A breaker disguised as a meter 

I started off planning on simply showing the breaker meter, thinking it was going to be a 2 minute long video. Then well, 20 minutes later....🤣😁. Also keep in mind everyone... ➡➡Procedures are different depending on where and who you work for. These tasks must also only be preformed by those whom are both certified as well as authorized to do so. Be safe out there everyone and have a great week! 💪👊🍻

Hey man idk if you'll ever see this but I'm studying Lineworking in Colorado and every week part of our homework is to watch a handful of your videos and take a test about them. You've taught me a ton and I just wanted to say thank you! I graduate next month, wish me luck!

As an electrician, I was wondering why most jurisdictions now require ringless type meter boxes, you are the first person I have seen point out how the cover could cause a dangerous situation when putting it on if it slips.

I do hvac and have a serious respect for electricity. You guys have a lot of balls.

You are an a true teacher. Just because someone knows what their field/profession does not mean they can teach it to someone. Great job!👏 👍

I've been binge watching your videos and really enjoying them. You obviously know what you're doing and are a great teacher. My husband is an electrician and I am far from being able to have an intelligent conversation with him, but at least I'll have a clue when he's talking at me. I'm looking forward to learning more from you. Thank you!

Your quick connectors just blew my mind. I'm going to introduce this to my team.

when I was a kid my father thought there was an issue with the meter reading and the utility came out with a special socket adapter - you remove the meter, put this adapter on and then the meter pops into it. It put a fixed load on the meter that then using a stop watch you would time how long it took the black mark on the wheel (this was years ago) to come around and you can verify that the meter was accurate.

Watching this just makes me shake my head... You did everything perfectly! I live part time in Mexico and they don't do any of these safety precautions! I literally watched a guy take the meter out and work with the live wires! With a pair of lineman pliers only! Needless to say, I backed up far away! I can only imagine what would happen if he dead shorted those wires! Love your video! Thanks for posting!

It's nice to know that not all the linemen that work on top, look down on other's ! 👍😉 Really interesting ! Thanks ! Be Safe !

I've been binge watching as well. 28 year electrician, and always had big respect for your end of the job. By the way, here in National Grid NY territory, they have a rigid policy: Main breaker not off, no meter gets installed.. period. I think their logic is also that many meters got installed while a homeowner's stove was left on.. one too many fires happened. They want inf ohms (on a basic Fluke like yours) from L1-L2, L1-N, L2-N. Thanks!... Keep up the great teaching!

Always fascinating to watch these vids as someone who is not in your trade.

You did an excellent job explaining this. I'm a retired Distribution Operations Technician. I've literally done it all in the Power Bidness.. 36 years I fought this battle. Retired 13 years ago. It was a good living, but I don't miss answering the phone everytime the weather was bad. But I still can't sleep when the weather is bad outside... Guess there are some jobs you just don't get over. I am proud to see the 11 towns and Cities grow that I helped build over my years on the job. Stay safe my Brother....

I typically watch DIY car repair videos but this popped up and I watched it. This is such a specialized trade and that is what makes these videos valuable. Very cool channel!

Speaking of catching things with the lawn mower, I was mowing my yard back near the utility pole and ran over one of those fused cutout doors (as Aaron calls them). It was quite a surprise. I didn't see it hiding in the grass. A crew was changing a blown one days earlier and must have dropped one in the grass.

Got out of work early just in time for this one. 9 hours isn’t a bad day.

One thing I have never liked doing is working from a bucket lift. I "had to" a lot of times in the USAF, but I never liked the experience. Much respect to those who can do it every day.

I'm not not an electrical guy, but I always learn something about how people in the trades do things. Thanks Lineman Blogger!

I usually install the temporary electrical services for job sites at my company as we're going to work on. I haven't ever seen a breaker on a meter like that. I think that's a great idea! It would be nice if they made different breaker ratings for the service use.

I have one nearly the same but uses fuses instead of a breaker. Used it for the same purpose, checking temp poles. Nice info video.

