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Steven Brooks

Hello all,

Can anybody tell me how an electricity meter works? And also what would happen if instead of using the ground wire that comes from the pole you used as ground a wire driven to the ground in the house?

Thanks in advance,
Steven
 
Hello all,

Can anybody tell me how an electricity meter works? And also what would happen if instead of using the ground wire that comes from the pole you used as ground a wire driven to the ground in the house?

Thanks in advance,
Steven


Hello Steven :thinking2:

Well, I've been doing this job for years and spent a while at college along the way, and still don't fully understand it, so if someone can concisely answer that question I will be impressed!

It's a bit too vague a question really. You'd need to have a lecture on a number of things that would need to be understood before the answer would make sense...?

Are you a sparky?

As for the meter workings ....no idea
 
More to the point, what are you wanting to buy or sell? This is the 'for Sale and Wanted' area!
 
Moved to general electrical forum.

Can anybody tell me how an electricity meter works?

It measures the amount of energy being consumed on the premises it is supplying and displays it usually as kilowatt-hours for domestic consumption at least. Electricity in a wire is similar to water in a pipe insomuch that there's an actual flow of electrons in the wire which varies depending how much 'work' is being done. This flow can be measured and obviously billed and paid for.

what would happen if instead of using the ground wire that comes from the pole you used as ground a wire driven to the ground in the house?
There are electrical systems that use only a local earth (ground) rod and don't have an earth coming in with the supply cable. Some systems use both a local rod and also an earth from the incoming supply cable and there's also installations that don't have a local rod, just the supply cable earth. Any of the three options is fine as long as it's correctly installed.
 
I reckon he's fishing for how to avoid paying for electric.

Hmmm, I hope not but rereading the opening post I can see why you might think that.

Just to be absolutely clear, the grounding or earthing of an installation has nothing to do with the metering system....and vice versa.

The grounding or earthing system is there to protect the user, if you tamper with it you are likely to cause injury or death. Leave the earthing system alone.
 
sounds like he is from the states as he said ground and not earth plus a meter measures the rate of flow of electricity

Noticed a lot of British kids use the term "Mom" now instead of "Mum", so could be from this side of the pond.
I was intrigued a while back as to what impact all the American TV programs were having on British kids, so I asked several of those I taught to hum our national Anthem....
You guessed it, most of them hummed The Star Spangled Banner !
 
He's from South Asia, not USA. I'm wondering if he's meaning the neutral when he refers to the 'ground wire'.
 
Noticed a lot of British kids use the term "Mom" now instead of "Mum", so could be from this side of the pond.
I was intrigued a while back as to what impact all the American TV programs were having on British kids, so I asked several of those I taught to hum our national Anthem....
You guessed it, most of them hummed The Star Spangled Banner !

No wonder it sounded like the spangled whatsit
Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau sounds much better with vocals than being hummed :nono:;)
 
I presume the OP is asking how a traditional electricity meter works:

The traditional and most common type of electric meter is effectively an induction motor that drives a series of geared wheels connected to indicators on the meter's face. This type of meter is designed for use with alternating current. It contains two electromagnets and an aluminium disk that is free to rotate between them. The voltage coil consumes a small and relatively constant amount of power, typically around 2 watts which is not registered on the meter. The current coil similarly consumes a small amount of power in proportion to the square of the current flowing through it, typically up to a couple of watts at full load, which is registered on the meter. The interaction of the magnetic fields produced by the coils induce eddy currents in the disk producing a force proportional to instantaneous voltage and current in the coils and that force causes the disc to rotate. Two permanent magnets near the disk's edge act as a brake on the disk in such a way that the speed of rotation is proportional to the amount of current drawn. As the disk rotates, it turns a series of gear wheels connected to the analogue 'clock' dials on the meter's face that indicate the cumulative amount of electricity consumed in kWh.
The traditional meters are being phased out in favour of more accurate digital electronic meters, in addition to measuring the energy used, electronic meters can also record other parameters of the load and supply such as maximum demand, power factor and reactive power used, and which have the ability to log usage at different times of the day. In the latest smart meter form it is able to communicate this information, via signals impressed on the power line, in real time, to the electricity supplier.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I presume the OP is asking how a traditional electricity meter works:

