Anyone in NI?

[ProDave]

Just been reading about someone building a new house.  NIE won't connect power to the new CU in the part built house until second fix is finished in the whole house.  Aparently to stop "electricians working in a live consumer unit"

They will only connect power to a commando socket in the meter box

, nothing else.

I could not work under such a draconian system, glad we don't have to put up with that nonsense here.

 

[Evans Electric]

That sounds like the regime  in the Midlands before  it was privatised  , many cases of the "Electric Police "  with their "Jobsworth" hats on  back in the day . 

Our customer had taken over an ex Post Office  Engineers  workshop that had been standing empty .     About 5  boards in the place , all ripped off the walls by vandals except one  ,  we  applied for the  main fuses to be replaced  , 200A  TPN  .   

  Jeremy Jobsworth turns up , starts strutting around the place  , says he won't make it live because theres wires hanging out of trunking  & boards missing , its dangerous .

We tell him , thats why we are  here pal   ,  thats our problem not yours ,   look mate , three electricians  , its what we do ,  the 200A switch is locked off  & we're reinstating feed to the only board left , the others are isolated . 

He buggers off .   He,s costing us money now , three of us stood there in an empty workshop , we need the power on for lighting and power tools  so I phone his metering supervisor  who says he,s costing us  (MEB)  a return visit now , why dosen't he do as he,s told,  I'll send someone else  .     Fuses in and we're in business . 

That was in the day when they  were  responsible for the network   ...the metering  ....AND  sold  you the power .

 

[Evans Electric]

Aparently to stop "electricians working in a live consumer unit"

Bloody hell !    Instead of wasting everyone's time why didn't he fit an isolator ,  ( like there should have been from when electric was first installed )    ...and saved 100 years of all this messing about without a downstream isolator on domestic boards .     

So the "Jobsworths" live on in NI  then ?

 

[ProDave]

It gets worse.

The CU is more than 3M away so the spark has fitted a DP isolator in the meter box already, so that blwes the "can't work on a live CU" argument out of the water.

No they won't budge. He has a garage CU and a commando socket in the meter box now Tto test the CU he will have to put a bit of flex on and plug it into the commando socket.

Oh and they won't give him a PME earth terminal while its's a building site.

Looks like when it is done NIE will have to come back to make the connection.  I wonder what NIE would do if they came back and found the garage CU gone and the final CU already connected?

I am sure there are some members on here from NI  Just wondering if this was normal, or if he has got Mr Jobsworth on the case?

It is so simple here, SSE fit a meter with a built in isolator or a separate isolator after the meter and leave the sparks to get on with his job.

 

[kerching]

Around here there is Amelie the Seal Fairies cousin "ISO"

evry time I go to a job ISO has been before me and fitted an REC2 ISO in a plastic enclosure.  Must be DNO as they can still use them as they are not 7671

noticed a few new jobs with isos fitted by DNO or meter monkey....".PROTEUS!   The coroners choice".  How long until they go whooooooof!

 

[Risteard]

Just been reading about someone building a new house.  NIE won't connect power to the new CU in the part built house until second fix is finished in the whole house.  Aparently to stop "electricians working in a live consumer unit"

They will only connect power to a commando socket in the meter box

, nothing else.

I could not work under such a draconian system, glad we don't have to put up with that nonsense here.

If you think NIE are bad wait until you see the ESB. (That said the ESB actually owns NIE now.)

The ESB won't connect until a Completion Cert is submitted, and that cannot be done before the job is finished. Not surprised about NIE wanting the job finished too. Have also seen NIE refuse connections when an ISCO wasn't used for an MET with the Earth bar being used in a DB instead.

NIE also require copper pipework to be bonded even with a plastic pipe entering the building. Not sure whether they have changed their stance since the rewording in the 18th Edition.

 

[apprentice87]

Hi all,

I am no expert at all with this, but i know a bloke that used to be an inspector for the old electricity board [SWEB/SWALEC] He told me once that if you fit an isolator, even if there is nothing after it, then they HAVE to connect to that, and why you do afterwards is up to you.. Apparently if they refuse a complaint to OFGEM or whoever soon sorts that one..

See section 25 of the ESQCR regarding this and just connect it up youself.

john..

 

[Evans Electric]

The MEB  always wanted a Completion Cert  & I remember having to go to their offices & register myself by flashing my JIB Card  before the would  recognise my certs .  

Daft part of that was ...this 12 yr old kid is asking if I'm qualified  so I gestured around their HQ  saying  well I was when this was built & we did all the electrics .   ( They were ordered to go out to tender as I remember it & the firm I was with won the contract .  It was the most stupid specified wiring method ever installed in this galaxy  ...I 'll describe it later , never seen before or since)

This is years ago .   I thought it was brilliant  when we did a new build in  the  East Midlands  Area ,   they put their cable in  , cut out , meter , isolating switch   job done , one visit  ,  down to the contractor ,  simples.