Is this a common sight?

uselessFCUK · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 119 Location: United Kingdom

What's this tacky gloopy-looking drool?

(Also, is this TN-S?

)

Steve · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 4:40 pm

Looks like TNS. A picture of the cutout whole would be nice.

Its tar leaking from the cutout. Call the DNO, they'll replace it FOC i think.

bongos · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 4:42 pm

uselessFCUK wrote:

What's this tacky gloopy-looking drool?

(Also, is this TN-S?

)

The gloopy stuff is tar from your service head/supply cable and means you need to put a call into your DNO to get them to come and sort it.

As for TN-S? I dunno - it lookslike there may be an old earth taped to the sheath there in a sort of crude TN-S. I'm sure the DNO would sort that for you too at the same time.

Lectrician · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 4:44 pm

Crude TN-S?

Looks like apretty standard lead sheathed TN-S to me. That assumes your installation is connected to the provided terminal.

As for the tar, it is an all to common sight. It could easily have been like this from day one. The DNO are unlikely to do anything unless there is signs of overheating.

uselessFCUK · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 119 Location: United Kingdom

Install circa 1968

Meter dated 1989

CU just dated!

Thanks. UF

Lectrician · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 6:08 pm

Defo TN-S.

Tails *look* to be 16mm with a 10mm earth, The earth should be 16mm to comply to the current regs, but at 10mm it is retrospectively fine until you have a CU upgrade or similar. As a point of note, 6mm earths where more common.

Do you also have a second CU? You have some newer looking tails going from left to right (the grey ones). These look to be taken from the top of the incomer of the old CU - not a great practice.

Does not look like there is too much to be concerned with when thinking of immediate danger etc, but could do with updating.

Have you checked your bonding?

regsmyth · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 8:52 pm

Lectrician wrote:

As for the tar, it is an all too common sight. It could easily have been like this from day one. The DNO are unlikely to do anything unless there is signs of overheating.

Strange you should say that, when I saw the first photo, I thought "that could be a sign of overheating".
Of course I defer your greater experience, but on a recent thread there was a photo of a burnt out cu, and one of the tarry cables had started to "bead up" on the surface, presumably as a result of heat.
Also, there's no dust on the tar so it could be fresh.

uselessFCUK · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 119 Location: United Kingdom

Lectrician wrote:

Do you also have a second CU? You have some newer looking tails going from left to right (the grey ones). These look to be taken from the top of the incomer of the old CU - not a great practice.

Have you checked your bonding?

Tails go off to shower's RCBO.

Fantastic terminating!

industryspark · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 7:14 pm

Quote:

Lectrician wrote:

As for the tar, it is an all too common sight. It could easily have been like this from day one. The DNO are unlikely to do anything unless there is signs of overheating.

regsmyth wrote;

Strange you should say that, when I saw the first photo, I thought "that could be a sign of overheating".
Of course I defer your greater experience, but on a recent thread there was a photo of a burnt out cu, and one of the tarry cables had started to "bead up" on the surface, presumably as a result of heat.
Also, there's no dust on the tar so it could be fresh.

i would have to agree with lectrician here, was at a house doing some work couple of years back now when the YEDL guy turned up to do their bit, i enquired about the black tar ooze at this certain property and the guy seemed unconcerned and said that its quite common to see this, he said it never concerned him unless there were other indications that something was wrong.

regards.

uselessFCUK · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 119 Location: United Kingdom

Well what exactly is the black tar stuff?

Is it used as a seal of some sort?

333rocky333 · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 10:25 pm

uselessFCUK wrote:

Well what exactly is the black tar stuff?

Is it used as a seal of some sort?

Seen it a lot in commercial sites ,usually a blob off it built up on the floor.

Suppose it is some sort of insulator maybe.

JohnD · Posted: Tue May 27, 2008 10:35 pm

the tar is clearly black and shiny, so it is new and fresh, or it would be coated with dust and cobwebs.

you mention an electric shower...

Lectrician · Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 6:30 am

I see cobwebs on the tar.

JohnD · Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 6:35 am

in this one there is a fresh clean dribble

ban-all-sheds · Posted: Wed May 28, 2008 8:55 am

JohnD wrote:

in this one there is a fresh clean dribble

Fnarr fnarr