S
sparkyspike
Any luck yet?
A complex problem?
- Thread starter PaulMac07
- Start date
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Hi dudes, sorry for the late response, but I've been waiting until I got a resolution to this one.
Yesterday I lost total power again, and nothing had tripped at the CU. After confirming with the neighbours that they had power, I call Scottish power and reported the outage. I was told that it would be treated as an emergency and someone would be sent out straight away. 3 hours later a spark arrived, checked over the CU and eventually pulled the main fuse and opened the meter. He discovered that NONE of the main tail connections were even close to being tight. He was shocked that we had gone so long without a major disaster. The meter is the original one, installed 27 years ago, it is being replaced tomorrow.
Since we moved to this house 4 years ago, we have had loads of appliances mysteriously 'die' on us. From electric kettles to hairdryers, and countless bulbs, including expensive CFL lamps. Latterly, as I mentioned at the start of this thread, our shower died and the electronic ignition on the oven. Last year we managed to consume 6500kwh, which led to a healthy and very unusual bill, which I put down to the cost of electricity these days.
Do I have a case for some sort of compensation? Or am I just unlucky?
Thanks again lads.
Paul
Yesterday I lost total power again, and nothing had tripped at the CU. After confirming with the neighbours that they had power, I call Scottish power and reported the outage. I was told that it would be treated as an emergency and someone would be sent out straight away. 3 hours later a spark arrived, checked over the CU and eventually pulled the main fuse and opened the meter. He discovered that NONE of the main tail connections were even close to being tight. He was shocked that we had gone so long without a major disaster. The meter is the original one, installed 27 years ago, it is being replaced tomorrow.
Since we moved to this house 4 years ago, we have had loads of appliances mysteriously 'die' on us. From electric kettles to hairdryers, and countless bulbs, including expensive CFL lamps. Latterly, as I mentioned at the start of this thread, our shower died and the electronic ignition on the oven. Last year we managed to consume 6500kwh, which led to a healthy and very unusual bill, which I put down to the cost of electricity these days.
Do I have a case for some sort of compensation? Or am I just unlucky?
Thanks again lads.
Paul
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Hi Paul,
Yes you DO have a claim against the original DNO who installed the meter back in the 1980's. But I might stress here that this will not be easy.
Do have the faulty items still in your possesion or replacment receipts? If not, you would have to make a nominal figure for the replacement goods.
Firstly, you will need to find out which DNO installed the meter, then find out who it has been bought out by etc etc. You'll then have to file a case in the small claims court against that operator, chances are 50/50 if the judge says you have claim. It'll will also be 50/50 if the DNO shows up to the hearing.
If things go your way and the judge says you have won your claim, you will then have to enforce the payment which is another game as the small claims court can't order someone to pay up.
If after 60 days ( which I think it is in england) you can then apply to the court for an order to make them pay. Which basically means you can employ a bailiff to walk into scottish powers offices and cease goods and recover the costs also.
Just do a google on the bloke who sent bailiffs into RBS offices about bank charges!
Yes you DO have a claim against the original DNO who installed the meter back in the 1980's. But I might stress here that this will not be easy.
Do have the faulty items still in your possesion or replacment receipts? If not, you would have to make a nominal figure for the replacement goods.
Firstly, you will need to find out which DNO installed the meter, then find out who it has been bought out by etc etc. You'll then have to file a case in the small claims court against that operator, chances are 50/50 if the judge says you have claim. It'll will also be 50/50 if the DNO shows up to the hearing.
If things go your way and the judge says you have won your claim, you will then have to enforce the payment which is another game as the small claims court can't order someone to pay up.
If after 60 days ( which I think it is in england) you can then apply to the court for an order to make them pay. Which basically means you can employ a bailiff to walk into scottish powers offices and cease goods and recover the costs also.
