Tails or not?

[dooooo]

bad day explodebad day explodebad day explodebad day explodeBeen checking out my dads fuse board as he wants to upgrade to rcds for various reasons and would like to do it when i qualify.

Anyway question is:

From the new looking digital meter comes tails (grey double insulated new colours) to two black/brown boxes (what are they called). From those boxes there are further cables in the old colours not double insulated as far as i can tell (no grey insulation over the colour insulation) which go into the fuse board.

So which cables are the tails or are they both the tails?

Can I replace the old colour cables which go from the fuse board to the black boxes myself after getting it de-energised by the distributor.

Who owns the little black boxes is what i'm getting at, if it's the supplier i guess i'll have to get them to come out to connect up to the little boxes?

Finally, do i have to use double insulated cable from those black boxes to the new consumer unit?

Sorry for the long winded questio but i've got myself a little confused....

bad day explodebad day explode

 

[Zeespark]

Mate can you get post a few pics up with arrows and numbers so that we could explain it to you in a way that wont confuse you so much? (no disrespect intended)

AndyGuinness

 

[sellers]

I suspect they are henley blocks?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Accessories_Index/Connector_Blocks/index.html

Anything before and including the meter belongs to your network distributor. Anything after is all yours, so if you need to upgrade because of sizing or damage then feel free. You will need to get your network distributor to isolate the main fuse for you to change your tails and consumer unit. A lot of people isolate themselves which you aren't supposed to do. If you have no or little experience in that then I would deffinatley get your distributor to do it!

Some old tails are double insulated with the same colours.

 

[sparkytim]

Sounds like you need to replace the tails so Your NEW 25mm Tails can go direct from C Unit to the Meter and those Boxes can be done away with.

You need to arrange for a tempory disconnection of supply

Metering should come in and Pull main fuse for you and come back later in day to re-connect.

Make sure your NEW tails are long enough to go straight to Meter.

 

[ProDave]

If it's a new meter made by Siemens, have a very careful look at it.

If there's a separate cover over the input and output terminals, remove the cover over the output terminals, and you might be pleasantly surprised to find an isolating switch. If so, no need to call the DNO to disconnect. Then as suggested, fit new tails direct from the meter to the CU without the henley blocks.

Of course if there's no isolator, you could have a look and see if the seal fairy has been. Most of us older sparks will quite happily pull the main fuse if there's no seal on it

 

[Badger]

If it's a new meter made by Siemens, have a very careful look at it.If there's a separate cover over the input and output terminals, remove the cover over the output terminals, and you might be pleasantly surprised to find an isolating switch. If so, no need to call the DNO to disconnect. Then as suggested, fit new tails direct from the meter to the CU without the henley blocks.

Of course if there's no isolator, you could have a look and see if the seal fairy has been. Most of us older sparks will quite happily pull the main fuse if there's no seal on it

most of the houses that ive come across the meter seal fairy has got there before i have :^O

 

[NozSpark]

Whats a seal??

 

[ElectekAir]

Whats a seal??

It is those useless things that just fall off when you touch them not much point in them anyway

 

[sellers]

Whats a seal??

There is no other kind.

 

[dooooo]

So who owns the henley blocks? Or is that one of those grey areas

Anyway, Cool, so plan is: I'll put an isolator switch and tails in ready. Then call the blighters to come out and swap the old tails and henley blocks for my new tails and isolator while i go to the pub Guinness

Question is do they charge to put new tails into the meter

Or I could just get the fuse pulled and use the henley blocks, hmmm..

Cheers though that's sorted my head out a little

 

[JUD]

So who owns the henley blocks? Or is that one of those grey areasYou own everything after the meter so the Henley blocks are all yours.

Anyway, Cool, so plan is: I'll put an isolator switch and tails in ready. Then call the blighters to come out and swap the old tails and henley blocks for my new tails and isolator while i go to the pub Guinness

Question is do they charge to put new tails into the meter

They may do. This is something you would need to ask them.

Or I could just get the fuse pulled and use the henley blocks, hmmm..

It's upto you if you want use the Henley blocks. No reason why not.

Cheers though that's sorted my head out a little

In blue

 

[batty]

In blue

A lot of henley blocks are installed by dno they usually are the ones with allen screws. In the old days only dno would install henley blocks as you really were not allowed to break seals.

 

[steptoe]

I suspect they are henley blocks?http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Accessories_Index/Connector_Blocks/index.html

Anything before and including the meter belongs to your network distributor. Anything after is all yours, so if you need to upgrade because of sizing or damage then feel free. You will need to get your network distributor to isolate the main fuse for you to change your tails and consumer unit. A lot of people isolate themselves which you aren't supposed to do. If you have no or little experience in that then I would deffinatley get your distributor to do it!

Some old tails are double insulated with the same colours.

If it's a new meter made by Siemens, have a very careful look at it.If there's a separate cover over the input and output terminals, remove the cover over the output terminals, and you might be pleasantly surprised to find an isolating switch. If so, no need to call the DNO to disconnect. Then as suggested, fit new tails direct from the meter to the CU without the henley blocks.

Of course if there's no isolator, you could have a look and see if the seal fairy has been. Most of us older sparks will quite happily pull the main fuse if there's no seal on it

most of the houses that ive come across the meter seal fairy has got there before i have :^O

Whats a seal??

It is those useless things that just fall off when you touch them not much point in them anyway

should we really be posting answers like this if we actually read the OPs question?

and thought to ourselves what level is this person at.

sorry to sound offish, its one of the reasons Im a bit ...............

 

[ProDave]

should we really be posting answers like this if we actually read the OPs question?and thought to ourselves what level is this person at.

sorry to sound offish, its one of the reasons Im a bit ...............

The OP mentions "when I qualify" so I read that as he's undergoing some form of training to be a sparky.

As such I was imparting some knowledge gained from exerience, and in any case knowledge which has been discussed many times on this board.

So I have no problem with saying what I said, particularly the bit about looking to see if the meter had an isolator. Surley that is information everyone should know? (they don't advertise the fact on the meter, it's not until you remove the terminal cover that you see the isolator)