“Thorough” is your Middle Name and that’s a Huge Compliment. 👍🙏

Thanks for being so detailed with everything, in doing so, you answer a lot of questions people may have. great job!

As a former semi truck/trailer mechanic, I'm only used to working with 12V systems. I was always curious about the differences (and they are vast) between automotive and household electrical setup and maintenance. These videos are a great learning tool and definitely satisfy my curiosity. Keep them coming!

Just came across your videos. Found one by accident and now watch often. As an inside electrician, I’ve done quite a bit of 13.2 work and worked with our line crew. Awesome videos.

I'm a lineman for an ISP and it's always a treat to watch these. Us telecomm guys have to have someone to look up to. Lol

Much respect for what you do and how well you go about doing it. It takes a person who knows what they're doing and the right way to do it. You're a amazing electrician and deserves the respect due.

I love hearing Canadian professionals talk about their job. They’re so thorough, deliberate and intelligent. ❤

When I sometimes watch these electrical utility related videos I am amazed at the level of the safety procedures employed. Twenty plus years ago I worked as contract "security rider" with the electrical utility in Rochester, New York. The crews that I accompanied worked strictly on the load side. I _never_ saw anyone use insulated gloves, I don't think it was even an option. Ordinary leather was used, and used to directly wrangle bare hots, even _phase-to-phase,_ into place. The connectors used were bare metal as well. They would insert the load into one side and the _live_ feeder into the other. Then they'd use two _uninsulated_ wrenches to tighten up the hardware. Then, holding the _hot_ connector in hand, they'd wrap a few nominal layers of electrical tape around them. Again, this was all done _live_--I _know,_ I occasionally saw _sparks fly_ when there was a load, or a tool _slipped._ I rode with many different guys, they all used the same procedures. I guess things _may_ have changed in twenty years?

Thank you for taking time to teach while you work. You are an amazingly knowledgeable lineman. And your willingness to engage with the public on how its done. In short, (pun intended) your awesome!

I work on local grid in Sweden, not much of the cabling and other materials is the same, but the way we view safety when working seems to be. We use the same typ of clamps on our pole connections on 230/400V, they work great and is very reliable.

Excellent discussion, thank you very much.

Always amazed by how different supplies are there compared with ours.

Ahh yes temp services. I used to work for a contractor that did them for one builder in particular but it was one drop from the utility, one meter, then a panel but we would go back up the pole and pick up strings of temp poles with little 4 circuit panels on em. Nothing but #2 Triplex, " HT-6" ILSCO side by side crimps and C5 ILSCO covers for connections.....

As an electrician myself, I've found these practices very interesting although in Europe we have a different setup! 😊

Hi Aron great video as usuall i like the meter with the breaker built in .I hadent seen this device before so i will speak to our local linemen and tell them about the device Thank for your video !

I've got one of those meter breakers it was left on top of a bail if hay on my property after getting service connected 😂 love free tools and equipment 😂

I’ve seen electrical inspectors here in Halifax use Vaseline on the lugs but mostly now it’s a specific substance (meter grease) like you had in this vid . Awesome vid

i went to overhead lineman school for 3 yrs and theres things you mention alot that i didnt know. thanks again we love and appreciate your hard work and proper safety techniques. May God Bless and safe working out there

It's absolutely incredible how much there is to know about electrical.

Although I'm a surveyor (now retired) by profession and not an electrician, I still like to keep up on it as I was considering becoming an electrician over 40 years ago. That meter socket breaker is a new one to me, for sure. Makes me want to go out and get one just for kicks!

From an industrial spark in the UK, before energizing to ensure there’s no shorts I’d insulation test the circuit - aka Megger test it. The tester I have put’s 500v DC into the circuit (at a maximum of around 0.002A) and gives a reading in mega ohms. This would also show a breakdown in the insulation which isn’t as visible with an ohm meter. Another difference is where I work we have to use test leads with small tips to minimise shorting out. Keep up the great videos 👍

Bobsincline be safe out their and cheers to your publicity and educating others. 🍷

Nice connectors! Makes the job go smoothly

Great video! Im not a line man or electrician, just interested in learning about different stuff. Keep up the good work.