Just do a google on the bloke who sent bailiffs into RBS offices about bank charges!
guy did the same thing to tesco's for selling him contaminated fuel..
the bailiffs seized £60,000 worth of alcohol and goods until they paid the debt...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1480349.ece
the bailiffs seized £60,000 worth of alcohol and goods until they paid the debt...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1480349.ece
Thanks very much for the advice guys. I didn't keep receipts of damaged appliances, as I assumed at the time that I was just unlucky when it came to expensive electrical equipment. I will do as you advise, and file a small claim against Scottish Power.
I have gone from being relieved that our problems have been resolved with the flickering lights etc, to being angry at the shoddy installation and also that our meters intended lifetime expired a long time ago. The spark who fixed it said it should have been changed years ago under a government directive, but suppliers were ignoring it due to costs.
We are having a new digital meter installed today. I just hope the guy remembers to tighten all the connections this time....!!
Cheers,
Paul
I have gone from being relieved that our problems have been resolved with the flickering lights etc, to being angry at the shoddy installation and also that our meters intended lifetime expired a long time ago. The spark who fixed it said it should have been changed years ago under a government directive, but suppliers were ignoring it due to costs.
We are having a new digital meter installed today. I just hope the guy remembers to tighten all the connections this time....!!
Cheers,
Paul
insist on watching and make sure he uses a torque driver..
ask to see the instructions for the meter too as they will have tightening torques in it..
he may very well get ****y with you for asking these things but just explain the situation to him..
ask to see the instructions for the meter too as they will have tightening torques in it..
he may very well get ****y with you for asking these things but just explain the situation to him..
also look to see if he cuts off the old ends of the cable and strips back to new copper.
Loose connections will overheat and the copper is then too soft to make a firm connection in future.
Annealed or tempered? I can't remember
Have we got a metallurgist on here>
Loose connections will overheat and the copper is then too soft to make a firm connection in future.
Annealed or tempered? I can't remember
Have we got a metallurgist on here>
JohnD said:
Best I could find was a meteorologist
I think it is annealed though
Thanks guys, I checked, and he did torque the connections up and bare the cables again. there was evidence of burning on the old insulation.
He was from Powergen, i asked hm to fit a DP Isolator, but he said we needed permission to do this. I suppose he meant to call Powergen again, and get their approval.
Thanks again,
Paul
He was from Powergen, i asked hm to fit a DP Isolator, but he said we needed permission to do this. I suppose he meant to call Powergen again, and get their approval.
Thanks again,
Paul
Annealing = heating and allowing to cool slowly to make workable.JohnD said:also look to see if he cuts off the old ends of the cable and strips back to new copper.
Loose connections will overheat and the copper is then too soft to make a firm connection in future.
Annealed or tempered? I can't remember
Tempering = heating and holding at a temperature to drive out impurities, sometime many cycles are used, and cooling is rapid
That's what I remember from O-Level Metalwork
annealing - heating to a prescribes temperature and allowing to cool slowly so metal crystals are able to grow to large size.
Tempering - heating to a prescribed temperature and cooling quickly - forces lots of small crystals in the metal (can be in water or oil (less severe)).
Large crystals = low tensile strength as crystals easily deformed.
Small crystals = high strength as crystals won't slide over each other easily. Or something like that - Mech eng degree level metallurgy was 26 years ago.
And yes- metals are crystalline - look up austenite, pearlite or martensite steel - the various grades of steel are created by careful control of heating and cooling.
Tempering - heating to a prescribed temperature and cooling quickly - forces lots of small crystals in the metal (can be in water or oil (less severe)).
Large crystals = low tensile strength as crystals easily deformed.
Small crystals = high strength as crystals won't slide over each other easily. Or something like that - Mech eng degree level metallurgy was 26 years ago.
And yes- metals are crystalline - look up austenite, pearlite or martensite steel - the various grades of steel are created by careful control of heating and cooling.
Aw Jeez, IJ, you're giving me eutectic flashbacks now!
Please don't get onto dislocations!
Please don't get onto dislocations!
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