Hi,
I've just bought a house where the external gas and electric meter boxes
are vandalised, smashed and detached from the wall. As these two white
plastic boxes are close to each other, I'm thinking of building a brick
housing with a steel door and padlock. That way, I guess it will be (a)
more or less vandal-proof, and (b) better, because a potential burglar
won't be able to easily turn off the juice to my security system before
burgling the place.

Can anyone see any problems with this? Will the electric board and gas
board meter reading guys have any problem with having to ring my doorbell
in order to get the meter-housing door unlocked?

The steel door seems like tricky part of this project. A job for the local
blacksmith, perhaps?

Thanks,

Alan

On 19 Mar, 14:26, Al 1953 wrote:
Hi,
I've just bought a house where the external gas and electric meter boxes
are vandalised, smashed and detached from the wall. As these two white
plastic boxes are close to each other, I'm thinking of building a brick
housing with a steel door and padlock. That way, I guess it will be (a)
more or less vandal-proof, and (b) better, because a potential burglar
won't be able to easily turn off the juice to my security system before
burgling the place.

Can anyone see any problems with this? Will the electric board and gas
board meter reading guys have any problem with having to ring my doorbell
in order to get the meter-housing door unlocked?

The steel door seems like tricky part of this project. A job for the local
blacksmith, perhaps?

Thanks,

Alan

Hi
any of these any use http://www.meterboxes.co.uk/content/...eID=2&CatID=28

Allan

In article , Al 1953
writes
Hi,
I've just bought a house where the external gas and electric meter boxes
are vandalised, smashed and detached from the wall. As these two white
plastic boxes are close to each other, I'm thinking of building a brick
housing with a steel door and padlock. That way, I guess it will be (a)
more or less vandal-proof, and (b) better, because a potential burglar
won't be able to easily turn off the juice to my security system before
burgling the place.

Can anyone see any problems with this? Will the electric board and gas
board meter reading guys have any problem with having to ring my doorbell
in order to get the meter-housing door unlocked?

The steel door seems like tricky part of this project. A job for the local
blacksmith, perhaps?

I don't think you really need a steel door, you can go a long way to
getting the same strength by making a beefy wooden door and frame, and
capping both in thin steel sheet/strip which could be folded over the
edge if you want it to resist being screwdrivered/jemmied open.

You might want to have a central divider between the gas & elec side
with 2 small doors meeting in the middle. A single cheapo BS standard 5
lever deadlock lock (12quid) could provide the secure locking mechanism
for both doors. If you have a triangular cam lock fitted too then you
could agree to leave the doors unlocked if the meter readers need access
(but don't expect much in the way on ingenuity).

Loads more ideas on this, post back if you're interested.
--
fred
BBC3, ITV2/3/4, channels going to the DOGs

Al 1953 wrote:
Hi,
I've just bought a house where the external gas and electric meter
boxes are vandalised, smashed and detached from the wall.

Sorry to hijack your thread, but last week I was working outside a house
where a new boiler had obviously been located in the loft. A 22mm copper
gas pipe went along the outside wall for a good 15' then went upwards.

This was the wall next to the drive, so a vehicle could easily have damaged
it. Is this in accordance with the regs? Seems like an accident waiting to
happen to me. Better if it went upwards first, then along - although that
would have been harder to install.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Al 1953 wrote:

Can anyone see any problems with this? Will the electric board and gas
board meter reading guys have any problem with having to ring my doorbell
in order to get the meter-housing door unlocked?

ISTR someone posting here about a related issue not long ago; the
utility co were refusing to install an external meter cupboard behind a
side gate or something, although it was the obvious location from a
plumbing viewpoint, preferring instead to route gas pipes all round the
propert in order to have the meter cupboard accessible from the street?

So obviously they don't like inaccessible cupboards, but I don't know if
that extends to having the access restricted *after* the meter cupboard
has been fitted?

David

fred wrote in :

I don't think you really need a steel door, you can go a long way to
getting the same strength by making a beefy wooden door and frame, and
capping both in thin steel sheet/strip which could be folded over the
edge if you want it to resist being screwdrivered/jemmied open.

You might want to have a central divider between the gas & elec side
with 2 small doors meeting in the middle. A single cheapo BS standard
5 lever deadlock lock (12quid) could provide the secure locking
mechanism for both doors. If you have a triangular cam lock fitted too
then you could agree to leave the doors unlocked if the meter readers
need access (but don't expect much in the way on ingenuity).

Loads more ideas on this, post back if you're interested.

Perhaps you are right that I could achieve a good level of security with a
solid wooden door. It does seem important to make the housing tamper-proof,
because switching off my power supply would also switch off my security
system, and my security system is very important., i.e., I'm actually
*expecting* a burglary attempt sooner or later...

Trouble is, the meter is located in a secluded driveway. It seems Achilles
heel, security-wise. Perhaps I'd be better off just getting the electric
board to bove the meter inside the house. There seems to be enough of the
armoured cable above the ground to make this possible without much
difficulty. Anyone know what they'd charge for that job?

Alan

Allan Mac wrote in
:

Hi
any of these any use
http://www.meterboxes.co.uk/content/...ions.asp?TypeI
D=2&CatID=28

None of them look terribly secure to me. To me, they all look as though
they might be jemmyable. Thanks, though.

