The Old Meterman Chestnut Turned Up Again Today .

[Evans Electric]

I have a job half finished ,  a new build bungalow on the other side of the city.      I await the plasterer to finish but the 2nd fix is half done .

Builder phones me to say the meterman is here , doesn't know what to do because you've fitted a switchfuse in the meter box , theres wires hanging out in the bungalow and the fuseboard isn't finished & he can't make it live & he's supposed to fit a 100A switch. 

Its like the old days of the Electricity Boards FFS !!  

Tell him the installation is nothing to do with him , fit the meter , connect to my switch , theres no fuse in it , after the switch is my responsibility  its not within his remit to make stuff live , just fit your box & ****** off.

Builder phones back ;

Meter man says fuse is removed from cut-out  you have to call WP  when all your work is complete . And you should be here when he came.

Me :

What will they do then , come & check it all out & sign it off FFS !!    So he's taken the fuse away ?  Cupid Stunt!!

Builder :

No, I offered him a Kipper tie ...... so he now says ,,, heres a 100A fuse , heres a fuse for your switch (Like I don't have it in the van !!!)   cut the seals & do what you like when you're ready . He'd phoned in & was told to stop making more unnecessary journeys . 

 

[steptoe]

Well, maybe it seems he's not as bad as most. 

 

[revjames]

atleast common sense prevailed

 

[Murdoch]

The DNO's and suppliers need to be taken into a dark room and kept their until they AGREE a single policy for such situations AND a single call centre that we can all deal with - its a farce.

My last "fun" was with a supplier who stated that the customer had to provide the isolator, so I duly fitted a metal clad unit and attached my SWA.... and left site.

Meter man arrives and has a hissy fit because my isolator was fitted in "their" box. ....... so he fits his plastic Wylex REC2S into the cabinet.... so I have to go back and run tails from the their isolator, to my isolator.

I find these situations a complete pain and rarely go to plan as the different "engineers" will do different things!

 

[ProDave]

SSE up here expect a CU with at lease one completed and tested circuit to energise a new install.  That usually just means a CU with one double socket right next to it. They are happy with that and energise the supply.

But they don't make the connection. they fit meters with built in isolators and expect the sparky to make the connection to the meter.

I guess in your case if you hadn't fitted a switch fuse, and there was nothing in the meter box they would have just fitted their isolator and connected to it and left it energised for you.

Anyway you have the "approval" to finish the job now.

 

[Evans Electric]

Yes I suppose , looking back at it ,  if there were no sw/fuse  just his DP switch he'd think anybody could switch on and make the half finished fuseboard live , so he'd have to remove the service fuse.

Well no he would  just wire to the REC2  and leave my tails out ...thats the procedure is'nt it ?    Contractor then responsible for making live.

 

[ProDave]

It seems  so much of the DNO side is a haphazard set of rules and local procedures, and yes sometimes it does seem as if they are being awkward for the sake of it.

 

[Murdoch]

It seems  so much of the DNO side is a haphazard set of rules and local procedures, and yes sometimes it does seem as if they are being awkward for the sake of it.

oh yes that is the case.

I was doing a refurb last year, had relocated the CU so the switch fuse was in the DNO box - the "engineer" refused point blank to allow the switch fuse in the box and in fact stated very pointedly to me, and the client, at the same time, that they don't allow the CU to be more than 3 metres from the cut-out - so I had to move the CU - fortunately for the client it was early enough in the process not to cost much, but what a plonker!

 

[apprentice87]

Funny how once they have cleard off, it is now YOUR box, and any damage and wear and tear to it is suddenly down to you..

Mind you, i got a box FULL of my stuff, and they could not have cared less...

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x373/resistance87/Meter.jpg

john..

 

[ProDave]

That's a neat job John.  What's in the top right hand box?

I hope there's a slot between the holes in the gland plate. 

  :run

oh yes that is the case.

I was doing a refurb last year, had relocated the CU so the switch fuse was in the DNO box - the "engineer" refused point blank to allow the switch fuse in the box and in fact stated very pointedly to me, and the client, at the same time, that they don't allow the CU to be more than 3 metres from the cut-out - so I had to move the CU - fortunately for the client it was early enough in the process not to cost much, but what a plonker!

I would have put a dummy CU on the wall behing the box, let the little **** connect to that. then once they were gone fit my switch fuse in the meter box and do the job as I wanted.

 

[Evans Electric]

Looks like a TPN isolator /sw/fuse

 

[Lurch]

I would have put a dummy CU on the wall behing the box, let the little **** connect to that. then once they were gone fit my switch fuse in the meter box and do the job as I wanted.

I'd have done neither and told the p****** to get ****ed and send someone who knows what they are doing,

 

[NozSpark]

I have 2 x KMF's to fit in a meter box,,, I might even replace the REC2 with a REC4 to supply them both....

Will they care?

But more to the point... Do I care?

 

[Lurch]

I fitted a 4P isolator to an installation a while ago and labelled it up accordingly. The meter bods came out and then totally ignored it and went round the house switching off all the DB's and individual switchfuses in the meter cupboard.

 

[apprentice87]

Hi Prodave, there is a neutral link and an MCCB in the enclosure.

Well spotted concerning the slot between holes!!! There is not actually, BUT, it still complies as the regs concerning all conductors must go through the same hole applies to "ferromagnetic" materials. I used austenitic stainless steel to get round that one, as austenitic stainless is only very very slightly, [and for all practical purposes is not] ferromagnetic..

Here is what is in the enclosure;

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x373/resistance87/a.jpg

I have got a proper disconnectable earth link i was going to fit, but have not got around to it yet!!

If you like that, check out the "enclosure/pedestal" it is all mounted in. Cables enter and leave through the hollow legs into ducting below.

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x373/resistance87/c.jpg

and

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x373/resistance87/d.jpg

Here is how the cables enter and leave!!

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x373/resistance87/d_1.jpg

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x373/resistance87/e.jpg

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x373/resistance87/f.jpg

john..

 

[Andy™]

what is all that for?! bit OTT for what looks like a garage?!

 

[apprentice87]

Hi Andy, That is me!! a bit OTT!!!! It is for my shed, but then i have got things like large welders that draw 80 odd amps.. 12Kw compressors and piles of other stuff..

When i did it i just tried to do a nice job of it is all.. WPD and swalec liked it anyway!!

john...

 

[ProDave]

Hi Andy, That is me!! a bit OTT!!!! It is for my shed, but then i have got things like large welders that draw 80 odd amps.. 12Kw compressors and piles of other stuff..

When i did it i just tried to do a nice job of it is all.. WPD and swalec liked it anyway!!

john...

That explains it.  I really could not imagine many customers paying for the amount of work and detail that went into that.

 

[apprentice87]

Thank you!! I am not an electrician, but merely a welder and a bit of a tinkerer, But whatever I do, i try to do it to the best of my ability. "If it is not right, then it must be wrong is my motto!!!"

john..

 

[Andy™]

its a lot better than many would pay to be installed

but out of all that, my only complaint is there is no green / yellow tape / sleeving on the black earth. what happened there?!