Types of meters
Mechanical meters are older models, so it is in such devices that more breakdowns occur. This is due, first of all, to wear and tear of the mechanism and design features. This type of device is also called induction. The mechanical counter consists of the following parts:
- current coil;
- voltage coils;
- disk;
- counting mechanism;
- permanent magnet.
All these elements are compactly installed in a housing made of dielectric material.
The design of an electronic meter differs significantly from an induction meter and contains only a few printed blocks with an electronic display. They are much more compact and have less weight.
Why does an electric meter self-propelled?
Self-propelled operation is the operation of the meter, even if there is no load on the network. This is due to the fact that the counter rotation device comes into contact with a plate or short-circuited coil, which is located along the path of the magnetic flux. As a result, the worker thread is bifurcated, creating two threads.
The two flows result in resistance appearing and a phase shift occurs between them. As a result, the electric meter receives an additional torque Mk, which is what allows the friction torque in the device to be compensated.
Why does an electric meter self-propelled?
If the rated voltage and load in the network are more than 100%, then the friction torque begins to be compensated. It is for this reason that a meter running without voltage receives less friction, which leads to idling.
Self-propelled meter - what is it?
Self-propelling of an electric meter is its incorrect operation, which consists of counting electricity in the absence of its consumption.
In other words, when all household appliances in a house or apartment are turned off, the meter continues to count. Of course, this is not a pleasant factor, since no one wants to pay for unconsumed electricity. Therefore, during operation, it is necessary to regularly check the device for self-propelling, so that if this problem is detected, immediately eliminate this problem and avoid troubles with the service provider.
A malfunction may appear unexpectedly, so you should always pay attention to the measuring device.
How to check the electric meter for a self-propelled vehicle
Equipment failure manifests itself as follows. The owner begins to pay an increasing amount for electricity every month. Or draws attention to inflated readings of electricity consumption. If there is no light, but the counter is spinning, do not delay checking the device.
This can be done in several ways:
- The owner carries out visual inspection. The presence of a self-propelled gun indicates a failure of the electric meter;
- Dismantle and transfer to the electrical network for diagnostics and repair.
The owner of an apartment or house should be wary of the constant rotation of the meter disk. This is a common flaw in mechanical models. It is characterized by self-propelling of the disk when there is no load.
Sometimes the electricity meter buzzes.
You can carry out the diagnosis yourself. To check, de-energize the house by turning off the input circuit breaker and see whether the disk rotates or not. If there is no light, but the counter is spinning, then this indicates a failure of the mechanism. But this applies only to mechanical devices.
They are being replaced by electronic devices, which can also fail. The check is performed in a similar way. The difference is that electronic devices do not have a disk.
After disconnecting the load, you need to pay attention to the meter indicator light. It should not blink more than once per minute. If the blinking frequency is higher, this indicates a malfunction.
A failed device should be replaced with a new one or dismantled and transferred to a specialized workshop for diagnostics and repair. This applies to both mechanical and electronic electricity meters.
How to identify a self-propelled gun?
You can check the electricity meter for self-propelling in the simplest way. To do this, it is necessary to turn off all devices in the house or apartment that consume electricity, that is, make the consumption zero.
Tip #1: You can also simply turn off the machine that is installed after the meter. If the device is working properly, its disk will stop spinning. You need to watch him for a few minutes. There is a mark on the disk that will facilitate visual observation. If the disk moves, then this device contains self-propelling and must be replaced.
The same operations are carried out with an electronic meter. Such a counter does not have a disk, but instead a light indicator is installed. When monitoring the device, the indicator light should not flash more than once per minute. If the indicator flashes very quickly, you should immediately contact your energy supply company.
Reasons for appearance
The reasons for the appearance of self-propelled guns in a mechanical counter are directly related to its physical properties.
In this device, a special device is installed to level friction forces - a compensator. It looks either like a special plate or a short-circuited coil. A compensator is installed in the path of the magnetic flux. When the meter is operating, the magnetic flux bifurcates into two, between which a phase shift angle appears. As a result, an additional moment appears, which compensates for the friction moment.
At a normal load of 100%, the frictional moment is completely compensated. But when consumption is zero, the compensation moment is much greater than the friction moment and, due to the difference, spontaneous spinning of the disk occurs.
To eliminate this, a special braking element is provided in the self-propelled counter.
