Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 28, 2010 3:29 pm I just realised the circuit breaker switches are located inside the meter box and what a bugger, it would be an absolute pain to get out of the house in the rain at night should there be any trip. I always thought the circuit breaker switches would be located inside the garage but now is it too late for me to bring it up to my SS? I supposed it would cost to have them relocated to the garage wall. Does anyone here gone through this too? Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 3Mar 28, 2010 6:50 pm Something I also can't understand! I assume you are from overseas? I can't remember any house in Germany where the meter box and/or circuit breakers/RCD's are located outside. Also interesting to get by default only one phase into the house. On the other hand (assuming the installation is done correctly) how often trip circuit breakers or RCD's?! Regards, Chris Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 4Mar 28, 2010 6:54 pm Hmmm.....ours are in an enclosure on the inside wall of the garage - behind the meter box. I didn't specifically ask for this or remember it being discussed. Must be standard for our builder. Cheers zeke Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 5Mar 28, 2010 9:30 pm I have specifically asked for this to be on the inside... if it wasn't for my boss suggesting it I would never have thought of it! Sleven Moved into our Atlantique MkII 36 by Carlisle Homes Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 6Mar 28, 2010 10:39 pm Pardon my ignorance...but if the meter gas/electric is on the inside of a garage wall (enclosed), how does the meter reader read the figures every 2 - 3 months for bills??? There is probably a logical explanation & maybe i'm just having a bl*nde moment...!!! Cooper's Build - Perth NOR viewtopic.php?f=31&t=30525 Prelim- mid Sept 2009, Pre Start 2 Feb, Siteworks- 21 April 2010, Slab- 10 May, Deliveries- all by 26 May Bricking- 28 May - 26 June, Roof complete 5 Aug, Float 28 Aug, Lock up 16 Sept Cabinets 1 Oct, Tiling 22 Oct, PCI 18 Nov, KEYS 3 Dec 2010 MOVED IN 17 DEC 2010 Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 7Mar 28, 2010 10:57 pm I'm actually having this done myself - not sure of the cost yet as my pre-start is Tuesday after the Easter so I'll find out - hopefully not going to cost me an arm and a leg... Cooper 32 - the gas/electric meters are on the outside of a garage wall - only the electric circuit breakers are inside in a different box - this makes is safer if you need to switch them back on at night... Preliminary agreement 23/11 Contract 22/03 Prestart 06/04 - finalised on 30/04 Unconditional approval 10/05 Demolition 05/07 Slab 26/08 Brickwork 13/09-06/10 Roof frame started 07/10 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32292 Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 9Mar 29, 2010 5:40 am Cooper32 Pardon my ignorance...but if the meter gas/electric is on the inside of a garage wall (enclosed), how does the meter reader read the figures every 2 - 3 months for bills??? There is probably a logical explanation & maybe i'm just having a bl*nde moment...!!! They could do it like in many other countries. They charge you your monthly average and read it only every 6-9 months. In Germany they actually sent me a letter after 6 months asking for the usage shown on the meter (since I couldn't attend that day) and told me by the end of the year they would get the correct figures and charge or credit something. BTW: At least a new electricity meter doesn't require anymore somebody to read it, they do it remote. Chris Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 11Mar 29, 2010 7:25 am I'd guess things are different in Europe at least partly due to weather conditions. It's not likely to be snowing and minus temperatures here, so going outside with a torch once a year or so is hardly a big deal. In the 16 months we've been here, we've had to reset a circuit breaker once....and that was during the day anyway. Pre-circuit breakers, I used to have to rewire fuses by torchlight.... Got pretty good at it too. Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 12Mar 29, 2010 8:01 am I meant security and incovenience. I had to re-set it twice in the last couple of months - this old house is falling apart - I think it feels that it's getting the demolishing treatment soon so it's taking its revenge... Once I was in the bathroom drying my hair early in the morning - so I had to feel my way around to the bedroom and get dressed then try to find the meter box key in the dark... you get the picture... and yes in Europe my dad reads the meter and forwards the info to the power company - they only come around once every 3-6 months to read them as the meters are inside. Preliminary agreement 23/11 Contract 22/03 Prestart 06/04 - finalised on 30/04 Unconditional approval 10/05 Demolition 05/07 Slab 26/08 Brickwork 13/09-06/10 Roof frame started 07/10 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32292 Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 13Mar 29, 2010 11:24 am My SS told me it would cost an arm to have the circuit breaker switches relocated to the garage wall, something best to do after handover by engaging an electrician if I really want to. He told me 99% of the houses here have them inside the meter box and he hasn't supervised one that is done differently. Oh well, I replied him my friend's house in Kew built in the 90s had the circuit breaker switches inside a box on the garage wall. He then asked me if it was an unit instead of a house, to which I replied that it's actually a double storey house. 99%..., unbelievable is it because of cost cutting that's why it's being done that way? Seems dumb to me. I've also seen people putting a lock to their meter box, I should just do that and save my $$$ and put in a domestic/SOHO UPS instead. Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 14Mar 30, 2010 9:31 pm I think the lock is a good idea! From what I have read, you can contact your electricity supplier and they can provide a lock their meter readers can open with a master key. That way everyone is happy. Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 15Mar 30, 2010 9:36 pm rocketleaves - did you SS say how much? Preliminary agreement 23/11 Contract 22/03 Prestart 06/04 - finalised on 30/04 Unconditional approval 10/05 Demolition 05/07 Slab 26/08 Brickwork 13/09-06/10 Roof frame started 07/10 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32292 Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 16Mar 31, 2010 5:32 am Only down side to this is if you have trades working outside while no one has access to your breakers, and they trip. Which is pretty common with power tools (especially brick saws, mixers). If you do go down this path have external power in fuse box with breaker. Landscape Design & Construction http://cherub.squarespace.com/ Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 17Mar 31, 2010 7:54 am Here's the ideal IMO and what I will be getting. 1) Meter located outside 2) A double GPO and circuit breaker outside in the meter box 3) A sub-board in a cupboard to the side of the kitchen. This sub-board will have all the circuit breakers and can be readily accesed at any time. The subboard cost me an extra $500. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 18Mar 31, 2010 10:05 am Casa2 Here's the ideal IMO and what I will be getting. 1) Meter located outside 2) A double GPO and circuit breaker outside in the meter box 3) A sub-board in a cupboard to the side of the kitchen. This sub-board will have all the circuit breakers and can be readily accesed at any time. The subboard cost me an extra $500. # 2 is an awesome idea... I might ask for that!!! # 3 - we were either having in our garage or where our actual meter box is located is on the Master Bedrooms WIR - so we were just going to spin the breakers around and having them face inside instead of out! Thanks for sharing Sleven Moved into our Atlantique MkII 36 by Carlisle Homes Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 19Mar 31, 2010 11:52 am Casa 2 - that's not a bad idea to have a sub-board in the house... Thanks for sharing Preliminary agreement 23/11 Contract 22/03 Prestart 06/04 - finalised on 30/04 Unconditional approval 10/05 Demolition 05/07 Slab 26/08 Brickwork 13/09-06/10 Roof frame started 07/10 viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32292 Re: Circuit breaker switches inside meter box? 20Mar 31, 2010 4:18 pm Bagheera - no, my SS doesn't have any idea of cost. Casa2 - in my meter box there used to be a double GPO but that space is now replaced by an entire row of circuit breakers. Having a sub-board is worth exploring but I am not sure if it will only cost me ~$500 post handover when I engage an electrician. Tradies here cost an arm! 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