I called the DNO for my area yesterday afternoon to enquire about what earth arrangements my area might have. The lady just said your electrician will know as we don't. The reason for me asking them is it doesn't appear I have any main earth. It looks like I have some supplementary bonding but I still need to investigate those connections to confirm. While on the phone not getting any information she just offered to sell me a PME, but I mentioned that my service head is the old cast iron type with possible asbestos, fused neutral, ceramic holders etc... and are these being replaced as a matter of course (hoping they would in which case I would get my earth). I mentioned flickering lights too in which case she says ooo that would be an emergency and engineer will be out in next 3 hours. oh S*** I thought best finish work early as I have some work to do (as the CU, meter, cutout is all at the back of a corner cupboard in the kitchen and pretty inaccessible for most.
so off I rushed home and cleared the cupboard out, had to remove the built-in fridge and some other panels my poor kitchen...
the guy arrived, declined the offer for a cuppa and went straight to it. opened main cut out, gave all cables a good wiggle and tightened everything up (as it was the lighting flicker fault he was here for) and even tightened up all connections in my CU. did some readings between L - N on their side and said all seems well. but said I had never had an earth and he would put in for the cut out to be replaced in which point I should get an earth from the sheath. so I am guessing I will then have an TN-S system. he did say he suggests thinking about PME (TN-C-S) and paying for this would speed up the cutout replacement.
my question is......(finally I hear you all say)..... should I stick to the TN-S or go for the TN-C-S? or wait until the cutout has been done, and have a spark check the Z's on the TN-S and go from there? does going down the TN-C-S router afterwards mean they will disconnect the earth from the Sheath or will I have best of both then?
all this comes about as I am having some work done and pretty much getting the whole house rewired (slowly mind you) and will be getting the CU replaced and moved after I get the supplier to move my meter and fit an isolator. they did offer to upgrade the tails too but the guy last night said they were 25's already. And he also told us that there was a recent death of a guy changing a cutout so its now mandatory for them to cut the service outside before changing them so he said they will have to dig up some of my drive. which is ugly concrete anyway, but I am also wondering is this a job to be completed in one day (including filling the drive back in with concrete) or will this be a couple? as I ask this because I was contemplating running some MDPE pipe for water and some SWA cable to the garage which is about 1.5meters from the house anyway and if they're digging up between the two then seems like it could be an ideal time to do that?
and as you all love some pics here we go.....
so off I rushed home and cleared the cupboard out, had to remove the built-in fridge and some other panels my poor kitchen...
the guy arrived, declined the offer for a cuppa and went straight to it. opened main cut out, gave all cables a good wiggle and tightened everything up (as it was the lighting flicker fault he was here for) and even tightened up all connections in my CU. did some readings between L - N on their side and said all seems well. but said I had never had an earth and he would put in for the cut out to be replaced in which point I should get an earth from the sheath. so I am guessing I will then have an TN-S system. he did say he suggests thinking about PME (TN-C-S) and paying for this would speed up the cutout replacement.
my question is......(finally I hear you all say)..... should I stick to the TN-S or go for the TN-C-S? or wait until the cutout has been done, and have a spark check the Z's on the TN-S and go from there? does going down the TN-C-S router afterwards mean they will disconnect the earth from the Sheath or will I have best of both then?
all this comes about as I am having some work done and pretty much getting the whole house rewired (slowly mind you) and will be getting the CU replaced and moved after I get the supplier to move my meter and fit an isolator. they did offer to upgrade the tails too but the guy last night said they were 25's already. And he also told us that there was a recent death of a guy changing a cutout so its now mandatory for them to cut the service outside before changing them so he said they will have to dig up some of my drive. which is ugly concrete anyway, but I am also wondering is this a job to be completed in one day (including filling the drive back in with concrete) or will this be a couple? as I ask this because I was contemplating running some MDPE pipe for water and some SWA cable to the garage which is about 1.5meters from the house anyway and if they're digging up between the two then seems like it could be an ideal time to do that?
and as you all love some pics here we go.....