Tails and earthing conductor to a flat

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1960's flat 3036 wylex, cracked and openly visible conductive parts, no earth in half sockets and lights. tinned stranded conducrs etc. Anyway, tails to supply owned flat come from meter cupboard on ground floor, they are in poor condition at the cu end and are not adequate csa for the job. 10mm2, Any experience please on who is liable for these. I have spoken to the Freeholder/managing company who say they are not, but will not give permission for me to re-route them through communal area. Would the dno do this? It was dark last night and torch would not allow me to fiddle in this cupboard for long so will go back thursday am. As far as i could see there was no isolator between meter and cu in the flat, tails are about 8 metres long. Should there not be one anyway?

thankyou.
 
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cracked and openly visible conductive parts, no earth in half sockets and lights.
Just give the option of a pir, undertake the pir & list all code ones. I wouldn't even think about working on the installation as it is.

tails to supply owned flat come from meter cupboard on ground floor, they are in poor condition at the cu end and are not adequate csa for the job.
Again tell the customer that they are not right for the job & quote for replacement.

10mm2, Any experience please on who is liable for these
If they are the property side of the meter, then it is down to the property owner not the dno.

I have spoken to the Freeholder/managing company who say they are not, but will not give permission for me to re-route them through communal area.
It's who ever owns the flat.
As for routing through the communal area ask again but it is down to them wether they allow you to use the area.


Would the dno do this
I'm sure they would but it would cost you.

As far as i could see there was no isolator between meter and cu in the flat, tails are about 8 metres long. Should there not be one anyway?
If the tails are only 10mm & because the distance is over 3mtrs I'd say yes use a switch fuse as isolator & rated down to 60amp or lower.

Can you not use 25mm swa up the outside of the building via a switch fuse?
 
what kind of flat?

isn't there a riser that the cable already travels in and why can't you re-use the route it takes now.?
 
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thanks chaps

rewire agreed with client. The current tails to the the cu are concealed somehow between masonary or flooring. No access or confirmation of route is possible! Managing agent say "not their responsibilty as it is an individual service" It is a purpose built 3 storey block. SWA on outside or re-routing tails inside is not permitted by managing agent!! All i can think of is to get managing agent out on-site to explain the neccesity, but if no isolator exists between meter(on ground floor) and the flat cu on the first floor then is that not the responsibility of the DNO?
 
If the meters are all in a cabinet downstairs, that is where the DNOs responsibility will end. From there will either be common parts or the individual flats.

Are the existing tails in a conduit or trunking? They must surely pass through the common parts somewhere already?
The other point is that someone put them in originally so there must have been access at one time. Any parts of the building that look more recent than the rest? Hollow sounding walls where buffoons boarded over the service riser?

This problem may have been solved already - ask the residents of the other flats as they may have had rewires or work done. Or even if not, you can look at their CUs to identify where the tails go from those flats - perhaps the one you are working in has had some additional works since which has concealed the tails.
 
thanks flameport. I will inspect the other flats to see, good idea. Issue being also that i was was asking any advice on dealing with managing agents who say it is not their responsibilty but who wont allow any running of new cables in communal areas. Maybe they want to get their own contacts involved? The tails literally disappear, from the meter, into the masonary and re-appear out of the masonary in the flat, sorry to bore everyone.
 
Not a comment on your predicament, just a thought out loud, if flats are early 60's be aware of the possibility of asbestos content, far be it from me to cast aspersions on management companies but ........ could be potential can of worms
 

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