A meter box door acts as a shield protecting your household meters from the elements, vandals and damage. They play an important role but over time may need to be replaced. This could be because of general wear and tear, weather damage, accidents or vandalism. The good news is that replacing a meter box door is a simple task which does not require you to disconnect the meter.
Replacing a damaged or missing door is important. According to the Wiring Regulations, the UK national standard for electrical wiring, a meter box needs to have a barrier or enclosure in place with ‘sufficient stability and durability to maintain the required degree of protection and appropriate separation from live parts.
Choose the correct replacement door
To correctly replace a water, gas or electric meter box door, you first need to identify the right replacement door. Open the door and measure from the inside using a measuring tape. You need to know the height and width of the door, as well as the hinge material, the size and the distance between the hinges used.
If you are looking for a new meter box door because your current one is missing, you need instead to measure the grooves on the frame of the box to establish what size door was once there. Once you have your measurements, you need to find the correct replacement door. You can search online to find specialist gas, water and electric meter box replacement door suppliers.
How to fit the replacement door
Replacing a damaged meter box door is a short job which should take no more than 10 to 15 minutes and requires only the use of a screwdriver. Replacement doors usually come with all the hardware needed, but always check before you buy.
The first step is to remove the existing door by taking off the brass pin from the door’s top hinge using a flathead screwdriver. Once this is done, the rest of the hinges should come away easily so you can remove the door. Next, take your replacement door and place the steel pin hinge in place at the bottom of the box before guiding the brass spring hinge pin into the pre-drilled hole at the top of the box. Pushing the door lightly should push the spring brass pin into place. Finally, test the door to check the fit.
