Tails

[Andy™]

I don't have the juristiction to make that call. I'm given a box and told to fit it.

fit the isolator yourself?

 

[revjames]

I will only fit an isolator if I am given one and told to do it.

 

[Revved Up Sparky]

Maybe an obvious question, what happens if you go to do a CU change and the undersized tails are between the meter and CU? you cant open the meter abnd change them. Henleys? Curious because I am doing a CU change tomorrow and havent really done one for a long time (been in heavy industry most of my career).

You have several options. For example;

i) Use the existing undersized meter tails and make a comment on the DEIC that you fill in at the end of the job. That way you have covered yourself. Obviously great care would need to be taken as you would be working live.

ii) Break the seal on the meter/ fuse and replace the tails (when I lived in North Wales I always did this and MANWEB never complained although other suppliers - like mine here on the Isle of Man do not take kindly to their seals being broken)

iii) Cut the tails between meter and CU and fit an intermediate switch in an enclosure--- or alternatively a L&N henley block as you suggested. Obviously great care would need to be taken as you would be working live.

iv) Phone MANWEB and request that they fit their own intermediate switch. This would be the safest and most practical solution because you could then avoid working live and breaking any seals.

v) Phone the boss and tell him you're not feeling well and go home sick, then someone else will have to do it. :^O

 

[steptoe]

I personally would NEVER , fit / change a CU without also fitting an isolator if there was none already fitted.

 

[steptoe]

You have several options. For example;ii) Break the seal on the meter/ fuse and replace the tails (when I lived in North Wales I always did this and MANWEB never complained although other suppliers - like mine here on the Isle of Man do not take kindly to their seals being broken)

. :^O

Ive never had any probs with MEA ,

but if working in Pully or somewhere similar I always resealed anyway,

but not much call for private work there anyway.

 

[revjames]

You have several options. For example;i) Use the existing undersized meter tails and make a comment on the DEIC that you fill in at the end of the job. That way you have covered yourself. Obviously great care would need to be taken as you would be working live.

ii) Break the seal on the meter/ fuse and replace the tails (when I lived in North Wales I always did this and MANWEB never complained although other suppliers - like mine here on the Isle of Man do not take kindly to their seals being broken)

iii) Cut the tails between meter and CU and fit an intermediate switch in an enclosure--- or alternatively a L&N henley block as you suggested. Obviously great care would need to be taken as you would be working live.

iv) Phone MANWEB and request that they fit their own intermediate switch. This would be the safest and most practical solution because you could then avoid working live and breaking any seals.

v) Phone the boss and tell him you're not feeling well and go home sick, then someone else will have to do it. :^O

Option V seems like a good one although in my experience the job will still be waiting for me!

Didnt consider opening the meter and changing the tails. I wont be working live, no isolator means fuse will be coming out. No probs with pulling fuse not sure about opening meter seals to change tails tho... we'll see what I'm faced with tomorrow. This is the first CU I've done under 17th.

 

[ian932]

why upgrade when 16 are fine and then just put a 2 colours sticker on the board

cus its tight fisted not too!!! and you have probably got it in your price.

 

[ianmacd]

Option V seems like a good one although in my experience the job will still be waiting for me! Didnt consider opening the meter and changing the tails. I wont be working live, no isolator means fuse will be coming out. No probs with pulling fuse not sure about opening meter seals to change tails tho... we'll see what I'm faced with tomorrow. This is the first CU I've done under 17th.

Contact supply company as they will usually agree to you cutting the seals and fitting new tails then they get them resealed my the meter man (yeah right).

 

[ianmacd]

Ive never had any probs with MEA , but if working in Pully or somewhere similar I always resealed anyway,

but not much call for private work there anyway.

What happened to:

I never remove the fuse, sealed or not,

just put Not Verified on the cert.

you are not allowed to remove the DNO fuse, that my friend is where you contravene reg 16 of EAW,

unless you are an employee of DNO that is.

 

[steptoe]

What happened to: I never remove the fuse, sealed or not,

just put Not Verified on the cert.

you are not allowed to remove the DNO fuse, that my friend is where you contravene reg 16 of EAW,

unless you are an employee of DNO that is.

sorry,?

did I say I cut a seal somewhere?

 

[steptoe]

What happened to: I never remove the fuse, sealed or not,

just put Not Verified on the cert.

you are not allowed to remove the DNO fuse, that my friend is where you contravene reg 16 of EAW,

unless you are an employee of DNO that is.

BTW,

I always welcome devils advocates. ]

 

[revjames]

Did the CU change today. there were 5 small swich fuses and the cupboard very small. My jobsheet said "there may be some alterations required to cupboard". Pulled the main fuse like you do.... ripped everything out and dismantled the cupboard apart from the top and LH side. Discovered there was no ring so 4 radials on 20A or 16A a cooker and a lighting circuit (rubber with no earth) also noticed no protective bonding conductor at all. Is that a 1 or a 2 on the cert? and the lighting with no earthing? 1 or 2?

Whole job took me more than 3 hours. The DNO tails to the henleys were 16 so fitted 25s from blocks to CU.

 

[Andy™]

if its rubber cable, i wont touch it - insulation is likely to fall off and if that happens you wont be putting the circuit back into service, which could be everything in the house

as for lights with no earth, seehere

 

[revjames]

There was only one piece of rubber cable on a lighting circuit, at the CU end it was in good condition. there was a bare earth (very small csa) running with it. I therefore put down on the report that there was a circuit without an earth and put it down as a 1 as I did for the absence of PBC. The3 guide which you posted actually says you shouldnt go ahead! Anyway made lots of notes on the report about it and stated unsatisfactory. Don't know what else I could have done.

 

[ianmacd]

Did you leave a no cpc sticker on the CU? Where there any class I fittings that were not electrically connected to the MET?

 

[bengie]

we cut seals on cut outs and meters all the time, then again we have been given permission to do this