Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • State Not Answered
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 110 replies
  • Subscribers 27 subscribers
  • Views 9376 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion is locked.
You cannot post a reply to this discussion. If you have a question start a new discussion

On the subject of pulling the DNO fuse.

alanblaby
There have been a couple of reports here of the DNO confronting electricians who have pulled their fuse.


It's getting closer to home, a work colleague was doing a CU change on a domestic house last week, no isolator fitted, so he pulled the fuse (no seals present).

South Nottinghamshire.


Around 90 minutes later there was a knock on the door, a guy from Western Power was investigating a power loss at the property, reported by the Smart Meter phoning home.

He gave the sparky a talking to, and warned they are getting strict in pursuing people who do it, he said meter fiddling was rife, so any loss of power is checked out asap.
  • 0
    pretty disgracefull methinks - unless Alarn can educate us why
  • 0
    On the subject of putting the fuse back, how many of you re-seal it.


    I noticed last week that ENWL's seals appear to have no identification.
  • 0
    well in many designs if you leave a cut out totally unsealed, you are leaving it where live terminals can be exposed by anyone without the use of tools, and not small area rcd protected terminals at that. So assuming you find an unsealed cut out, then  to be responsible to the safety of others needs something, even if it is little more than a twist tie of wire.

    Actually proper seals are not that expensive.  I'm sure other parts of the internet sell smaller quantities. And in the longer term the DNO really ought to be told to come and fit one of theirs when they have time.
  • 0

    mapj1:

    well in many designs if you leave a cut out totally unsealed, you are leaving it where live terminals can be exposed by anyone without the use of tools, and not small area rcd protected terminals at that. So assuming you find an unsealed cut out, then  to be responsible to the safety of others needs something, even if it is little more than a twist tie of wire.

    Actually proper seals are not that expensive.  I'm sure other parts of the internet sell smaller quantities. And in the longer term the DNO really ought to be told to come and fit one of theirs when they have time.




    I wonder whether they are on sale at Elex?

  • 0
    Chris Pearson:

    On the subject of putting the fuse back, how many of you re-seal it.


    I noticed last week that ENWL's seals appear to have no identification.


     

    Re-seal it?  When I bought my house 10 years ago, the seal was already cut.  Since then several meter readers have been and gone (and several electricians have been and gone), and none has ever mentioned it.  The meter seals are intact, and there's no sign of any tampering with it, so I don't suppose anyone cares.


    If you put a new seal on it, then the next electrician will only have to cut it again ?
  • 0
    If a DNO has point-blank refused to perform its statutory duty under ESQCR to provide the type and rating of the supply fuse when asked, then I don't feel much guilt in finding out for myself.
  • 0
    I had a meter change this morning and have to say I was impressed by the sparks who turned up to do the job.


    i had a key meter in my Norfolk home which was proving a pain so asked for a change to a credit meter . As I am intending to change the main consumer unit and the E7 board And expecting to have a smart meter I put a REC 2 isolator with the integral Type 2 SPD ( I have an overhead supply from a pole transformer under the blackest spot on the FD map). 


    The key meter had had a pair of singles that switched the contactor supplying the E7 line to the E7 board.


    The meter man could not fit a smart meter as he said his company does not have 5 hole smart meters so he fitted a 5 hole dumb meter. The contactor, fuse holder and switch pair have been removed and the switched line goes directly from the meter to the E7 board. So now my REC 2 switches the line to my consumer unit and the neutrals to both boards.


    He fitted new seals to the top and bottom of my series 7 fuse carrier, meter, my REC 2 and my single pole Henleys. So now  I will have to fit a REC 2 in to the tails of my E7 board during the day time so. I can replace both plastic consumer units with all circuits RCDed in steel boards to upgrade to the 18th Edition.


    He he said he was told one maker does a 5 hole smart meter but he has not seen one and his company does not have any. So it would appear you are unlikely to get a smart meter if you have E7 heating.
  • 0

    So now my REC 2 switches the line to my consumer unit and the neutrals to both boards.



    Am I misreading your post John, it seems that for one board you switching Live & Neutral, but just the Neutral on the other?


    Clive
  • 0
    Yes my REC 2 supplies a pair of single pole Henleys. The main consumer unit tails are connected to both Henleys, however only the neutral of the E7 is connected to the Neutral Henley the Line from the E7 board goes directly to the switched neutral from the meter. My intention is to install another REC 2 to provide isolation for the E7 board without the need to pull the fuse.
  • 0

    John Peckham:

    ... the Line from the E7 board goes directly to the switched neutral from the meter.




    Is that a typo, John? I take it to mean that the switched line (i.e. on the timeswitch in the meter) goes direct from the meter to the E7 board.

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Joining EngX lets you personalise your experience so you stay up to date on the topics that interest you, plus you’ll be able to make connections who are looking to collaborate, exchange ideas and more.

Join us Not now

Community Rules & Guidelines