Saw a couple of those come across Government Liquidation site a while back and wondered what they where for, thanks for sharing. Grandpa was a substation Forman and dad was high voltage electrician.

I absolutely love those B-Taps make life so much easier

think i may build a disguise meter.. good tip, money saver for sure, mr sparky told me so

I found your channel by accident and I am so glad I did. I live in ME and have never worked in your field. But my dad was a lineman and was sent to work in NH during the 1947 fires. Very interesting and I plan on watching all your vids Thank you so much.

Nice to see this work from your point of view, thanks for sharing!

That's a neat splice!

Love your videos bud, they always amaze me, I really appreciate all the hard work and effort you go through to provide us. Much love from the UK bud.

Thanks Aaron! Another great story. Stay safe! 👊👊

8:00 my heart kept jumping every time he did that . i do hvac and i know what would happen if he wasnt wearing those gloves

Great video as usual. In post-production, a high-pass filter on the audio set to about 100Hz will reduce the wind noise considerably, and that will let you boost the sound of your voice to a more normal level.

you have my dream job! I have worked many trades shipfitting, pipefitting, general home construction and electrician work at shipyards and for some contracted industrial projects and out of all of them i truly i enjoyed electrical work, running conduit, pulling cable, terminating connections and making everything look nice. sadly i didnt finish high school so im stuck with jobs that dont require certs. but when i do get my act together i wanna try something like this!

Years ago when I was younger working as an electrician for about 6 months one of my coworkers wanted help after work on a side job doing a service change. I remember swapping over live lines to the new mast without so much as gloves 😮

I'm not even a lineman. No serious interest unless my current career tanks. But I find it super interesting and I love this content!

Very interesting video. Thank you for showing us how it's done.

I have something like that (Brooks S-120) but I don't like using it. For a meter turn on, replacement, install, etc. I do it like this on 3-wire services: #1 Start with main breaker open, test voltage from either line side jaw to the meter can. Should get 120V, if it's 0V either the equipment isn't grounded properly or there's a short. If it's 240V there's a short from the other side. #2 Test from neutral to all jaws. Starting top left and working clockwise, you should get 120V, 120V, 0V, 0V. If you get 120V, 0V, 0V, 0V - check to see if this is a 2-wire service, which is the correct wiring (top right and bottom right jaws are neutral). If there are indeed 3 wires coming in, the right side is out. Likewise, 0V, 120V, 0V, 0V the left side is out. 120V on the load side here will usually wind up being somebody stealing power, either with jumpers hidden in the can or from another apartment in a multi-family building, typically connected at the breakers. #3 Test across line side jaws - should get ~240V. If the previous test passed and you get 0V, the service is bridged coming in (same leg energizing both jaws). #4 Test from either line side jaw to both load side jaws. Should get less than ~50V. Any higher than that, there's a short between the load jaws and main breaker OR there's a secondary breaker fed out of that meter can that needs to be opened. If that's the case there will usually be another set of conductors tied into the load jaws - probably not kosher in many areas, but the city does inspections here so as long as it tests clear it's fine with me! If that's not it, you can also test to make sure there's no continuity between the line and load side of the main breaker in the open position. There are some very old circuit breakers that are known to get stuck closed. #5 Test continuity between load side jaws. No continuity = no short between load side conductors. #6 Close the main breaker, test neutral to load side jaws for backfeed. You want to see 0V. #7 Open the main breaker again, pop the meter in, close the breaker. Voila! #4 and #6 are really the crucial tests as far as not blowing anything up goes. This is all exactly the same for a 3-wire network service too, just substitute 208V for 240V above and you're testing from the neutral jaw rather than neutral wire. The only time I'll use the S-120 is for a reconnect if I don't have access to the main breaker, which is rare because most of our stuff is indoors. With the new AMI meters, I can also just use the internal disconnect switch if the breaker isn't accessible when replacing a meter. Very cool video, you just popped up in my recommended for the first time ever. Gonna go watch all the others now!

