If you remember last year we featured an example of someone bypassing an electrical meter. Click here for that post. Samuel Hittle from Wichita Fire recently ran into the same thing. They responded to a cooking fire in a home that “supposedly†did not have power.
The on-scene Safety Officer Capt. Wenzel quickly realized the irony of that statement. He alerted command, and since the circuit at the meter appeared to open, began looking for extension cords from other structures or other signs of the source of the utilities.
A look behind the cover of the meter shows us what’s really going on. The bypass wires are the red and black wires ran on the sides. These wires are covered by the front cover of the meter box, making it very difficult to see them with the cover in place. It’s also worth mentioning that the occupants had even gone to the trouble of placing the lock out tag back on the assembly, now that’s classy!
That person must be really crafty…Or had a key..
That looks like a barrell lock on the top right side and those arnt defeated easily.. they typically put them on rentals and deadbeats homes…
Stay safe.
D Beck
If wasnt for low class, we’d have no class!
Just ran into this at a fire yesterday. The homeowner was an electrician and also a “licensed” marijuana grower in our fair city. He had run his home electrical through the meter, but jumped around the meter to run his growing operation. The PG&E guys were pretty impressed. He had even had the meter inspected and sealed by PG&E.