Outside Mains Supply Electrical replacement !!

[JayHS]

Hi there guys and dolls

question

I am looking to have my mains incoming electrical supply replaced!

do I get my local Sparky to do it?

my local Southern Electricity Co. to do it

or summin else..

as I have at long last got around to doing my driveway, yay!!! and I am very keen on replacing the original cable before the blockwork/bricks go down.
as I do not want to dig up all my hard work in the future!
it is the original cable that is all rusty and very very old, around 1940's

any advise would be great

I also am looking to replace the original Gas Pipe and Mains Water ( but I shall look around on here to get advise for this )

thanks for reading this

JayHS

please advise

 

[Wontdothatagain]

The cable is owned by SSE and ONLY they can work on it. The cable is permantly live unless they pull the fuse at the substation which will knock out quite a few houses. If you think the cable is dangerous, contact them and they will send someone out to look but if they find any damage due to you ripping the drive up, they will charge you if it needs replacing.

If they test the cable and it is ok, they will not replace it, if you want it replacing, they will charge you and i hope you have deep pockets

 

[JayHS]

cheers dude

lol

ok I will contact the local SSE
No it is not damaged but it may well become damaged from the pounding when laying the block/brick work

hence asking the question now

any ideas as to how much they would charge?

 

[JayHS]

the SSe website is rather rubbish to say the least.
with nothing on there re replacement mains cable i will call them tomorrow, but if anyone has any ideas as to what sort of cost it may be? that would be great

 

[westie101]

At least a 4 figure sum, a better alternative could be to lay an approved duct (usually available from builders merchants) alongside for future use should it fail.

Just because the outer steel armour is rusty does not mean there is anything wrong with the cable, I would struggle to justify our replacing it free of charge.

If it were damaged by the works, you will certainly be charged, ensure there is at least 50mm of sand around the cable as you backfill.

 

[riveralt]

the SSe website is rather rubbish to say the least.
with nothing on there re replacement mains cable i will call them tomorrow, but if anyone has any ideas as to what sort of cost it may be? that would be great

In rough terms about £200 per metre -depends on the length of the cable and depth they have to dig Or whatever they feel like charging you. Either way expect a large bill.

Builder down the road cut an electricity cable in half when digging out the foundations - the DNO came crimped it and charged him £1500.

How deep is this cable?
How deep are you going to lay block bricks?

 

[bernardgreen]

The provisional quote for new supply to a property being divided into two separate dwellings that arrived today was around £4000. That is for a run of about 10 metres from the cable under the road to the designated entry point on the building. ( Internal meter ) And as it means a new customer that price might be lower than the cost of replacing an existing cable.

So get a quote before deciding.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

it is the original cable that is all rusty and very very old, around 1940's

How do you know? Have you uncovered it whilst excavating for the sub-base?

I also am looking to replace the original Gas Pipe and Mains Water

This is going to be a very expensive driveway...

 

[JayHS]

hi All

cheers for the advice.. ok here goes in replying to many questions that you have asked..

metreage is around 11 mtrs from pavement to the house
I have found and exposed a small 3 foot area around the original Water pipe + Gas pipe + elec Cable in my front garden/driveway, which are all very near each other i.e. a foot away from each other.

The Elec cable will one day go.. as it is rusty and 60 years old or so, so I am looking at laying some 60mm or so ducting with pull cord inside for the future replacement of the elecy Cable.

the water I am looking to lay new 25mm water pipe and leaving it exposed at each end for replacing this in the near future as the original WILL burst when I wacker down the sub base on my driveway. but it will be done correctly and I will have evidence to prove thus by photos and visable areas for inspection from the wesex water man

the Gas pipe has been updated many years ago,with the yellow covered type pipe, but I also have the original mains gas pipe still live on my property.. so 2 live gas lines is a No,No. so I shall expose the gas line that feeds from my gas meter to my combi boiler and cooker and so on, and inform that there is a gas leak!!
to which as I have exposed most of it, my neighbour ( is a gas southern call out guy, he has advised me to do it this way )
and they will make it safe.. and replace the pipe with a new pipe where the old but still used live one is.. as I will have done the work to expose it.
and whilst they are on site I will point out that I have a second live gas pipe somewhere on my property.. which I shall find over the next few days..
and inform them when they are drinking a cuppa tea to ask them to make it safe..
so I think this is somewhat "Job's a goodun"
and I am happy to pay for what ever cost nearer the time re the electric cable replacement knowing I have done all the hard work.
and the water pipe too.. which I am told is nil cost or very small as it is only re conecting my supply and a sign off.

