What is this thing do?

[bad_idea]

My neighbor said she had a weird electrical issue. My first thought was to check the fuse panel for bugs and possible loose wire on the breaker or corrosion on the breaker. I pulled the panel cover and found this:

So I walked outside and saw this:

It appears the widget stuck on the side of the meter is wired inline to the breaker in the first two pictures. I am not 100% sure, but I think it is. It turns out her issue was a bad outlet, no issue there. It appears this widget has been wired in since she bought the house around 15 years ago. What is the widget stuck to the side of the meter? Is it legal to wire nut wires inside of a fuse panel?

 

[JohnKal]

What's a widget?

 

[EOC_Jason]

Please say that is not a wire going from one breaker to another?

I did some googling and I think it is a remote load control device. i.e. the POCO can cut the power to whatever is wired through it, like the A/C, Pool Pump, whatever, when they need to reduce power consumption...

Regency Technologies, Inc. produces very high frequency (VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) radio switches to control air conditioners, water heaters, pool pumps, heat strips, capacitor banks, and irrigation pumps in the field. It offers LMR series radio switch, a VHF and UHF FM radio load management receiver switch.....

It specializes in the electric utility load control or load management market. The company serves electric utility residential customers, as well as commercial and industrial customers of the utility. Regency Technologies, Inc. was incorporated in 1998.

Does your neighbor have a pool?

 

[brewchief]

Looks like the radio activated devices that are used in our area for A/C load shedding, ours are 24v and use a separate meter but i expect that it is doing the same thing. What breaker was it hooked to?

 

[Mustang51js]

Could be a surge protector also

 

[1953mercury]

Yes, you can use wire nuts in a panel. Not that you see it often. Mike

 

[bad_idea]

It was a 220v breaker. The device is wired in series to the breaker. I am unsure what the breaker is for, I forgot to check. It makes sense for it to be a remote load shedding device though. I would put money on the breaker being for the A/C. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Zeke]

More like a relay. I don't think you would have a breaker in line with a breaker.

 

[Speedy Petey]

I did some googling and I think it is a remote load control device. i.e. the POCO can cut the power to whatever is wired through it, like the A/C, Pool Pump, whatever, when they need to reduce power consumption...

It's this.

Many condos have these devices.

 

[Rookie2]

Some small power companies require those to shed load during peak demand (dinner time) when everyone in their area are cooking ,showering (water heater) , or hot days (A/C) at one time. If they are forced to buy power at peak demand times from other suppliers then they pay a premium and have to raise your rates.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Its a load shedding device for AC. PoCo here in town offers them and gives u a monthly credit for using it. They say that they only turn the load off 10mins for every hour when needed!

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Those things were big here in NJ back in the late 80's to early 90s. I can't count the number of service calls I went to for "no cooling" and found one of those boxes on the condensing unit. Whatever power companies that were pushing them would just shut them down anytime the demand was high, which, of course is when it's hot & people are using their A/C. Customers used to ask me to remove it. Unfortunately, we legally couldn't. They had to be removed by the power company that provided it.

Tommy

 

[BFBOB]

What's a widget?

A thang with an extra syllable.