WiremanWireman · Meter base problems: troubleshooting for electricians · 2023 NEC ·
Meter base problems
Burned jaws, water in the socket, a dead or damaged meter, or a lost leg at the meter. What’s yours and what’s the utility’s.
Before you start
How much electrical experience do you have?
This sets how much detail each step shows. You can change it any time.
Showing detail
How it works
The meter socket has line-side jaws fed by the utility and load-side jaws that feed the service-entrance conductors to the main. The meter plugs into both. The utility owns and controls the meter, its seal and everything on the line side, and only the utility (or someone it authorizes) pulls the meter. Who owns the socket itself varies by utility: often the customer buys, installs and maintains it to the utility’s specifications. Loose meter jaws and water entry are the usual failures, and a burned jaw means the meter and socket both need attention.
Every question and answer in this guide. Tap “Step by step” to walk through it.
- What’s wrong at the meter?
- Burn marks, melting or heatTest: Thermal-scan the meter and service
- At the meter or its jawsA burned meter jaw
- At the load lugs or service conductorsA failing load-side termination
- No hot spot, just old marksOld heat damage
- Water, rust or corrosion insideWater getting into the meter socket
- Meter blank, cracked or hanging looseA damaged or failed meter
- Lost a leg or voltage unstableTest: Measure at the line side of the mainExpect: About 120, 120 and 240 V, steady under load.
- A leg missing or unstableLost or unstable leg before the main
- Line side goodThe meter isn’t the problem
- Need it pulled for panel or service workPlanned work needs a meter pull
- Burn marks, melting or heatTest: Thermal-scan the meter and service