Very educational. You enjoy your work and it shows. Very refreshing to see pride in your work. You are an exception young man and have a bright future. Thanks for the video.

Please do not apologize. You do real work out in the real world not a studio. Love the videos, love learning.

Man the equipment and tools and parts these guys have are fking awesome! Those suitcase kearney's are kick ass. They even have caps for the 1/0 ends hanging out

I like the meter grease idea. Could be used on other lugs too, like those black insulated low voltage screw blocks in your boat. Seen them turn greenish and the screws corrode slightly. I think it would help those small tinned lugs.

I love my clampmeter, the hook accessoiry is really handy when having my hands full 👍

You gotta have ah set that's gotta be carried in ah wheel Barrow ta do this lol and smart. I'm sweating just watching. Me and electricity do not work. Lol great video. Very informative and educational. Thanks.

Nice to have bucket access. Its all built up where I work & we usually have to hike everything. That being said, voltage & continuity checks, verify open maln & it is the customer/electrician responsibility to close the main. Top side is ours, bottom & beyond belongs to the cusyomer.

That meter breaker is a neat tool. Never seen one of those yet. Do still have a couple of the old wheel meters and a smart meter sitting in garage I plan to dismantle one day to check the workings of them

Excellent video. Really enjoyed this one. Thank you.

Service heads in the UK have an integrated HRC fuse, typically 60A or 100A. Circuit goes something like secondary -> fuse or CB (200/400/600/?A) -> LV distribution -> fuse (60/100A) -> meter -> isolator (optional) -> breaker box. The introduction of isolators has been a nice development as they allow electricians to isolate and LOTO the supply without having to get the distribution network operator (DNO) out to pull the fuse from the service head. Pulling the DNO fuse is risky because the prospective fault current is going to be >660A (max Ze in a PME system being 0.35R), and a 160kW arc is quite a thing.

Thank You so much for great videos that are so informative. You are truly professional and great at explaining what your doing.

Hi Aaron, great content & very thorough as well. 👍🏻👍🏻👊🏻👊🏻 No, I have never seen that “breaker thing” before. We just open the customer main & check our voltage on top to confirm we are good. Then check the customer load side like you did. We leave the customer main in the off position. We don’t mess with that. If there was something bad downstream from that? Their breaker will open. As far as that goop for the meter jaws? We insert the meter in dry. It’s copper on copper anyway. Unless I can’t shut the customer meter off? Then I’ll put some Penetrox on the meter stabs like you did to help prevent arcing. One thing I did notice what we do just a tad different? Some of us will slip an extra meter seal inside the meter can. That’s for the next troubleshooter who might visit down the road? If he cuts the seal & checks inside quickly? He doesn’t have to make an extra trip to the truck to grab another one.

It's fascinating to see this, in Germany it's basically all underground (in cities), France has some more of those overhead lines.

Love it brother. Am a non union electrician trying to become a union linesman. Watching your videos and trying to absorb as much as I can

When I was on the fire dept. We had a structure fire it was a double wide and they had two butter knives glowing red connected to the meter box. I have no idea why who put those knives in wasn’t still there dead by the box but they weren’t. Of all the power coming in shorted out and started a fire. Just seeing this brought that memory back. Thought I’d share

They use them to limit power for accounts behind on payment in some places. Enough to run a fridge and furnace but any more and you have to go outside and reset it. More humane than a total disconnect.

Great job there Young Man 😎 be safe out there also

Really enjoy your safety 1st and then the work. Basic ohms and voltage checks - do all these every day!