Happy Days

hope this helps answer your thoughts and questions re the original post

thanks guys any other advice please.. would be fab

cheers

JayHS

 

[flameport]

I shall expose the gas line that feeds from my gas meter to my combi boiler and cooker and so on, and inform that there is a gas leak!!

They could then quite easily claim you caused the leak, and expect you to pay for the cost of repairs. It is unlikely that people sent to repair a leak would undertake additional work to disconnect a separate pipe.
What is the problem with having 2 pipes there anyway?

and the water pipe too.. which I am told is nil cost or very small as it is only re conecting my supply and a sign off.

If you want a new supply connecting, then arrange and pay for that. Deliberately destroying the old supply is likely to be very expensive, as you will have to pay for the emergency repairs, plus the vast amount of wasted water.
You are also opening up the very likely possibility of having no water supply for an extended period of time.

 

[bernardgreen]

I admire your confidence.. When you whacker down the base and the old water pipe bursts you will probably have a base suffering badly from liquifaction and that will need to dry out and shrink back to normal before the drive is laid,

Or will you turn off the stop cock in the street before the pipe bursts.

Hope it all works out as you plan it to.

 

[riveralt]

hope this helps answer your thoughts and questions re the original post

thanks guys any other advice please.. would be fab

cheers

JayHS

I'd be interested in how your planning permission went for the new driveway - going get mine done in the near future and the LA current charge is over £300 unless I use permeable block bricks in which case no permission is required.

 

[JayHS]

I shall expose the gas line that feeds from my gas meter to my combi boiler and cooker and so on, and inform that there is a gas leak!!

They could then quite easily claim you caused the leak, and expect you to pay for the cost of repairs. It is unlikely that people sent to repair a leak would undertake additional work to disconnect a separate pipe.
What is the problem with having 2 pipes there anyway?

it is against gas supply regs to have 2 live feeds - so I have been told

and the water pipe too.. which I am told is nil cost or very small as it is only re conecting my supply and a sign off.

If you want a new supply connecting, then arrange and pay for that. Deliberately destroying the old supply is likely to be very expensive, as you will have to pay for the emergency repairs, plus the vast amount of wasted water.
You are also opening up the very likely possibility of having no water supply for an extended period of time.

the new Water 25mm pipe shall be capped off each end.. and made clean and good. with plenty of spare to connect to the mains water supply.
this is not a deliberate action to damage the water feed.. this will happen as it is near to bursting.. as it is the original pipe.

re the gas feed.
no I am only going to expose a gas leak.. they will arrive and make it safe.. by temporary capping it off.. and yes i have may have no gas for the evening.. boo hoo.
i will then expose the entire gas pipe and they will simply install new pipe as it is all too old to be re jointed. this is advice i have been given by a gas engineer and not me just blowing hot steam your way.
I shall let you know how it goes ok in the near future.. but if you hear a loud "BoooM" sometime soon! you will know i have done it.


re the driveway finish

mmm type 1 stone.. is my sub base.. maybe gravel or brick..finish. but £150 for planning application and pourus brick would be used if i went with using brick finish. but my otherhalf likes gravel more, and so do i.

 

[electronicsuk]

Contact the relevant utilities and ask them how deep to bury your ductwork, if they require any particular colour coding, etc etc. Take pictures of your work. That way, you shouldn't have any problems later down the line when they can't look under your driveway to ascertain if the ducting is buried 60 or 600mm deep.

 

[londonboy]

I think you are causing yourself extra grief here.

Why will the pipe burst if you lay a new drive way?
Why do you think the power cable will fail?

They are both hugely unlikely, its not often (ever) I see water gushing out of new drive ways.