How to Repair the Electric Meter Box Socket

Call the power company, advise them of your need to replace the meter box and wait for their service crew to disconnect the service drop from the feeder wires that go into the electric meter box. You cannot work on the electric meter until the wires are disconnected and you are absolutely certain that there is no more power flowing into the meter.

Cut and remove the meter seal hanging beside the electric meter, using diagonal pliers. Remove the meter box cover, or remove the circular clamp around the meter, if there is one. Grab the meter with both hands while rocking it slowly up and down, then pull the meter out of the socket. View and note carefully how each cable is plugged into its corresponding terminal lug.

Unscrew each of the three pairs of terminal lugs with an Allen wrench and pull the cables out of the slots. Unscrew the grounding connector that holds the wire running from the ground rods and remove the ground wire. Unscrew the meter socket hub holding the riser pipe to the meter box and unscrew the retaining screws holding the meter box onto the wall.

Pull the meter box carefully out of the wall while allowing the cables to slip through the upper and lower openings. Hold the new meter box, then slip the upper and lower cables through the openings on top and at the base of the meter box. Align the meter box vertically and horizontally and screw the meter socket hub on top of the meter box. Fasten the meter box to the wall, using screws supplied with the box.

Plug the cables according to the configuration you noted in Step 2. Black power cables running from above the meter typically plugs into each outer terminal lug on the upper half of the meter socket. Black power cables running into your home plugs into the two lower, outer terminal screws. The upper and lower neutral cables -- black with white marking -- plugs into the center terminal lugs.

Plug the grounding wire running from the ground rod to the grounding screw. Tighten all lugs securely with an Allen wrench. Hold the meter upright in front of the socket opening and carefully plug the meter into the socket, but ensure that the copper prongs behind the meter engages the clips on the meter socket.

Push the meter firmly and give it a slight whack to sit it snugly into the meter socket. Replace the circular clamp around the meter and cover the meter box with its faceplate. Contact your local building inspector and request for an electrical meter box inspection.