Rusting Electric Meter Boxes
Robert E. Lewis
I am about to have the meter-can replaced on a beachhouse
I look after. The side has completely rusted through
where the pvc conduit from the house goes through, and
the galvanized steel brackets holding the coduit to the
weatherhead are also badly rusted.
The frustrating thing is that this will be the third
meter-can replacement on that house in about 10 - 12
years. The boxes supplied by the local electric utility
are painted steel, and they just don't last in this salt
environment. If I can find plastic brackets for the
conduit, I'll use them, but can anyone suggest anything
I can do to make the utility's painted boxes last more
than 3 or 4 years? I know another beach house owner
that made the mistake of putting an outdoor breaker
panel - it rusted through in about 2years, and they
had the replacement custom-painted at an auto-body
paintshop - and it's rusting badly after five years.
Significant shielding from the salt air isn't practical
- it's already facing away from the water. Can I get
the box ahead of time and put an automotive paste wax
on it, or coat it with grease? (don't really like that
idea - the grease would catch wind-blown sand, make
the box a mess.)
And while I'm asking, is there any particular reaso why
they aren't making those boxes out of plastic, yet? I
put a new weatherhead, etc., on a property my mother
owned down the coast a few years ago, and that electric
company at least used aluminum meter cans that held up
a little better in the sea-side environment than painted
steel.
Thanks for any suggestions.
-- Robert
Don
meterbase. It will be expensive, but maybe better than changing it every
few years.
I use to work in the bahamas, we had the same problem with everything,
electrical boxes, satellite dishes, etc. The only way we solved it was to
purchase everything in stainless steel. One of the electrical supply houses
in the area can probably get you a SS meterbase if the utility will allow
you to use it.
Don
Robert E. Lewis <rle...@brazosport.cc.tx.us> wrote in message
news:38A87794...@brazosport.cc.tx.us...
jim
the battery compartment of a car before they used plastic.
I had a steel area in a truck that would just eat the paint away
and then go for the metal. I went to the auto parts store and
bought some product in a small bottle, I think it was called
Naval Jelly, or something like that(really not sure about the
name) but here is what is does, you remove the heavy rust and
then brush it on. It turns the rust metal black and it stays
like that as it forms a platic coat on the metal. I think the
truck was about 15 years old and the metal under the plastic
coat was a shinny and new looking as ever, well in the area that
did not turn black, i think that the area has to have rust on it
for it to turn black, oh wait, someone told me that Naval Jelly
is an acid that takes off rust, well they probably sell it next
to the naval jelly- i think I bought it at the same time.
hope this helps.
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Budys back
<rle...@brazosport.cc.tx.us> writes:
>I am about to have the meter-can replaced on a beachhouse
>I look after. The side has completely rusted through
>where the pvc conduit from the house goes through, and
>the galvanized steel brackets holding the coduit to the
>weatherhead are also badly rusted.
>
>The frustrating thing is that this will be the third
>meter-can replacement on that house in about 10 - 12
>years. The boxes supplied by the local electric utility
>are painted steel, and they just don't last in this salt
>environment. If I can find plastic brackets for the
>conduit, I'll use them, but can anyone suggest anything
>I can do to make the utility's painted boxes last more
>than 3 or 4 years? I know another beach house owner
>that made the mistake of putting an outdoor breaker
>panel - it rusted through in about 2years, and they
>had the replacement custom-painted at an auto-body
>paintshop - and it's rusting badly after five years.
>
>Significant shielding from the salt air isn't practical
>- it's already facing away from the water. Can I get
>the box ahead of time and put an automotive paste wax
>on it, or coat it with grease? (don't really like that
>idea - the grease would catch wind-blown sand, make
>the box a mess.)
ROFL, I can see the inspector now, looking at what appears to be an electric
meter on a toasted-almond ice-cream bar!
>
>And while I'm asking, is there any particular reaso why
>they aren't making those boxes out of plastic, yet?
Maybe they are. What are they using out on marinas nowadays?
> I
>put a new weatherhead, etc., on a property my mother
>owned down the coast a few years ago, and that electric
>company at least used aluminum meter cans that held up
>a little better in the sea-side environment than painted
>steel.
Maybe you can buy one of those aluminum ones from them?
>
>
>Thanks for any suggestions.