We had an issue with a smart meter that cut out 1 pole and our house only got 120 v this was a brand new meter. Some of the lights in the house barely lit, but when the AC cut in the lights got brighter. (AC wouldn't cut in on 120 so it just buzzed). When the power guy removed and installed the meter he put on protective clothing and a special explosive shield over the meter.

Very informative and well presented.

I love your videos you make me so happy. Keep up the good work 👏 ❤❤

I'm a new subscriber , I worked in a UL508A panel shop 20+ years. We tested panels up to 480V , lots of VFD setting up with PLC's in lumber industry plus some TG equipment for mills with their own power. Great video showing the tests needed with a good meter.

Square D is famous for its ability to trip and clear a fault.

very good information you were very thorough my man i have been a linesman for 40 or more yrs.started September 1978 .the breaker meter was tool I had not seen. for years I used a Wiggins meter for the load or dead short test after a visual on everything. last two years i did work in the field we had a load breaker we plugged in like your meter with the built-in it

this was actually very cool to watch! Thank you!

I remember many years ago at first year line school being taught the 9 steps before installing a meter. Can honestly say I have never had a meter blow up when installing it.

The synthetic red contact grease is good stuff!

Nice bucket truck Aaron you are an awesome lineman cheers from Toledo Edison

Ha, I do almost the same indoors, industrial side. I called out the same checks to ground as you did them. Same thing just warmer.

Thank You for sharing so awesome !

Huh. And I usually just twist some wires together, add some tape and call it good. 👍 😉 Very cool showing us how it’s done.

Fascinating I have always been scared of electricity so I have a healthy fear of it and a massive respect for guys like this gentleman and my uncle Karl who was a lineman for a good while. But my fear of heights is making it very difficult to watch certain parts in the bucket 😂. My stomach was flipping all over

Great video! 👍 Thank you.

There have been more than a few times where I got a call for a blank meter display only to find out that Tech before gunked up the meter stabs and socket clips with the anti-oxidant and caused such a bad connection that the meter was not getting enough voltage to light up. Once I cleaned off all the anti-oxidant and applied the proper grease, VIOLA! Meter turns on.

Nice job. I'm pretty old right now so maybe i will choose this job in next life

Our dmm meters are calibrated and tested everyty two years. There is a recall for fluke 87 mark V DMM's with certain serial numbers due to taking too long to show voltages above 500v. Mine was one of those. I got an older tested model. Please be safe and aware. Nice video. In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Fluke Corp., of Everett, Wash., is voluntarily recalling about 40,000 digital multimeters. About 17,200 were sold in the U.S. Multimeters are used to measure voltage, resistance and current. The recalled units can take longer than normal, up to 18 seconds, to display readings of AC voltages above 500 volts. Users can misinterpret the delayed reading to mean that high voltage is not present. If high voltage is present, users could be exposed to a risk of shock, electrocution, and thermal burns

Huh, some good hints and idea on that meter mod. Thanks.

nothing like reusing old temp pedestals over and over Aaron. It wouldn't pass inspections here in Maryland. Looks like spring has finally entered you area. Stay safe!!!! Thanks for showing the Meter with the breaker in it.

For those that may not have a decent amount of experience with multimeters. Using the continuity "beep" isn't a sure way of verifying continuity doesn't exist between two lines. The beep typically hits when there are 40 or less ohms. Though not a complete short circuit, a system that has a soft short (say 50 ohms) would "test good" (no continuity beep) but we all know this would be a big problem. Always check the actual resistance value when verifying no continuity exists. The continuity beep should only be used to verify the existence of conitnuity and not the absence of continuity.

That 'grease' reminded me when we had to install a new 'station battery' at a plant. (60-2V lead acid cells to power control equipment in switchgear). We had a small hot plate and pot of melted, waxy, 'grease'. We dipped the ends of all the interconnecting plates/ cables to coat them just before bolting them together. Conducts electricity and seals out air/ corrosion. (of course, the posts are on top of lead-acid batteries so otherwise they would corrode pretty easily).

Pretty interesting video. Never saw on of those meters before. Thanks.