Socket type meters, also known as S base meters, are the most common electric meters out there today. What are the characteristics of a socket type meter? Where can they be used? What types of socket type meters are there?
What are the characteristics of a socket type meter?
Socket type meters are characterized most notably by the blades on the back of the meter. The meter baseplate holds all of the metering components. It has blades that come out of the the back of it. These blades plug into a meter socket. Hence the name socket type meter. What must be noted is the fact that the number of blades on the back of the meter varies based on the type of meter it is. This means that there are different meter sockets as well to accommodate the different types of meters.
Socket type meters are easy to install and remove. They just “plug in,” so to speak, just like plugging a cord into a receptacle. Because socket type meters can be plugged in, this means that they can make and break the load. Or, in easier terms, they can be used to turn the power on or off simply by pulling and reinstalling the meter.
Since socket type meters are so easy to install and remove they make it easy to perform maintenance. Many utilities have testing programs where all of the meters are changed-out on a cyclical basis to perform testing.
A socket type meter is usually denoted with an “S” after the form number. For example, a form 2s meter is a socket type meter because of the “S”.
Where can socket type meters be used?
They can be used in all sorts of situations. They can be used to meter residential, commercial and industrial customer. In fact, most homes, at least in the U.S. are utilizing socket type meters today. These types of meters are the go to meter. Socket type meters are also often used as sub meters. They are cheap and easy to install which is what makes them so popular.
What types of socket type meters are there?
The short answer is all of them. There are form 2s meters all the way to form 9s meters with every thing in between. This allows the socket type meter to be used to meter every type of service out there. These meters are also often times fitted with demand registers to allow them to meter demand. And with the electronic registers, these meters are now more capable than ever.