The traditional and most common type of electric meter is effectively an induction motor that drives a series of geared wheels connected to indicators on the meter's face. This type of meter is designed for use with alternating current. It contains two electromagnets and an aluminium disk that is free to rotate between them. The voltage coil consumes a small and relatively constant amount of power, typically around 2 watts which is not registered on the meter. The current coil similarly consumes a small amount of power in proportion to the square of the current flowing through it, typically up to a couple of watts at full load, which is registered on the meter. The interaction of the magnetic fields produced by the coils induce eddy currents in the disk producing a force proportional to instantaneous voltage and current in the coils and that force causes the disc to rotate. Two permanent magnets near the disk's edge act as a brake on the disk in such a way that the speed of rotation is proportional to the amount of current drawn. As the disk rotates, it turns a series of gear wheels connected to the analogue 'clock' dials on the meter's face that indicate the cumulative amount of electricity consumed in kWh.
The traditional meters are being phased out in favour of more accurate digital electronic meters, in addition to measuring the energy used, electronic meters can also record other parameters of the load and supply such as maximum demand, power factor and reactive power used, and which have the ability to log usage at different times of the day. In the latest smart meter form it is able to communicate this information, via signals impressed on the power line, in real time, to the electricity supplier.

It's too early for long winded answers like that. I'm guessing you haven't been to bed yet whereas I'm just getting up :(

Good answer, I was just gonna reply "eddy currents" and leave it at that lol
 
I presume the OP is asking how a traditional electricity meter works:

The traditional and most common type of electric meter is effectively an induction motor that drives a series of geared wheels connected to indicators on the meter's face. This type of meter is designed for use with alternating current. It contains two electromagnets and an aluminium disk that is free to rotate between them. The voltage coil consumes a small and relatively constant amount of power, typically around 2 watts which is not registered on the meter. The current coil similarly consumes a small amount of power in proportion to the square of the current flowing through it, typically up to a couple of watts at full load, which is registered on the meter. The interaction of the magnetic fields produced by the coils induce eddy currents in the disk producing a force proportional to instantaneous voltage and current in the coils and that force causes the disc to rotate. Two permanent magnets near the disk's edge act as a brake on the disk in such a way that the speed of rotation is proportional to the amount of current drawn. As the disk rotates, it turns a series of gear wheels connected to the analogue 'clock' dials on the meter's face that indicate the cumulative amount of electricity consumed in kWh.
The traditional meters are being phased out in favour of more accurate digital electronic meters, in addition to measuring the energy used, electronic meters can also record other parameters of the load and supply such as maximum demand, power factor and reactive power used, and which have the ability to log usage at different times of the day. In the latest smart meter form it is able to communicate this information, via signals impressed on the power line, in real time, to the electricity supplier.

And once they add the cctv cameras to every household, their mission will be complete....
 
I presume the OP is asking how a traditional electricity meter works:

The traditional and most common type of electric meter is effectively an induction motor that drives a series of geared wheels connected to indicators on the meter's face. This type of meter is designed for use with alternating current. It contains two electromagnets and an aluminium disk that is free to rotate between them. The voltage coil consumes a small and relatively constant amount of power, typically around 2 watts which is not registered on the meter. The current coil similarly consumes a small amount of power in proportion to the square of the current flowing through it, typically up to a couple of watts at full load, which is registered on the meter. The interaction of the magnetic fields produced by the coils induce eddy currents in the disk producing a force proportional to instantaneous voltage and current in the coils and that force causes the disc to rotate. Two permanent magnets near the disk's edge act as a brake on the disk in such a way that the speed of rotation is proportional to the amount of current drawn. As the disk rotates, it turns a series of gear wheels connected to the analogue 'clock' dials on the meter's face that indicate the cumulative amount of electricity consumed in kWh.
The traditional meters are being phased out in favour of more accurate digital electronic meters, in addition to measuring the energy used, electronic meters can also record other parameters of the load and supply such as maximum demand, power factor and reactive power used, and which have the ability to log usage at different times of the day. In the latest smart meter form it is able to communicate this information, via signals impressed on the power line, in real time, to the electricity supplier.

Very impressive Markie ........ now can you tell us how to make them go backwards ?? :uhoh2:
 

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