Does this seem right to you?

[jameseye12]

Hey Guys

Just wanted to run this one past you

Recieved a letter this morning from Stormport Professional Services who inform me Central Networks have subcontract them to replace our Cutout and Meter as it is outdated. Fair Enough

Here's what concerns me:

1) The Letter was Addressed to me. Yet my dad owns the house and pays the bill. How've they got my name and got it into their heads that I'm the homeowner.

2) They tell me the work is being undertaken by their 'craftsman' who I am to make an appointment with for the work to be done. Am I wrong in thinking that a craftsman is someone who does some fancy stuff with wood and the person who should be doing this work is called a jointer?

3) They also state that any work done will be kept to a minimum. Surely the job should be done correctly though, i.e if it needs doing do it. My concern is that they are replacing the cut out and meter and are not replacing the lead supply cable, which is just as old.

Maybe I'm just being over cautious. Interested to know what you think

Cheers

James

 

[Sidewinder]

Check with CN?

 

[steptoe]

they wont replace the supply cable if they can possible avoid it.

the 'craftsman' may well have learnt his craft in a couple of hours in a mobile classroom,

work will be kept to as little cost to them as possible,

it may even be possible that nothing will be done in your house at all if you have a lkead sheath incomer, depending on the type of HED you have,

after all, he is a craftsman, NOT a jointer. :|

EDIT, point 1,= fairly important and I ignored it,

as SW says, double check first.!!!

 

[Manator]

I agree with both of the above

 

[jameseye12]

Cheers Steps

Thats cleared up a few things. I'll get my dad to talk to CN as he is the homeowner and they should be talking to him really about the work. He isn't overly impressed with th letter they sent, he reckons it is very unprofessional the way it is worded and he said he is going to query it as he doesn't want some mickey mouse cowboy coming in to do the job, especially as we had it 'nicely rewired' (cough, cough)

 

[kerching]

I think that in the dim and distant past there was such a thing as a 'Craftsman Jointer' ? but that was in the 70s when I did my jointing course....all ladles and nasty hot molten stuff, oil impreg tape, string and sheet lead, scarf and married joints etc. Now it's just a plastic box , big Scotchlok and some glue and sand...rant/reminisence finishes

 

[dariusthemead]

Quite possible that they've been out to do a meter change in the past and found they couldn't remove the service fuse (pitched in) or maybe its an old iron clad cutout. So maybe they want to do both jobs on the same visit to minimise disruption, nothing to sinister about that.

 

[Evans Electric]

I',m amazed they are actually doing some upgrading M8, let them get on with it , I believe they have an ongoing programme of getting rid of those metal clad cut- outs. They seem to be fitting 60A & 80A fuses instead of 100A as the norm.

Lets face it , they are a power unto themselves , let 'em get on with it.

 

[jameseye12]

I',m amazed they are actually doing some upgrading M8, let them get on with it , I believe they have an ongoing programme of getting rid of those metal clad cut- outs. They seem to be fitting 60A & 80A fuses instead of 100A as the norm. Lets face it , they are a power unto themselves , let 'em get on with it.

Agree with you totally mate, just wanted to express some of the concerns with their approach to the work.

Just to clear up something - it is not an iron clad cutout it is a bakelite Henley one (which is leaking pitch btw). I agree though that it needs upgrading though.

Bit concerned though about replacing 100A fuses with a 60 or 80. We have a 100A in now. What reason would they have for downgrading it?

 

[steptoe]

Agree with you totally mate, just wanted to express some of the concerns with their approach to the work. Just to clear up something - it is not an iron clad cutout it is a bakelite Henley one (which is leaking pitch btw). I agree though that it needs upgrading though.

Bit concerned though about replacing 100A fuses with a 60 or 80. We have a 100A in now. What reason would they have for downgrading it?

how do you know its a 100A ATM? do go by what it says on the carrier.

perhaps the cable can only carry 60 or 80A.

 

[Andy™]

Bit concerned though about replacing 100A fuses with a 60 or 80. We have a 100A in now. What reason would they have for downgrading it?

cant see a problem with changing it to an 80 or 60A. unless you have electric heating, or some plant rooms, your unlikely to use 100A anyway. and a 100A fuse doesnt blow at 100.0000000001A. it takes a lot longer, especially on smaller overloads.

at my house there are 3 people. electric cooker & shower (sometimes used at the same time) along with the usual household stuff. on a 40A fuse. which has never blown.

 

[kerching]

[quote name='Andy

 

[Andy™]

well, having the cooker in zone 2 does help

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

he said he is going to query it as he doesn't want some mickey mouse cowboy coming in to do the job, especially as we had it 'nicely rewired' (cough, cough)

I hope the fuse & meter are sealed then

 

[jameseye12]

I hope the fuse & meter are sealed then

Of Course Not, What Sort Of Electrician do you think rewired it?

(On a serious note, it was done 6 years ago by someone who ought to know better. I.E NOT ME)

 

[dariusthemead]

Why do people seem so concerned about the size of the DNO's fuse, its their equipment, they can fuse it as they wish. The only thing they will guarentee is an 100 amp supply. The service fuse is there to protect their equipment further down the line not the consumers kit. YEDL and NEDL only fit 80's max, and sometimes less in certain circumstances.

 

[philbas]

Why do people seem so concerned about the size of the DNO's fuse,.

Its human nature to feel inferior if the next person has a bigger fuse than your's

 

[batty]

We had or cut out changed a while back because the meter changer could not remove the fuse, this was done by morrisons subcontracting to EDF. Our supply is TNS and what they did was dig a hole in the drive cut cable change cut out which was bakelite filled with pitch then reconnect cable with joint in drive. The reason its done like this is because its safer to change cut out this way and they didn't change cable because that would be a major job and really unless its failed why would they need too. Personally I would find out why they are contacting you as you are not the homeowner and relly they should not be contacting you unless you pay the bills. Also we only still have a 60 amp main fuse which has never blown in the sixty years that it has been in.