Illegal cabling(?) and strange box

[securespark]

Quote:
Just out of interest, why do both you and SS think it unwise to re-use the present conduit?


Sorry, missed this earlier.
Because of a desire to have the shortest length of our cable that may be protected by a fuse of up to 400A at the feeding substation within the property.
Generally faults on service cable will not operate (blow) fuses of this size and will simply burn back until they become open circuited.
In a steel pipe under a wooden floor this would not be a good thing!

And I was thinking purely of the practicalities of getting modern-day tails into the conduit: a certain impossibility!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You could use nice flexible tri-rated tails?

 

[securespark]

They'd still be too big.

 

[JohnW2]

Other jobs, such as this, will be removed from the fault system and go into a routine service replacement system run by each office. They will often be passed to an individual member of staff for attention

Thanks for clarifying - that makes sense.

Kind Regards, John

 

[westie101]

Looking at the route of the underground cable, would that mean they'd put the surface-mounted cabinet at roughly the existing entry point?

They could, move the meter to there and fit a switch fuse at that point and reuse the conduit for tails to the CU
I'd go for the box close to the CU as the meter tail length may be short enough to directly feed the CU from the meter

 

[RF Lighting]

Out of interest, would the DNO install the tails and reconnect the cu to the new intake position, or would that be up to the consumers electrician?

 

[westie101]

Out of interest, would the DNO install the tails and reconnect the cu to the new intake position, or would that be up to the consumers electrician?

In this case the DNO would do this even if it was via Henley blocks, surprisingly we do actually have a lot of qualified electricians working for us.

I've done similar in the past by employing a local electrician to install all the cables past the meter

 

[RF Lighting]

Bet you dread coming here with all us lot asking you a zillion questions every time we see you

 

[westie101]

Bet you dread coming here with all us lot asking you a zillion questions every time we see you

Nope, not really

 

[JBR]

Bet you dread coming here with all us lot asking you a zillion questions every time we see you

Nope, not really

Well, I for one am very grateful that you are so willing to help.

In answer to your earlier point, I think I'd prefer any switched fuse to be adjacent to the meter and CU. I'd just be interested to know what they decide to do with regard to the route of the mains cable from the existing supply (as shown on your plan - under our drive). Hopefully, they'll run it under the floor as at present, although I take your point about not using the existing conduit. Also, I assume that another problem about using the existing conduit as an earth connection, as it is at present, would be the possibility of it rusting away in places and so breaking the earth connection.

 

[Iggifer]

In answer to your earlier point, I think I'd prefer any switched fuse to be adjacent to the meter and CU

There would be no point having a switchfuse next to the CU. A switchfuse is there to protect meter tails >3m in length. If it's next to the CU, then this is doubtful.

You can have a DP isolator put in next to the CU if that's what you're wanting to achieve, but chances are the meter will get moved too.

Can't be having an isolation device before the meter, dem pesky lectrik thieves

 

[JBR]

Just a quick update for anyone interested.

The cables in the first two pictures have now been removed, as has the socket on the right which is no longer needed. The electrician decided it would be best to go under the floor and connect the spur to the ring (presumably using a JB) down there, then ran the spur directly upward to the left hand socket. He chased into the plaster and placed a metal cover over the cable, then plastered over.

I telephoned the DNO about a week ago and the young lady told me an engineer would call me back to let me know what they propose to do, but no response yet. I suppose it isn't desperately urgent.

 

[Iggifer]

A smaller job admittedly, but I called WPD last week about an old cast iron ISCO service head - which is what it looks like you have in your subfloor (nothing particularly wrong with it, bar being missing a grommet on the top) and they came out and changed it for a Henley within 3 days. Happy days.

Yours is a bigger job, and a different DNO but I can't see it being much less of a priority than a service head swap

 

[JBR]

Thanks. I don't want to nag, but I'll call them in another week.

 

[westie101]

Hopefully, they'll run it under the floor as at present

To do that will require the installation of a 32mm2 alkathene pipe by yourself.

As I say go for a viewing cabinet close to the existing CU which will contain the DNO main fuse and the meter.
Then (depending on length, Max tail length is 3 metres) meter tails direct to the CU or a sw/fuse in a second cabinet or in the room behind with a sub main to the CU.