Electric meter boxes are devices that calculate how much electricity is used by a house, a tenant space, or electrically driven equipment. We can use them in a variety of locations, including homes, businesses, and industries.
People use electric meters in every home and workplace, and they are generally inside meter boxes. The standard location of meter boxes is on the property’s wall. You can also put MCBs and RCCBs in some of the boxes. There are two kinds of meter boxes, single-phase meter boxes and three-phase meter boxes. Single-phase boxes store single-phase electricity meters, while three-phase boxes store three-phase electricity meters.
Electricity transmission lines, substations, transformers, and other electrical sources such as household appliances and wiring all emit low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields (EMF). We are all continually exposed to EMF because electrical sources surround us in our everyday lives.?
Effect Of Meter Boxes on the Human Body
High levels of EMF exposure may harm nervous system function. However, exposure to high levels of EMF from electrical sources is uncommon in the daily world. Although such exposures are infrequent, there are international guidelines on exposure limits to avoid known adverse effects.
People are worried about the magnetic fields generated by meter boxes, which are frequently found near bedrooms. For those worried about sleeping near meter boxes, moving the bed away from the meter box (typically more than one meter) can reduce exposure.
Your Electrical or Meter box receives all of the energy that reaches your house. As a result, the box becomes an EMF hotspot. The meter or fuse box is often found in a remote area such as the workshop or basement, while others have it in a commonly used space such as the bedroom or kitchen. Sleeping near meter boxes has been related to a variety of health issues. If you have an electrical box in your bedroom, we suggest that you move the bed as far away from it as possible. You should never place a meter box near a baby’s crib or a child’s bed.?
Also Read for: A step-by-step guide for Net Metering in Uttar Pradesh
Evidence Regarding The Dangers From Meter Boxes
There is no empirical evidence to suggest that electricity at 50Hz is dangerous. It can become unsafe at radio frequencies with high power sources. They are getting worse as the frequency rises, but this is due to tissue heating, as in a microwave oven. The body is tiny compared to the wavelength of 50Hz, which is about 6000 km, and the voltage gradient through the body is similarly tiny, even under a 400 kV line. Under those lines, one can quickly light a fluorescent tube, but that is just the electric field to the ground. Even so, this isn’t necessarily thought to be negative.
High-frequency electric and magnetic fields cause electrical currents in the body. Magnetic fields can trigger slight flickering visual hallucinations (known as phosphenes) or even activate nerves and muscles, though at levels thousands of times higher than those found in houses.
Electric fields also cause electric charges to form on the body’s surface. Some people observe the powerful electric fields found outdoors can make their hair standing on ends. Microshocks can occur when people come into contact with objects in strong electric fields in some circumstances. These effects only occur at much higher field levels than those found in homes.?
Steps To Prevent The Dangers From Meter Boxes
If you’re worried about sleeping near meter boxes, you can take the following steps:
You can significantly reduce the exposure by moving the bed away from the meter boxes (typically more than one meter).
You can also purchase a magnetic field meter to determine the actual levels in the room.
Another alternative is to relocate the meter boxes, but this could be expensive.
During daylight hours, you can also use the above steps to reduce exposure from solar inverters, another domestic source of higher than standard magnetic fields.
Try sleeping with your feet against the wall with the panel and meter as a test. Any electric and magnetic fields around the meter boxes weaken dramatically with space. As a result, they will be 10,000 to 1,000,000 times weaker at the foot of the bed.
You can’t get away from electromagnetic field radiation. As technology becomes more integrated into people’s lives, it will undoubtedly introduce you to it at some stage. However, there are ways to shield yourself from this element’s impact.
Precaution is the safest way to avoid developing any of the conditions mentioned above. People who live in tiny houses have no option but to sleep near meter boxes. They should take all the proper precautions to protect themselves from EMFs. You can purchase a meter box with a lower EMF than suggested. It’s also preferable if the one you buy has properties that prevent EMF from spreading in a room.
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