Among safety product standards, the most familiar name is ANSI, which stands for the American National Standards Institute. But while it’s the most familiar, ANSI’s role is often misunderstood.

ANSI is a formed by standards writers and users, that manages the voluntary standards system in the United States. ANSI is not a government agency, although it works closely with the government, and is the official United States voice in international standards bodies. Its revenue comes from its membership, in the form of dues and fees, and from the sale of standards publications.

ANSI does not develop standards.

This comes as a surprise to a lot of people. ANSI’s role is to coordinate the activities of organizations in the US that do develop standards. ANSI approves the establishment of standards committees and new standards projects, sets the rules for the various methods that standards developers use, oversees the process, and approves the final products as American National Standards.

ANSI rules and procedures require that standards development processes incorporate the elements of openness, balance, transparency, consensus and due process.

Regardless of how a standard is drafted, it has to be offered for public review, and the sponsoring organization has to resolve the public comments before it gets ANSI approval.

Once approved, an ANSI standard has a 5-year lifetime. ANSI will withdraw approval from a standard that is not revised, rescinded or reaffirmed at least every five years.

What Is a Meter Socket?

A meter socket is a type of indoor meter socket  that connects a watt-hour meter, or electrical meter, to a property. A basic meter socket has five components: enclosure, lugs, neutral connections, jaws, and insulating blocks. This meter is seen outside houses, commercial buildings, and construction sites. It is durable and weatherproof, allowing it to stand up to rain, wind, snow, and other elements of nature.

The main difference between various meter sockets is the amount of amps they can safely read. They generally range from 100 amps to 200 amps. Light meter sockets are able to handle about 100 amps, which is usually enough power for small houses; whereas, bigger properties or construction sites are able to handle around 200 amps or more. If a meter socket has a lower amp rating than the amount of amps being used, the socket will typically short out or run into problems when attempting to measure the amount of energy being used.

What Is the Difference Between a Meter Socket and a Meter Main?
From the watt-hour meter, the incoming power then goes to a load center which provides circuit control and overcurrent protection. The power is distributed from the load center to various branch circuits for lighting, appliances, and electrical outlets. Typically, the load center enclosure is separate from the meter socket. In some cases, however, circuit breakers are housed in the same enclosure as the meter socket. This type of product is referred to as a meter combo. When only a main circuit breaker is included, the device is called a meter main.