I have this electricity meter in my house (actually, for some historical reason I have two, I was told one is 1-phase and the other is 3-phase).
I was wondering if there is anything I can “do” with it? Mostly, I would like to switch off the main power (so I can safely open up the box of fuses). Is that possible here? (I don’t seem to be able to find a “main switch” which switches all power (as is required in The Netherlands).
I hope someone knows their way around this stuff .
(For background, in my house in NL I did all my own electricity installation, I have experience with this and know what I’m doing from a safety point of view).
According to the standard, there should be a main switch before the counter, which allows you to turn off the entire branch at once. I don’t know how it is with this case in Poland, but in the CIS this is implemented everywhere - both in old houses and in new ones. That is, one switch can de-energize the entire apartment at once.
@Mirek counting is a second step :). Now I mostly want to find some sort of main switch (I’m tempted to press this button in the middle, it doesn’t look too scary, but I rather be sure :)).
I know in NL the main switch should be next to the entry, so that fire fighters can switch off the power. However in this house the electricity is coming in on the second floor, and all the meters are there too…..
In Poland, everything to the meter and the meter itself belong to the operator, e.g. Energa. There is usually overcurrent protection in the area before the meter. Normally, you do not have access to them. They are protected by a seal.
Behind the meter there should be an isolating switch. Unfortunately, there is often not. It depends on when the installation was done. Then there is the user switchboard.
If you don’t have such a disconnector behind the meter, it would be a good idea to install one.
If you want to do it yourself, you can switch off the power via the fuses in before the meter. You have to break the seals. You pay about 50 to 200 PLN to break the seals. Or you can have an electrician put on such an isolation disconnector. It could be the same one that comes to change the meter, or an overcurrent protection in front of the meter. You have to ask if he does extra work (“fucha” in Polish).
Sometimes it is the case that the meter and switchgear are in the same box. Then there will always be voltage somewhere in the box. So if you have it like that, you can either live with it or invest and do the switchboard in a separate box. You need the landlord’s permission if you rent local.
There is another important point. In Poland, overcurrent protection before the meter is in different places. Depending on whether the supply is an overhead line or underground and whether it is a single-family house or a multi-family house.
It took some time… there are three meters left one is 3 phase, right two are 1 phase each. The separate fuse box on the right top is for one of the meters (each floor has their own meter and fuse box — the only good thing in this setup is that I get 3 time the allowance for how much electricity is sponsored by the government….).
But I think it’s like @Leszek suggests, that there is no master switch. I was hoping that the button on the meter might maybe be able to switch off everything but I’m very doubtful…
Very useful, thanks a lot! Would I have to call someone to fix the seals on the fuses? Or just wait until next time someone comes along, then say that it was that way when I bought the house and I’m just a stupid foreigner and what do I know (ideally say all that in Dutch)…
you have serial connection there, the metal ring with photo-elements; you can order or build a IEC 62056-21 (old IEC 1107) interface to speak with the meter
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×1 (Mirek)