The design of a mechanical (induction) meter assumes the presence of a plate - a compensator of friction forces
Self-propelled repair methods
When it is discovered that there is a self-propelled gun in the meter, it must be eliminated immediately. All causes that may be associated with the self-propelled vehicle must also be eliminated.
There are two ways out of this situation.
The first is, if a malfunction is detected, call an electrician who will dismantle the meter to hand it over for repair. After the repair is completed, it must be submitted for testing, which will confirm that the device is in working order. Then you should install the counter in place. In this case, during the absence of the device, another one must be installed in its place or the calculation must be carried out based on average readings.
The second method of fixing the problem is to simply replace the meter with a new one.
Tip No. 2: In most cases, a simple replacement is a more profitable and quicker solution, since the financial costs of repairs, verification, dismantling and installation often exceed the cost of the device. A large amount of time is also spent, and if you also take into account visits to various authorities, then replacement is definitely the best option.
When replacing, you need to remember that when removing the meter, you must notify the service provider if the dismantling is not carried out by them.
Also, during installation, sealing of the device is carried out only by a representative of the service provider, or by an electrician together with a representative of the supplier. A certificate must be issued for the seal installed, which indicates that all work was performed correctly.
Why does the meter self-propelled?
As we have already said, if self-propelled occurs, the disk will spin, even if you have cut off the power.
The first voltage coil creates magnetic fluxes. They come from MF elements, that is, from the load and other magnetic flux. In this case, the flows pass through the moving part in the device.
As a result, an electromotive force is created in it, which forms an eddy current. Rotation occurs when magnetic flux and currents combine, due to which the moving part, that is, the disk, begins to rotate.
Which, in turn, is directly proportional to the load currents.
For a constant rotation speed, a braking element is required. It is a magnet that slows down the rotation of the disk.
To eliminate self-propelled guns, you can install a brake flag in the metering device. It is attached to the axis of the rotating element, while attaching the braking hook to the voltage coil.
This hook is always exposed to magnetic flux, since the coil is always energized, even if there is no current in the network.
You can adjust the metering device using permutations. If the described elements (at least one of them) stop working, the rotation will occur self-propelled, which we wrote about earlier in the article.
You can check for yourself whether this phenomenon exists on your metering device.
To do this, turn off the machines, everything except the input device. Look at the counter to see if the rotating element is moving. In the case when electricity is not consumed, the disk will spin once, and the light on the device will blink once in fifteen minutes. But if the disk spins (or the light blinks more than once), while the electricity is disconnected from the network, then there is a self-propelling phenomenon that needs to be eliminated.
Self-propelled electric meter: causes and methods of elimination
There are cases when, after disconnecting the load of the meter, its disk continues to rotate. Why does it spin on its own and how to remove it? In this case, a phenomenon called self-propelling is observed. It occurs as a result of the excess of the compensation moment over the friction moment. As a result, the owner will overpay significant amounts for kilowatts that he did not actually use. Quite a popular situation, which many electricians and victims of the incident talk about. In this article we will tell you what a self-propelled electric meter is, what are the reasons for its occurrence and how the problem can be eliminated.
Why is this happening?
So, self-propelled operation is the operation of a counting mechanism in the absence of load current in the electrical network. So what are the reasons for disk rotation? The electric meter has a special device that compensates for the frictional moment. This device can be a short-circuited coil or a plate that is located on the magnetic flux path. Part of the system also includes a compensation screw.
The working flow (Fr) bifurcates and forms two flows F'r and F' 'r. Due to the fact that the magnetic resistance that exists along the path of these flows is different, a phase shift angle is formed between the flows. So, as a result of rotation, the electric meter receives an additional torque Mk, which compensates for the friction moment in the device.
When the rated voltage and load in the electrical network are greater than 100 percent, the friction torque is compensated. Therefore, when the electric meter operates without load (idling), the friction torque becomes less than the compensation torque. This difference sets the disk in motion, causing the electric meter to spin itself.
How to check the electric meter for a self-propelled vehicle? It is enough to turn off all outgoing machines and leave the input machine on. Check disk movement. If electricity is not consumed, the disk will make one revolution, the indicator on the electronic device will blink only once in 15 minutes. If the disk spins without load or the indicator blinks more often than the specified time, then the metering device is faulty and the spontaneous operation of the counting mechanism must be eliminated.
