Meter madness or is it all in the mind?

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

I've deliberately waited a couple of days to post this just to make sure I wasn't going mad. OK here's the deal: On Wednesday a guy arrived (unannounced) to change our electricity meter. During the job he said a couple of the connections weren't as tight as they could be. I remarked jokingly that the new meter and tightened connections would make my stereo sound better. He looked at me as though I was mad so I took him into my listening room and he looked at me as if I was even madder.

It turns out that it wasn't a joke. I've been listening very closely to my system since then and there's no doubt about it; it's better. Not in a night and day way but there's no question that it just sounds smoother and more detailed.

Surely I'm just imagining it. A meter and some tightened connectors can't make a difference. Can it?

[Barry]

I've deliberately waited a couple of days to post this just to make sure I wasn't going mad. OK here's the deal: On Wednesday a guy arrived (unannounced) to change our electricity meter. During the job he said a couple of the connections weren't as tight as they could be. I remarked jokingly that the new meter and tightened connections would make my stereo sound better. He looked at me as though I was mad so I took him into my listening room and he looked at me as if I was even madder.

It turns out that it wasn't a joke. I've been listening very closely to my system since then and there's no doubt about it; it's better. Not in a night and day way but there's no question that it just sounds smoother and more detailed.

Surely I'm just imagining it. A meter and some tightened connectors can't make a difference. Can it?

My old electromechanical style meter was changed to an all-electronic design a few months ago, with absolutely no change to the sound and performance of my audio system. I wouldn't expect otherwise, but can believe in your instance, that the tightening of some connections might make a small difference.

[isuckedmandelsonslemons]

This was a VERY old meter. We've lived in this old house for 23 years and its been in since we arrived.

[Barry]

Mine was over 30 years old. I was lead to believe they were supposed to be replaced every 10 years or so and sent back for calibration by law. :scratch:

[archiesdad]

Mine was over 30 years old. I was lead to believe they were supposed to be replaced every 10 years or so and sent back for calibration by law. :scratch:
Been in this house 18 years and no thought of a new meter, never heard any of the neighbours mention this, a new meter may be more accurate due to design advances, dunno if the change from rotating number style to digital would make any difference to sound, but crappy connections-maybe?

[Sovereign]

I have no experience with meter changing, but tightening up connections throughout my mains definitely has a positive effect on the sound, and best of all it's free.

[Macca]

Mine was over 30 years old. I was lead to believe they were supposed to be replaced every 10 years or so and sent back for calibration by law. :scratch:

My mothers house still has the original meter in use, dating from about 1933. It looks like something from the old Flash Gordon series. There sre still a few roud pin sockets wired up too.

Mine got changed a couple of years back for an identical model :scratch:. I think they thought I was fiddling the old one somehow as my leccy bills are quite low. Have to say I had the opposite experience to Harry and thought the sound got slightly worse however I decided it was all in my mind.

[chris@panteg]

It is imagined , I had new meter fitted about three years back , no difference !

Tightening and cleaning all contacts however make a real difference , as I've gone through my entire system and all mains plugs ,fuses and the plug in MCB's in my CU , it's a laborious job but my system is back on song .

[Marco]

Exactly... It's not the new meter making the difference to the sound of your system, but rather the lower impedance that has resulted in the tightening of connections, new wires being installed, etc :)

That difference will be VERY real!

Marco.

[Audioman]

Metres - The electricity board is mean't to change them at intervals. Certainly anybody with a 1933 meter should contact the supplier pronto. I'm sure they will want to check out the system. Also Martin get that frigging house rewired if there are any round pins. I suspect a complete rewire is necessary in that case. Worth checking if grants are available.

Paul.

[Macca]

Metres - The electricity board is mean't to change them at intervals. Certainly anybody with a 1933 meter should contact the supplier pronto. I'm sure they will want to check out the system. Also Martin get that frigging house rewired if there are any round pins. I suspect a complete rewire is necessary in that case. Worth checking if grants are available.

Paul.

Well it is my mothers house so it is up to her I suppose, I doubt she would want the upheaval of re-wiring and there have been no problems in 44 years. MY old man used to bang on about it and always insisted on everything being unplugged at night but he could never be arsed to get it sorted, he worked long hours and was overseas a lot. I would have thought the meter reader would report if there was an issue? I doubt that you could get a grant, but money's not an issue anyway. I might mention it to her next time I am visiting.

[wee tee cee]

I've deliberately waited a couple of days to post this just to make sure I wasn't going mad. OK here's the deal: On Wednesday a guy arrived (unannounced) to change our electricity meter. During the job he said a couple of the connections weren't as tight as they could be. I remarked jokingly that the new meter and tightened connections would make my stereo sound better. He looked at me as though I was mad so I took him into my listening room and he looked at me as if I was even madder.

It turns out that it wasn't a joke. I've been listening very closely to my system since then and there's no doubt about it; it's better. Not in a night and day way but there's no question that it just sounds smoother and more detailed.

Surely I'm just imagining it. A meter and some tightened connectors can't make a difference. Can it?Harry,
I had exactly the same experience when a lcd meter replaced the rotating disk jobbie......nice free improvement. Marco put me onto upgrading the main fuse to a 100 amp job....wee white lie that you are going to fit a super duper leccy shower that chews fuel like a power station......one member even polished/deoxit the fuse prior to installation much to the bemusement of the leccy man.....

[Audioman]

Well it is my mothers house so it is up to her I suppose, I doubt she would want the upheaval of re-wiring and there have been no problems in 44 years. MY old man used to bang on about it and always insisted on everything being unplugged at night but he could never be arsed to get it sorted, he worked long hours and was overseas a lot. I would have thought the meter reader would report if there was an issue? I doubt that you could get a grant, but money's not an issue anyway. I might mention it to her next time I am visiting.

If the meter hasn't been changed it certainly must have slipped through the system. I'm not sure how often this happens BTW certainly less than the gas meters get upgraded. Meter readers are employed by sub contractors these days and would have no interest except if the meter stopped working. As far as wiring that's possibly 80 years old is concerned it could be dangerous. The old wire did not have the same sheathing modern wire has. The new stuff (which has been around 50 odd years now) is known to last that long in practice. Certainly I have seen no physical deterioration in modern ring main wiring that is now around 40 years old. Most of the old stuff was replaced in the 60's and 70's. Anyhow the antique meter is certainly less of a concern than the spur and round pin electrical wiring system.

Paul.