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electriklady
07-19-2011, 08:21 PM
A couple of weeks ago I had an order to exchange a 3-phase transformer rated meter, old installation.........meter box retro-fitted with a socket adaptor......meter was showing a fatal error.........had to order meter......as it was a special meter for this type of business......Got nosing around the CT cabinet(which was really not a CT cabinet, just a connection box).....in a basement......needed a ladder to open the cabinet(a real beauty of a setup:rolleyes:).......anyways found we had the wrong constant on the meter as the CTs were recorded at 1200:5....when I opened the cabinet found the CTs were 600:5.....anyway supervisor told me today my "catch" made the business that was wrongly metered over $100,000 richer......overbilled! Taught me to always check the CT ratios vs the ratios we have on record.....always do on new installs....seems like maybe I will concentrate a bit more on the "oldie goldies".......kind of made my day!:)

Electriceel
07-19-2011, 08:39 PM
I am hoping that we have all of our mulitiplier mistakes cured, all of our miss wiring mistakes, at this time we double check each other on new installations double check with billing to make sure it is correct.
Then annually we have an outside company come in and check all of our new installations.

Years ago we found a billing error with multi ratio CT's, cost the company over $200,000.00

I myself feel the metering dept. and meter readers are just as important as anyone else, they are the revenue for the company.

electriklady
07-19-2011, 08:48 PM
After a new install....in around 30 days we do an audit........we do not audit our own jobs........we have found no problems with our new installs.......but I am suspect of the "old stuff".........that is one thing I triple check is the CT ratios....on a new install.....

I think after this we will be concentrating more on verifying existing multipliers and wiring......as well as auditing the new installs.

Caught a underbill on a convenience store/Arby's last year that went the companies way.........accurate billing is a must in my eyes.

You sound like the guys I work with......we all work together and respect each others jobs

hotwiretamer
07-19-2011, 09:09 PM
A couple of weeks ago I had an order to exchange a 3-phase transformer rated meter, old installation.........meter box retro-fitted with a socket adaptor......meter was showing a fatal error.........had to order meter......as it was a special meter for this type of business......Got nosing around the CT cabinet(which was really not a CT cabinet, just a connection box).....in a basement......needed a ladder to open the cabinet(a real beauty of a setup:rolleyes:).......anyways found we had the wrong constant on the meter as the CTs were recorded at 1200:5....when I opened the cabinet found the CTs were 600:5.....anyway supervisor told me today my "catch" made the business that was wrongly metered over $100,000 richer......overbilled! Taught me to always check the CT ratios vs the ratios we have on record.....always do on new installs....seems like maybe I will concentrate a bit more on the "oldie goldies".......kind of made my day!:)

Soooo.... did the "business give you a reward?????
I'm sure they were very appreciative of your find!

electriklady
07-19-2011, 09:11 PM
hell no.....I am sure no one told them that a field grunt found the error............I told no one there of my findings.......only the company.:)

hotwiretamer
07-19-2011, 09:15 PM
hell no.....I am sure no one told them that a field grunt found the error............I told no one there of my findings.......only the company.:)

Looks like your boss scored then!

electriklady
07-19-2011, 09:20 PM
:D:Du r probably right HWT........oh well...........I guess I will remain an "undercover superhero";):rolleyes:..............

hotwiretamer
07-19-2011, 09:26 PM
:D:Du r probably right HWT........oh well...........I guess I will remain an "undercover superhero";)

Aren't we all un-sung heroes? I still think you should have at least gotten launch out of the deal! Nice catch, and honestly that business knows better to think the "company" caught that. I'll go ahead and give you that well deserved pat on the back! ;)

electriklady
07-19-2011, 09:51 PM
Aren't we all un-sung heroes? I still think you should have at least gotten launch out of the deal! Nice catch, and honestly that business knows better to think the "company" caught that. I'll go ahead and give you that well deserved pat on the back! ;)




well, I think in our industry pretty much everyone is an unsung hero....the product that we all work with in one way shape or form is something that most people take for granted......it is invisible.......until it is no longer there...then they actually notice that wonderful invisible thing called electricity...cause their lights dont work, the tv is blank, the water doesnt flow( if ya have a wel)l, the ac is silent, the food gets warm.... that is when they think of us and the job we do......we all know what we do in the course of a day.....in whatever job we do.......and I guess we are the only ones that need to know that......A pat on the back from an employee in the same industry I work in is A-ok in my book.....that and my paycheck;) makes it all goodddddddddddddddddd!

wtdoor67
07-20-2011, 06:33 PM
When I worked in wide and wonderful Wy. we had an error similar to that at the Teapot Dome oil field. Incidentally that's the same Teapot Dome that was a scandal years ago in the Harding administration.

To continue my tale. A good Meter man found the error. This is part of the U.S. Navy petroleum reserve and it seemed Uncle Sammy owed PP some back bill in the 6 figure area. The jerk who was in charge of the financial part there in PP was just gonna blow it off. The Meterman held his feet to the fire tho and they billed Uncle Sammy for it. It was paid without quibble.

They ought to give a finders fee on such.

Pootnaigle
07-20-2011, 06:43 PM
Ummmmmmmm Once I found a single phase residential customer that was metered thru doughnut type Cts , Parallell 4/0 urd. But whoever hooked it up had run opposing phases thru each ct. Needless to say it didnt register much. I bleve it had been in service for maybe 2 months.I notified the customer, took a short outage, and rerouted the secondary thru the Cts. I later notified the meter dept and let them deal with the aftermath. I dunno what they did if anything.

Koga
07-21-2011, 12:22 AM
the same electrician that ask me where the nuetral was on the URD we just finished pullin in years ago. Puzzled look on his face when I showed him. Next question was where does it go ? Then he ask me if I could hook it all up for him . Nope, A month later got called back they was ready for a meter. Found it just like we left it. The guy got all bent out of shape when I told him he needed his man to come back and finish , but get another one cause the last one didnt know his head from his ass. Told me to get the hell out of there. Before I got to the street he had called the boss who wanted to see me. Boss asked what I said , I told em. Boss laughed and said well even if they dont know their head from their ass ya cant go around tellin em that. Didnt know it was his brother inlaw he was tryin to help out with a job.

Koga