DNO's and there subcontractors

[oharaf]

Had to call 2 seperate DNO's today

NEDL A customer is ahving an extension, they require the service head and meter moving, they filled and payed several months ago. I need to be there to connect new tails to the board very busy so need the date they are coming.

Called ~NEDL who told me they had recieved the paper work and it had been passed to the sub. They gave me a name and number of the sub. Spoke to them said they would call back.

Within 10 mins they had phoned the customer promising to do it this week!!

Well done NEDL (for a change)

EON I am going to be carrying out a periodic on a property in the midlands this week, whilst surveying the job I could not identify a clear earthing supply. Large built up area has been since 1910 so really would expect a supplied earth.

Called EON requesting details of earthing arrangements i.e. do they supply an earth.

"We do not keep such records" if you need PME then you will need to order it.

I have called a a couple of the neighbours they have TN-S.

Any way very snoty and un helpful.

So I have kept the golden rod in reserve, will call them on Thursday a.m. raise an 'unsafe' install as there is a cast iron cut out & probable fused neutral.

It is my understanding that they are 'required' to hold records of where they supply an earth and they are also responsible for maintaining it!!

I am right

 

[ricicle]

I believe they are required to provide such information under ESQCR.

 

[oharaf]

that was my understanding as well ricicle

 

[Guitarguy]

One thing though, they won't be able to tell if the earth will be supplied until the new cutout has been installed and tests carried out- EFLI being one of them. I'm not sure about records of earthing types though, i mean i work for the DNO and there is cable plans and you can see what type of cable is in the ground etc.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I believe they are required to provide such information under ESQCR.

that was my understanding as well ricicle

Was the REC required to do that, or to keep records which would allow them to do that, when the supply was originally installed?

Generally speaking legislation is not retroactive, i.e. any requirement to keep such records etc would have started when the supply regulations introduced the requirement, not before.

 

[Steve]

Generally speaking legislation is not retroactive, i.e. any requirement to keep such records etc would have started when the supply regulations introduced the requirement, not before.

I guess it would be too much to ask, for a bit of joined-up thinking, getting the meter readers to survey the properties they visit and simply selecting an earthing option from a drop down box next to the meter reading on their PPC.

 

[Adam_151]

getting the meter readers to survey the properties they visit and simply selecting an earthing option from a drop down box next to the meter reading on their PPC.

That would have worked back in the days when the meter readers were retired jointers, etc, but now they come from an agency and are on minimum wage and wouldn't know what a cutout was if they found one in their lunchbox

 

[Guitarguy]

getting the meter readers to survey the properties they visit and simply selecting an earthing option from a drop down box next to the meter reading on their PPC.

That would have worked back in the days when the meter readers were retired jointers, etc, but now they come from an agency and are on minimum wage and wouldn't know what a cutout was if they found one in their lunchbox

Too true! Same as most of the office/call centre staff!

 

[securespark]

Large built up area has been since 1910 so really would expect a supplied earth.

Huge chunks of the ST area have been built up since 1910 or around that time and have TT supplies, both subterranean and overhead.

In other ST areas having TT supplies, the DNO has been replacing elderly cables with PVC, but reinstating TT, even though the new supplies are PME-ready.

 

[skenk]

I called Scottish Power Energy Networks a couple of weeks ago for a customer as there was no earth (3036 board, lead lighting circuit . .

When the guy came round we had a look at the steel conduit coming from the cast iron 3-phase cut out at the bottom of the stairs and feeding the 8 flats via their own 60A fuses in big conduit boxes on each level, with Pyro as the final connection to each flat. He pointed out a painted but otherwise bare earth from the 3-phase cutout to the 2" steel conduit and told me there was 'probably, in theory' an earth. I had already Ze'd using the sheath of the Pyro (0.12) and when I told him that he told me just to take the earth from there myself

This is my first experience of speaking to a DNO guy myself, he wasn't young or anything he looked like he'd seen it a 100 times. He didn't even come in to the flat to look at the meter area (nor open up the box on the landing to inspect the flat cutout). He took a couple of pictures of the worst bits of rust on the conduit and left.

It made my life a bit easier though, a new '951 on the Pyro and I was ready to go! The only functioning 'earth' the flat had before was from the water bond.

I doubt i'd get the man's instructions in writing though!

I have also seen a DIY effort of a new bit of SWA hooked up to the cutout box in the landing, with the earth taken from the box.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

wouldn't know what a cutout was if they found one in their lunchbox

 

[oharaf]

Woah!!!!!!

Opened my lunch box and would you believe it, one of those 'Be good to Yourself' things from sainsburys!!!

Untitled

• oharaf
• 8 Jun 2010
• 1

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

wouldn't know what a cutout was if they found one in their lunchbox

totally un-called for. It is a well known fact that Mr. Cristie does not like the association bewtween himself and the 'lunchbox'.

I personally find your post to be gratuitous, rude and offensive.

Can you offer a clear and rational arguement as to why you felt your post was to the benefit of the OP or this forum in general?

Are you a racist?

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

Woah!!!!!!

Opened my lunch box and would you believe it, one of those 'Be good to Yourself' things from sainsburys!!!

Untitled

• oharaf
• 8 Jun 2010
• 1

would have preferred diet, caffiene free coke (other brands are available) and a 3ph head