel so it wouldn't drip onto the panel
-- and that location is pretty hard to get to. I'm sure I'll want to
try other options first, since keeping the water from getting inside
the feed wire in the first place would be the best solution.
But, if I do end up trying this, maybe I could put a tiny slit along
the bottom and put a small piece of cloth tape (or tie a small piece
of cloth) there to cause the water to drip there and not run down the
outside of the feed and into the main panel. Or, maybe do the slit
idea and wrap a little Ductseal around the feed below that point to
create a drip point.
I do know all of the above is a little hokey to do or try, and I
think that finding the source of the problem would be better. But,
while it was pouring rain outside and the problem was active and
dangerous, and I couldn't get the utility company to come out there,
doing one of the above tricks may have worked or helped -- at least
temporarily.
Perhaps you could force a drip loop (it wouldn't need much) along the
run to coax the water to flow to the slit.

I did look when the problem was happening, as well as afterward, and
there just is zero slack or ability to create a drip loop in the line
itself. . . . ,

Okay, I looked again today, and it turns out that there is about a 2-foot
horizontal run of the service cable from where it comes into the house to
the top of the main service panel. I tried pulling down on that run in the
middle and I was able to get it to bow down just a little in the middle of
that run. So, I did that, and I went a head and put a tiny slit in the
insulation in the bottom of the bow. I did it as a "just-in-case-it-helps"
maneuver thinking that maybe that will create a new drip point before the
main service panel if I don't get the real cause of the problem solved.

Meanwhile, I caulked the heck out of the top and sides of the meter box and
all of the entrance fittings on top etc. using clear 100% silicone caulk.
The next time we have a heavy rain, I'll see if any of these ideas worked.