Main earth from next door in my house

[GarryR]

Dear All,

I wonder if someone could help me on this. Just bought a terraced house. I've had some electrical training, got my 17th edition, but let my part p certification slide several years ago. Don't claim to be a sparky, just need some expert advice. My house has a TN-S earthing arrangement. On inspection of the installation it is clear that the neighbour's installation is set up so that her main earth comes through the wall and connects to a connector block next to my consumer unit. My own earth goes directly to that block to and then the main earth from that block is connected  to the sheathing on the supply cable that comes up through my floor and supplies both properties. This concerns me as it seems inappropriate to have the neighbour's earth coming into my house and being reliant on a vulnerable connection in my house. By this I mean that when I have a tenant in my house it is possible that someone might inadvertently disconnect her earth from the block. If this happens then conceivably she could be blissfully unaware that there is a problem but her whole installation would be without an earth. Is this a common arrangement? Should I flag it up for the electricity supplier? I have made the neighbour aware by the way and told her I am looking into it. Can anyone advise please?

 

[Doc Hudson]

Its not uncommon to find older properties with shared service supplies coming in, (including water pipe). Is the actual power looped in/out as well? Why do you think a tenant would start messing with the incoming electrical wiring?  I doubt that the neighbour has an independent incoming supply cable with just an earth via your property. Have you been next door to look at the neighbours cut-out? 

Doc H.

 

[roys]

Very common round this way, one cable into one house, two fuses at cable head, one for yourself the other for the neighbour through the wall, earths and N shared on the one cable as well of course.

The cable and earth should not be getting touched by the tenant unless they are into the urban weed farming, but that’s a whole other issue.

 

[ProDave]

You are in the better position as you have the actual supply in your house, so it is easier if you need an upgrade.

I once had a customer wanted a big electric shower and they were like your neighbour, on the other side of the wall to the supply.  I wanted the DNO's meter tails upgraded so I left the customer with that challenge to contact the energy supplier or DNO to arrange that. And that was the last I heard of that job.

 

[Evans Electric]

supply cable that comes up through my floor and supplies both properties.

Are next door's main tails also coming from your property .       I've seen this in properties of a certain vintage  ,  obviously to save money .   In my area its mostly semi,s ,  built in the late 1930s  ....  there is one cable & one gas pipe from the pavement ,  runs between the non - joined  houses  with a tee off to the other in the ground .  

See below.   Larger cable to my neighbour with new tee off to mine .  reverse for the gas.   

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Are next door's main tails also coming from your property .       I've seen this in properties of a certain vintage  ,  obviously to save money .   In my area its mostly semi,s ,  built in the late 1930s  ....  there is one cable & one gas pipe from the pavement ,  runs between the non - joined  houses  with a tee off to the other in the ground .  

See below.   Larger cable to my neighbour with new tee off to mine .  reverse for the gas.   

And the telephone equivalent was the 'Party-Line'...

 

[Doc Hudson]

You are in the better position as you have the actual supply in your house, so it is easier if you need an upgrade.

I once had a customer wanted a big electric shower and they were like your neighbour, on the other side of the wall to the supply.  I wanted the DNO's meter tails upgraded so I left the customer with that challenge to contact the energy supplier or DNO to arrange that. And that was the last I heard of that job.

Just image the fun if when a couple of shared supply properties both want their new electric car charging points installed!

Doc H.

 

[Evans Electric]

And the telephone equivalent was the 'Party-Line'...

OMG!  I'd forgotten about those .  We were on a party line with the  vicar about  eight doors down .  I think we paid half price until the system was upgraded. 

There was also an BT  cable box  at the bottom of the road , set in the pavement that used fill with water , so you pick up the phone and there were all sorts of conversations going on ....you couldn't dial out  until the water drained away .  

 

[Murdoch]

And the telephone equivalent was the 'Party-Line'...

Gosh , I’d forgotten about them, my parents had one 

That was the era when not every home had a phone so a trip to the phone box was required too ....