DNO ignores colour codes.

ProDave · Feb 25, 2011

A rewire I'm doing on an old cottage.

DNO attended today to update the very old and unsafe cutout.

He only had Brown meter tails, no blue ones on his van.

So he's used brown for both meter tails and hasn't even bothered to mark the neutral one with tape for identification.

This was only step one of the DNO's involvement in this job. Now the cut out has been upgraded, and the 60A fuse replaced for 100A, the next step is the owner is requesting a supply change to Economy 7.

So I wonder what the meter monkey will make of the two brown's when he comes to swap the single rate meter for the E7 meter?

One thing I am sure of, if I had used two brown meter tails from my CU, he would have refused to connect it.

:run

Andy™ · Feb 25, 2011

nothing wrong with the brown as neutral, but it should have been marked as neutral

i you better check polarity after meter monkey arrives... could well be wrong polarity

Manator · Feb 25, 2011

I see your point of objection, yes it should have been at least marked with blue tape, however as its the DNO side, and we have no authority to work on this side, they can get away with doing this, simply because its very easy to detect which cable is phase and which cable is neutral. I have done the same, however I must admit I did mark the cables for identification as per BS7671.

To be honest I would not worry about it.

ProDave · Feb 25, 2011

Yes I'll try and be there when the meter monkey comes, and certainly a polarity check will be done.

To give him credit the DNO guy did a polarity check before he left.

Evans Electric · Feb 28, 2011

I've done that myself but did use black /blue tape .

Have done it with phases too, countless times , using black tails from 70mm upwards but marked R/Y/B etc . Must be Henry Ford cable , you can have any colour as long as its black .

Don't think I'd be losing any sleep over that Prodave TBH

SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH · Feb 28, 2011

The only test any DNO is required to carry out is a polarity test. They should have had it witnessed and signed for as such. A sticker with the operatives name on should have been attached to the meter board with these details on.