How to check an electric meter for self-propelled vehicles
It's actually quite easy to do. It is necessary to turn off all outgoing machines, and leave the input one on. If electrical energy is not consumed, the meter disk will make only one revolution; speaking for an electronic device, it will blink once every 15 minutes.
If you see the meter revving or constantly flickering, you can be sure that your electric meter is self-propelling.
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The induction disc looks like this:
Here is the counter indicator.
These are the ones you should pay attention to. We also recommend that you note the exact time so as not to make a mistake.
Self-propelled electric meter: causes and methods of elimination
There are cases when, after disconnecting the load of the meter, its disk continues to rotate. Why does it spin on its own and how to remove it? In this case, a phenomenon called self-propelling is observed. It occurs as a result of the excess of the compensation moment over the friction moment. As a result, the owner will overpay significant amounts for kilowatts that he did not actually use. Quite a popular situation, which many electricians and victims of the incident talk about. In this article we will tell you what a self-propelled electric meter is, what are the reasons for its occurrence and how the problem can be eliminated.
Why is this happening?
So, self-propelled operation is the operation of a counting mechanism in the absence of load current in the electrical network. So what are the reasons for disk rotation? The electric meter has a special device that compensates for the frictional moment. This device can be a short-circuited coil or a plate that is located on the magnetic flux path. Part of the system also includes a compensation screw.
The working flow (Fr) bifurcates and forms two flows F'r and F' 'r. Due to the fact that the magnetic resistance that exists along the path of these flows is different, a phase shift angle is formed between the flows. So, as a result of rotation, the electric meter receives an additional torque Mk, which compensates for the friction moment in the device.
When the rated voltage and load in the electrical network are greater than 100 percent, the friction torque is compensated. Therefore, when the electric meter operates without load (idling), the friction torque becomes less than the compensation torque. This difference sets the disk in motion, causing the electric meter to spin itself.
How to check the electric meter for a self-propelled vehicle? It is enough to turn off all outgoing machines and leave the input machine on. Check disk movement. If electricity is not consumed, the disk will make one revolution, the indicator on the electronic device will blink only once in 15 minutes. If the disk spins without load or the indicator blinks more often than the specified time, then the metering device is faulty and the spontaneous operation of the counting mechanism must be eliminated.
Methods for eliminating the phenomenon
What to do if a self-propelled gun is detected and electricity continues to be consumed? How to determine that the electric meter is counting incorrectly? For example, a person has a country house, which he visits only on weekends. When leaving for the city, all group machines will turn off (there are, of course, those that do not turn off anything).
Arriving the next weekend, it is noticed that the electronic meter has added up a certain number of kilowatt-hours at a time when there was no one in the country house, and everything was previously disconnected from the electrical network. If no one was present in the home during this time, and there is no external connection, then there is only one conclusion - the electric meter is self-propelled.
Recommendation! To ensure that the meter is not under constant voltage during a long absence of people in the house, it is necessary to turn off the input circuit breaker together with the group circuit breakers.
Electricity costs money, so if such a phenomenon is detected, the electric meter must be replaced immediately. Failure to do this will result in increased readings and inexplicable and unjustified financial costs. We described in more detail about at whose expense the electricity meter is changed in the corresponding article.
Why is it recommended to replace the electric meter when driving? Everything is very simple. If this phenomenon occurs, you should determine the cause of its occurrence and then repair the device so that electricity is not wasted. After the device has been repaired, it must be submitted to a government agency for verification. And only after all this the meter can be used in everyday life. All this entails financial costs, which are paid by the owner of the device. This amount can reach such a size that it will be easier and more profitable to buy a new electric meter.
For this reason, when a self-propelled device is detected, it is best to purchase a new electricity meter. To do this, you need to call the power grid and inform them about the planned change of the device. After his shift, the inspector must come and check the diagram, put a seal and draw up a report.
However, if you don’t want to replace the device, you can install a special device that will slow down the movement of the rotation disk. The problem is that the owner faces a considerable fine for using magnets and other devices, since it is illegal, so it is much easier to spend money on replacing the meter.
Finally, we recommend watching a video that discusses the problem of self-propelled electric meter:
So we told you what a self-propelled electric meter is, what are the reasons for its occurrence, and what to do if the meter itself spins or blinks without load. We hope the information provided was clear and useful for you!
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