An interesting read

Would you say the neutral connection is safe? Maybe i'm being daft, but the exposed copper is not something I'm entirely comfortable with!
In view of the problems you are having and presuming this Neutral is also next door's Earth I would say it is probably not safe.

Or have I missed something?

Edit - Also what rating is the main fuse? (may already have been stated).
 
Hands up anyone who would like to claim that there could be no way that what happened was simply that the builder used a bunch of incompetent numpty electricians who wired everything as TN-C-S because they were incompetent numpties?
Certainly not me - as I've said, it seems like a perfectly credibly explanation as to what may have happened.

Kind Regards, John.
 
OK, BAS - all houses built 1938 as coal board houses. All houses were council houses as of 1979 when they were refurbished, they were ALL rewired as mine currently looks like.

(I have photos of my gran's showing a similar set up around the corner if anyone wants to see them)

****remaining council houses as of 2010 were rewired again and all now on RCBO's but still with earth into neutral at cut-out****


Main Fuse = 80A even though it's in a 100A carrier, or was before SP broke the cut out in Jan. whether the same fuse rating is in the new one or not is unknown.

Edit: Clarification
 
Hi, sorry, I missed that bit, ehh I'll take the front of and have a look later (obv. turning off at RCD and watching because still live on incoming side! I wouldn't trust anything the now anyway including the neutrals in there), although I suspect the grey one is the feed to the shower (on the MCB)
 
Main Fuse = 80A even though it's in a 100A carrier
That's OK then - with 80A meter and what looks like 16mm² cable (mainly concerned about the black one).
As for 'the black one', I presume that's what Andrew said was the feed to the next door property. What confuses me (maybe it's an optical illusion) is that the L looks as if it is coming out on his side of the fuse.

What are the two cables I asked about before - CU to hole in wall?
I'd guess that they are final circuits - the largish grey one in the foreground posibly being shower or cooker - but I'm sure he will tell us.

Kind Regards,John.
 
And for Reference

Fuses, left to right

Shower (MCB), Lights, Immerser Heater (disused now, combi spured of ring main), Cooker (disused, gas now), Ring main (Kitchen), ring main (rest of house)
 
Main Fuse = 80A even though it's in a 100A carrier, or was before SP broke the cut out in Jan. ...
As I've written in another post, I'm a bit confused by that black cable (with bare neutral) which you say is the feed to 'next door'. I assumed that to mean a different house - is that correct? If so, as I've said, it looks as if that feed is coming out of 'your' side of the main fuse - which would mean that you and 'next door' would be sharing that 80A fuse - which would certainly surprise me (maybe because I haven't seen enough such surprises!).

Kind Regards, John.
 
You know I've never thought of that! I don't know whether "internally" it "Bypasses" the fuse wire or not as the other house does have an 80A fuse also :\

The set up in this area is all semi's one is the 'main' ie us....

the other house (call it secondary) is fed via our loft with the black cable.... my gran's house is a 'secondary' set up, want to see the pics of her set up?

Thanks :)
 
You know I've never thought of that! I don't know whether "internally" it "Bypasses" the fuse wire or not as the other house does have an 80A fuse also :\
We need the input of someone who knows what goes on inside a DNO cutout/service head, but I would have frankly doubted that there would be (or should be) a way of a cable entering there to 'bypass' the fuse. If it did, it would get very close to the 'top' (protected) side of the fuse on its journey to the other side, and I would have thought that would not be regarded as a safe practice - but, having very rarely seen inside one of those things, who am I to know?!

The set up in this area is all semi's one is the 'main' ie us....the other house (call it secondary) is fed via our loft with the black cable.... my gran's house is a 'secondary' set up, want to see the pics of her set up?
That might be interesting, if it's easy for you to do. Do I take it that (whether her feed comes via a neighbour's fuse or not) her installation has a main fuse of its own?

Kind Regards, John
 
yes, my gran's house below is one of the 'secondary feeds' still of the same tran. but on a different street. As you can see it still has an 80A fuse in the cut-out.
Thanks - that was quick! I think we now need to hear from those folk that know what goes on (or can go on) inside a cutout!

Kind Regards, John.
 
I took them earlier today when I was down, I new they would come in handy for comparison!

Also a dodgy looking bare neutral on this one too lol, but I must add, no problems what-so-ever in this property! I might swap houses with my gran lol
 
Also a dodgy looking bare neutral on this one too lol, but I must add, no problems what-so-ever in this property! I might swap houses with my gran lol
Indeed. I'm glad that I don't have to deal with those concentric cables, because I can see that it would not be an easy task to get the neutral totally insulated - although one would certainly think that it is desirable that it should be. I would also think it would be desirable to get an additional sheath over both the red-insulated live core and also the neutral (after insulation) (i.e. 'double insulation') but I suspect that's even more difficult.

Kind Regards, John.
 

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