>
>-- Robert
\\\///
From: (ô ô)
+oOO-----(_)-------------------------+
| Budys back |
+-----------------------------------------+
RWatson767
> Rusting Electric Meter Boxes
All theses things are available in Stainless Steel. See where the power company
gets theirs and get a SS one from them.
Bob az
Hamm4fun
galvanized boxes, on the beach they use painted boxes.LOL Actually I would
consider galvanized the minimum quality for any use. The way I have seen
Aluminum corrode on the beach I would not consider this either though it would
defintely last longer than the painted metal. SS is the way to go.
ronaldo
Some are SS other fiberglass and other non-corrosive materials. They
all cost a bit more, but it is worth the investment.
In article <38A87794...@brazosport.cc.tx.us>,
rle...@brazosport.cc.tx.us wrote:
>
> I am about to have the meter-can replaced on a beachhouse
> I look after. The side has completely rusted through
> where the pvc conduit from the house goes through, and
> the galvanized steel brackets holding the coduit to the
> weatherhead are also badly rusted.
>
> The frustrating thing is that this will be the third
> meter-can replacement on that house in about 10 - 12
> years. The boxes supplied by the local electric utility
> are painted steel, and they just don't last in this salt
> environment. If I can find plastic brackets for the
> conduit, I'll use them, but can anyone suggest anything
> I can do to make the utility's painted boxes last more
> than 3 or 4 years? I know another beach house owner
> that made the mistake of putting an outdoor breaker
> panel - it rusted through in about 2years, and they
> had the replacement custom-painted at an auto-body
> paintshop - and it's rusting badly after five years.
>
> Significant shielding from the salt air isn't practical
> - it's already facing away from the water. Can I get
> the box ahead of time and put an automotive paste wax
> on it, or coat it with grease? (don't really like that
> idea - the grease would catch wind-blown sand, make
> the box a mess.)
>
> And while I'm asking, is there any particular reaso why
> they aren't making those boxes out of plastic, yet? I
> put a new weatherhead, etc., on a property my mother
> owned down the coast a few years ago, and that electric
> company at least used aluminum meter cans that held up
> a little better in the sea-side environment than painted
> steel.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions.
>
> -- Robert
>
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Robert E. Lewis
the electric utility if they had any stainless or
galvanized boxes, but in the past, I just went by
their local substation and they seemed to have
one standard box they hand out. The aluminum box
I had installed was with a different electric
company, and IIRC, the actual meter seemed to
be different, so I doubt that it would work, even
if I could get one.
I use stainless wherever possible here on the coast
- put the siding on my house with SS gun nails,
SS hinges on my doors, etc.. But I can't exactly
take my business to another electric utility, if
they provide materials that are going to cost us
both more in the long run.
Side note: the owners of the house wanted to put
in a steel door recently. I pointed out another
neighbor's steel door, put in less than a year
before. "You mean that white door with the red
trim?" I pointed out that it wasn't red trim -
every panel stamped in the door was lined in rust.
They dropped the steel door idea.
Thanks again.
-- Robert
Eric Tonks
think there are some resistant alloys available, (such as used on boats), be
sure the manufacturer claims corrosion resistance.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------
Robert E. Lewis wrote in message <38A87794...@brazosport.cc.tx.us>...
YUTACHI
>Subject: Re: Rusting Electric Meter Boxes
>From: "Don" coac...@att.net
>Date: 2/14/00 2:12 PM Pacific Standard Time
>Message-id: <F5%p4.11108$%M5.2...@bgtnsc06-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>
>
> Maybe ask the utility if you could provide you own stainless steel
>meterbase. It will be expensive, but maybe better than changing it every
>few years.
> I use to work in the bahamas, we had the same problem with everything,
>electrical boxes, satellite dishes, etc. The only way we solved it was to
>purchase everything in stainless steel. One of the electrical supply houses
>in the area can probably get you a SS meterbase if the utility will allow
>you to use it.
>
>
>Don
>
>Robert E. Lewis <rle...@brazosport.cc.tx.us> wrote in message
>news:38A87794...@brazosport.cc.tx.us...
>>
YUTACHI
This is Li Fei from CIS 12A at 11: to 12:50 PM. on Thursday class. Below
the message is Alt Home Repair Newsgroup that may apply to any outdoor or
indoor repair job underway at Camp Yahara. I used the Internet Explorer to
complete this assignment.