Alan

On Mar 19, 2:26*pm, Al 1953 wrote:
Hi,
I've just bought a house where the external gas and electric meter boxes
are vandalised, smashed and detached from the wall. As these two white
plastic boxes are close to each other, I'm thinking of building a brick
housing with a steel door and padlock. That way, I guess it will be (a)
more or less vandal-proof, and (b) better, because a potential burglar
won't be able to easily turn off the juice to my security system before
burgling the place.

Can anyone see any problems with this? Will the electric board and gas
board meter reading guys have any problem with having to ring my doorbell
in order to get the meter-housing door unlocked?

The steel door seems like tricky part of this project. A job for the local
blacksmith, perhaps?

Thanks,

Alan


Why not ask the supplier anonymously. I suspect they'd object on both
counts, moving it inside or securing it.


NT

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
om...
Al 1953 wrote:
Hi,
I've just bought a house where the external gas and electric meter
boxes are vandalised, smashed and detached from the wall.

Sorry to hijack your thread, but last week I was working outside a house
where a new boiler had obviously been located in the loft. A 22mm copper
gas pipe went along the outside wall for a good 15' then went upwards.

This was the wall next to the drive, so a vehicle could easily have
damaged it. Is this in accordance with the regs? Seems like an accident
waiting to happen to me. Better if it went upwards first, then along -
although that would have been harder to install.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

I am still waiting for the girlfriend to knock the gas meter off her wall as
it is sticks out onto her driveway.

Adam

In article , Al 1953
writes
fred wrote in :

I don't think you really need a steel door, you can go a long way to
getting the same strength by making a beefy wooden door and frame, and
capping both in thin steel sheet/strip which could be folded over the
edge if you want it to resist being screwdrivered/jemmied open.

You might want to have a central divider between the gas & elec side
with 2 small doors meeting in the middle. A single cheapo BS standard
5 lever deadlock lock (12quid) could provide the secure locking
mechanism for both doors. If you have a triangular cam lock fitted too
then you could agree to leave the doors unlocked if the meter readers
need access (but don't expect much in the way on ingenuity).

Loads more ideas on this, post back if you're interested.

Perhaps you are right that I could achieve a good level of security with a
solid wooden door. It does seem important to make the housing tamper-proof,
because switching off my power supply would also switch off my security
system, and my security system is very important., i.e., I'm actually
*expecting* a burglary attempt sooner or later...

Trouble is, the meter is located in a secluded driveway. It seems Achilles
heel, security-wise. Perhaps I'd be better off just getting the electric
board to bove the meter inside the house. There seems to be enough of the
armoured cable above the ground to make this possible without much
difficulty. Anyone know what they'd charge for that job?

Your choice of course but I reckon I could build something like that
that would take as much time to get into as the house itself. Also,
anything critical that I do in that sort of line has layered security,
outer shell and door(s) alarmed then more secure inside that so that it
would be a significant time before that was overcome, all while a
response is being called for. With layered and battery backed up
security and diallers to alert the outside world I don't see how losing
power eventually is that big a deal.
--
fred
BBC3, ITV2/3/4, channels going to the DOGs

On Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:26:56 +0000, Al 1953 wrote:

Hi,
I've just bought a house where the external gas and electric meter boxes
are vandalised, smashed and detached from the wall. As these two white
plastic boxes are close to each other, I'm thinking of building a brick
housing with a steel door and padlock. That way, I guess it will be (a)
more or less vandal-proof, and (b) better, because a potential burglar
won't be able to easily turn off the juice to my security system before
burgling the place.

If the meter box is locked, and with it the emergency control valve, then
you will have to arrange a secondary one (presumably inside the house)
which is readily accessible and properly labelled in case of, er,
emergency.

As for meter readers couldn't you let a window into the door?
Wire-reinforced or laminated glass or whatever. Meter readers usually have
torches. Probably an idea to let them see enough of the meters that they
can see they haven't been tampered with.

And make the door opening large enough for meter changers etc to work
inside the space. (I don't mean climb into it of course: just don't leave
only 10mm clearance round the meters, pipework etc.)

As for juice for your security system aren't you going to have battery
back-up?

--
John Stumbles -- http://yaph.co.uk

The floggings will continue until morale improves

YAPH wrote in :

On Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:26:56 +0000, Al 1953 wrote:

Hi,
I've just bought a house where the external gas and electric meter
boxes are vandalised, smashed and detached from the wall. As these
two white plastic boxes are close to each other, I'm thinking of
building a brick housing with a steel door and padlock. That way, I
guess it will be (a) more or less vandal-proof, and (b) better,
because a potential burglar won't be able to easily turn off the
juice to my security system before burgling the place.

If the meter box is locked, and with it the emergency control valve,
then you will have to arrange a secondary one (presumably inside the
house) which is readily accessible and properly labelled in case of,
er, emergency.

As for meter readers couldn't you let a window into the door?
Wire-reinforced or laminated glass or whatever. Meter readers usually
have torches. Probably an idea to let them see enough of the meters
that they can see they haven't been tampered with.

And make the door opening large enough for meter changers etc to work
inside the space. (I don't mean climb into it of course: just don't
leave only 10mm clearance round the meters, pipework etc.)

As for juice for your security system aren't you going to have battery
back-up?


Thanks for the good suggestions. Battery backup, yes, but not for the
security lights; they need 240 volts.

Al