electricity meter box

The "Electricity Meter Box" is a special enclosure used for installing the **Electricity Meter** and protecting the incoming power

 lines. Its main functions are to **measure the electricity consumption**, **distribute electrical energy**, and **protect the main 

circuit**. The following are its core information, types, installation methods, and precautions:

 I. Core Functions and Components

 1. Main Functions

   - **Electricity Consumption Metering**: Record the total electricity consumption of households or enterprises through the electricity

 meter for the power company to calculate the fees.

   - **Circuit Protection**: Equipped with a main circuit breaker inside, which will trip automatically in case of overload or short circuit.

   - **Incoming Line Isolation**: Connect the outdoor power lines to the indoor power distribution system to ensure safety.

 2. Component Parts

   - **Electricity Meter**: It can be mechanical (rotating disc type) or electronic (digital display).

   - **Main Circuit Breaker**: Controls the total power supply, and common specifications are **100A, 200A, 400A**.

   - **Wiring Terminals**: Connect the incoming lines (live wire, neutral wire, ground wire) to the indoor circuits.

   - **Enclosure**: The material is **metal** (which needs to be grounded) or **plastic** (flame-retardant), and the protection

 level is IP54 (for outdoor use).

 II. Main Types

 1. Residential Meter Box

   - **Features**:

     - It can be used for single households or multiple households, and the common specifications are **100A - 200A**.

     - It has a single-phase electricity meter installed inside (120V/240V in the United States, 220V in China).

     - The size of the enclosure is approximately **30cm×40cm**, and it is installed on the wall.

   - **Application Scenarios**: Independent houses, apartment units.

 2. Industrial/Commercial Meter Box

   - **Features**:

     - It supports **three-phase electricity** (208V/240V/480V in the United States, 380V in China).

     - It has large current specifications (**above 400A**) and can be equipped with current transformers.

     - The protection level is IP65, which is waterproof and dustproof, suitable for outdoor use.

   - **Application Scenarios**: Factories, shopping malls, office buildings.

 3. Outdoor Meter Box

   - **Features**:

     - The material is **stainless steel** or **reinforced plastic**, which is corrosion-resistant.

     - It is equipped with a **rain shelter** and a **sealing ring** to adapt to harsh weather conditions.

   - **Installation Locations**: On the outer wall of a single-family house, beside the utility poles in public areas.

 4. Smart Meter Box

   - **Features**:

     - It integrates a **smart electricity meter** and supports remote meter reading and time-of-use electricity pricing.

     - It can be optionally equipped with a **communication module** (such as LTE, Zigbee).

   - **Applications**: Smart grids, new energy households (such as solar grid connection).

 III. Installation Specifications (Taking the United States as an Example)

 1. Location Requirements

   - **Height**: The center of the electricity meter should be 1.5 - 2m above the ground for easy reading and operation.

   - **Accessibility**: There should be no obstacles within 0.9m around it, and the personnel of the power company can 

open it directly.

   - **Away from Hazards**: It should be at least ≥30cm away from the gas pipeline and at least ≥1m away from the water

 source (the outdoor box needs to be splash-proof).

 2. Wiring Rules (NEC Standard)

   - **Incoming Lines**:

     - Live Wire (Hot): Black (for single-phase) or black/red/blue (for three-phase).

     - Neutral Wire (Neutral): White, and it needs to be isolated from the ground wire.

     - Ground Wire (Ground): Green or bare wire, connecting the enclosure and the grounding rod.

   - **Main Circuit Breaker**: It must be connected to the incoming line terminal, and the outgoing line should be connected

 to the indoor power distribution panel.

 3. Grounding Requirements

   - The metal enclosure must be **grounded**, and it should be connected to the grounding rod (driven into the ground

 ≥2.4m) through a 4AWG copper wire.

 IV. Safety Precautions

1. **Tamper-proof**:

   - The electricity meter box should be equipped with a **lead seal**, and unauthorized personnel are not allowed to open

 it (as required by the laws in the United States).

2. **Ventilation and Heat Dissipation**:

   - Heat dissipation holes should be reserved on the enclosure, and it is prohibited to stack sundries around it.

3. **Moisture-proof and Waterproof**:

   - Regularly check the sealing ring of the outdoor box to avoid short circuits caused by rainwater infiltration.

4. **Load Matching**:

   - The current of the main circuit breaker should be ≥ the total household load (for example, 200A is suitable for

 high-power devices such as air conditioners and ovens).

 V. Common Problems and Solutions

 VI. Recommended Products (U.S. Market)

1. **Residential Single-phase Meter Boxes**:  

   - **Siemens MLO200C**: With a 200A main circuit breaker and a transparent window for easy reading.  

   - **Square D HOM200M**: 200A, compatible with smart home systems.

2. **Industrial Three-phase Meter Boxes**:  

   - **Eaton 43224**: 400A, IP66 waterproof, equipped with a current transformer.  

   - **GE Industrial IMB3**: Supports 600V three-phase electricity, with an explosion-proof design.

3. **Outdoor Smart Meter Boxes**:  

   - **Landis+Gyr E350**: Smart meter + wireless communication, suitable for solar grid connection.  

   - **Schneider Electric Wiser**: Supports remote monitoring of electricity consumption.

**Note**: The installation of the electricity meter box should be operated by a **certified electrician** and comply with 

local electrical codes (such as Chapter 230 of the NEC in the United States and GB 7251 in China). The power company is

 usually responsible for the installation of the electricity meter, and users are not allowed to disassemble or modify it by themselves! ⚡