Damaged a meter neutral feed cable to CU

[bobdabuilda]

Can you get 16mm SWA tails and if so, there's surely no way that they'd fit in that 35mm channel? It sounds like the outside route is going to have to be the option.


What about running them on the right of the window in the corner of the room ??


Who can I get to check this over locally and say for certain what the best way to resolve this situation is?

 

[bobdabuilda]

Just a thought re the SWA in cavities not being allowed- how come the mains live is coming in through the cavity into the distrib board? ?

3mm plate would protect it according to this forum http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk...al-regulations/27998-meter-tails-routing.html

 

[westie101]

how come the mains live is coming in through the cavity into the distrib board?

Totally different regulations

 

[bobdabuilda]

Untitled

• bobdabuilda
• 14 Mar 2011
• 1

 

[5parks]

THIS IS DOG CRAP WHAT THEY HAVE DONE HERE, THAT CAPPING WILL STOP NOTHING. THE FACT IT IS NAILED TO THE WALL SHOWS HOW EASY A NAIL WILL GO THROUGH IT. BUT YOU SAID THEY CHASED IT BACK 35mm I GUESS BY THE TIME YOU ADD THE PLASTER BOARD THE DEPTH WILL BE AROUND 50mm WHICH CRAP AS IT IS, WOULD SEEM TO MEET CURRENT REGS BEFORE ARMOURED CABLE OR PROTECTION BY RCD WOULD BE REQUIRED. BACK IN 96 THEY COULD OF DROPPED THEM TAILS DOWN THE CAVITY AND HAD THAT CU ABOVE THE WINDOW, WOULD OF BEEN A MUCH BETTER JOB ALL ROUND.

 

[bobdabuilda]

Why would they replace 25mm tails with 16mm ones too?

 

[5parks]

Best guess copper prices and your main fuse may only be 60a but unlikely with the age of your house

 

[bobdabuilda]

The main fuse is 60A which you can just make out in the picture of the meterbox

 

[Buzx1313]

My question was more a general one to everyone.

Bearing in mind that the window is above the meter cabinet, if the house was being built now where would the cables be routed?

in the cavity... thats where i would have put them..

 

[Buzx1313]

but that wouldn't look great and my wife wouldn't be happy, is there a better option?

hi . i know this is of no help but it would be your cheapest option, other than put the tails in the cavity or board it over and forget it..

if it was me i would ring the niceic or the eca and get them to come and look at the job, assuming the contractor that did the job is a member of one of these organisations..

 

[bernardgreen]

Just spoke to a neighbour who had a similar problem in a refurb a few years ago.

The tails and earth are in the cavity and sleeved in flexible plastic tubing, that was a requirement in case the cavity was ever filled with insulation.


As far as I know the DNO are happy that the tails are in the cavity, They come straight from the meter to the tubing which protrudes about an inch into the meter box. No isolator in the meter box.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

5parks has a point.

As soon as I saw the photos I was going to say...

"

They replaced the tails and chased them in, the specified 35mm before covering with triple layers of steel trunking - see pictures below.

Ask them which provision in 522.6.6 they think their work matches."

And

"

The wall now needs to be completely reboarded and the ceiling repaired too, but hopefully they will be sending someone to sort this out after confirmation tomorrow.

Don't be too quick to get that done"

But then I thought "hang on - chased 35mm deep, then dot/dab on top - that'll put it 50mm below the surface", so I didn't bother.

Been thinking though - I wonder if the uppermost surface of the cables will be 50mm below the surface? If the chase itself is only 35mm deep then they won't be.

 

[bobdabuilda]

but that wouldn't look great and my wife wouldn't be happy, is there a better option?

hi . i know this is of no help but it would be your cheapest option, other than put the tails in the cavity or board it over and forget it..

if it was me i would ring the niceic or the eca and get them to come and look at the job, assuming the contractor that did the job is a member of one of these organisations..

Rang niceic and they will only get involved when Taylor Wimpey have agreed as they are the ultimate contractor of the sparky.

Tails in the cavity would be ideal but apparently that's a no no according to the installers yesterday, although I swear I read somewhere recently that they can be if in conduit....anyone please confirm?

If not, then the only option is as per RF's idea and running the tails externally and up into the floor space before into the CU. As in this pic-

Picture Title

• bobdabuilda
• 15 Mar 2011
• 1

 

[flameport]

Been thinking though - I wonder if the uppermost surface of the cables will be 50mm below the surface? If the chase itself is only 35mm deep then they won't be.

Pictures show battens on the wall, so the cables will be more than 50mm below the finished surface.

Chase 35mm
Battens 25mm
Plasterboard 12.5mm
Skim 2mm / 3mm
so about 75mm total.

Tails outside diameter are around 10mm, so put them 65mm below the finished surface, well over the 50mm required.

 

[xr4x4]

Have you knocked on one of your neighbours doors and asked them if they have the same problem?