A first for me

[Hobbit]

In all my years I have never found a power meter in an attic. This meter is fed from a 200amp breaker box on the exterior of the home with heavy gauge wire as would be expected. Looks like it has two circuits running from it, to were I don't know. The home is a 1,300sf vacant foreclosure built in 2012 by a reputable local builder. Any N.E.C. GURU's out there have an opinions or comments?

 

[APEowner]

I have no idea what code has to say bout that but I'd budget for putting that in a less stupid location.

 

[Movover]

In all my years I have never found a power meter in an attic. This meter is fed from a 200amp breaker box on the exterior of the home with heavy gauge wire as would be expected. Looks like it has two circuits running from it, to were I don't know. The home is a 1,300sf vacant foreclosure built in 2012 by a reputable local builder. Any N.E.C. GURU's out there have an opinions or comments?

Maybe it was for the air handlers to monitor usage?

 

[G_P]

Maybe it was for the air handlers to monitor usage?

That would be the only logical explanation. If that was the primary meter, it should also have a very large cable coming out of it that feeds the breaker panel.

 

[G McKay]

Maybe it was for the air handlers to monitor usage?

That's what I was wondering. Now days more and more furnaces and ACs are going into the attic. So, maybe that is why??

 

[LS6 Tommy]

IDK about the code end of it, but the istallation sure doesn't look "right"...

Tommy

 

[Hobbit]

Why monitor at all. These small foam insulated homes have very low electrical bills. It must be for something else.

 

[slice]

Nice foam job, Absolutely a crappy duct work job. Meter for room mates who couldn't divide by 2.

 

[nehog]

It is a remote sensing, (the power sensor is on the side of the house perhaps) remote read (read from a truck on the street) smart meter and they had trouble reading the meter's signal so they got it up high in the attic.

 

[G_P]

Maybe a rental where the landlord pays for heat,AC, hot water? One of the wires coming out of it might go to the water heater.

 

[justsam]

Where is the heavy gauge, 200 Amp capable wire you mention? How is the house fed, I will assume underground, but where is the meter feed to this meter?

It really looks like a temporary install, at least I hope it is! Is there any other meter for the house? Does the one shown feed the main electrical panel?

 

[ADSR]

Mickey duck

 

[Hobbit]

Where is the heavy gauge, 200 Amp capable wire you mention? How is the house fed, I will assume underground, but where is the meter feed to this meter?

It really looks like a temporary install, at least I hope it is! Is there any other meter for the house? Does the one shown feed the main electrical panel?

The meter has a loop to either the meter on the outside or the breaker box and back. The feed & return cables are run in the wall as if it was completed before the foam was installed. The heavy feed wires to the meter are exposed they just didn't show in the photo.

 

[DC73]

I've seen this before. I'm betting it was to monitor AC usage and to compare it with a like built house with traditional insulation. There's very likely another house nearby with traditional insulation, a vented attic and the same meter setup.

DC

 

[CNGsaves]

Some form of . . . . . Sub-Metering . . . . . . ie measuring useage of A/C.

That is old school odometer-style meter . . . cheap and works for Sub-metering.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

It is a remote sensing, (the power sensor is on the side of the house perhaps) remote read (read from a truck on the street) smart meter and they had trouble reading the meter's signal so they got it up high in the attic.

No thats an analog meter. Theres nothing electronic about it. Even if it was a remote read IR meter, it would have an LCD display...

The meter has a loop to either the meter on the outside or the breaker box and back. The feed & return cables are run in the wall as if it was completed before the foam was installed. The heavy feed wires to the meter are exposed they just didn't show in the photo.

What size breakers does it have in it? I dont see any large cable(200a rated)...the orange is 10/3 NM-B and the black is a larger gauge NM-b but wont be larger than #2(100a).....what size breaker feeds this?

 

[Stuart in MN]

Considering the small gauge wire running in and out of the meter, and its proximity to an air handler, I assume the owner is using it to keep track of heat and a/c usage.