Getting an Isolator fitted (or not !) what a palaver...

[kwikfix328]

So I've waited patiently for nearly 3 weeks for my appointment. The guy from the Electrical power distribution company has come out on time to fit my isolator and within 5 minutes or so told me that he can't do it !

Reason's:

i) The electrical connections at the bottom of my meter are corroded and tight , he doesn't think he can undo them without the risk of breaking something.

ii) The meter is in the 'wrong' place so will need moving to accomodate the new isolator. He hasn't been allocated enough time to do this extra task and there is also this risk of breaking something if he attempts it.

Aren't i glad i took the morning off work today just for this one.

Hey -ho **** happens as we say.


Now booked new appt ( with another 12 working day minimum wait ) for;

i) Move Meter approx 10" upwards.
with note: Bring new meter just in case old one breaks due to stiff/corroded connectors.

ii) Fit Isolator switch.

Some further comments:

The guy brought a single pole isolator ( Wylex) , he said this is what they use. He also was going to fit a new ( unsealed) neutral block for some reason.

I asked him a few questions about the work involved, etc when he first got here, just for my own interest really, he told me that he wasn't actually an 'electrician' , he just fitted/moved meters, isolators, etc. He was a nice friendly bloke , I just found this comment kinda funny

 

[too old to learn]

Hi,
like yourself, a lot of my questions ome out of interest and this does sound interesting. If it is possible can you do some before / after and even in between (if the installer alows this) photos of when he moves the meter, it will be interesting to see how he connects the extra cable required to reach the new position, or is it just for the fact that he will solder an extension able to existing able?
many thanks

 

[dingodeano]

I have considered this also . How much does it cost? is there a set charge involved or does it vary from job to job?

 

[kwikfix328]

Hi,
like yourself, a lot of my questions ome out of interest and this does sound interesting. If it is possible can you do some before / after and even in between (if the installer alows this) photos of when he moves the meter, it will be interesting to see how he connects the extra cable required to reach the new position, or is it just for the fact that he will solder an extension able to existing able?
many thanks

Not the most interesting of picturers , but goes:

Basically he told me that the easiest thing for him is to rip almost the whole lot out and fit a new single meter standard tarrif meter , instead of having the existing Meter and the timer. This would allow him to cut the tails, instead of undoing the stiff connector screws in the blocks.
He will fit new lengths of 25mm tails on 'their' side of the Isolator, where required as a matter of course.
I had a gas main and then GCH fitted to my house when i first moved in as the Economy 7 heating was ineffective and expensive to run. I now no longer have Electric heaters, immersion heater or electric shower installed in my house, everything comes off my combi boiler ( and yes it has broken down and was a freezing PITA when it did - they never break down in the summer !!).

However i have just worked out my average electrical usage over the last 12 & 24 months and I still save enough money to make keeping the dual band electric cost effective ( there is about £100 per year advantage for me ).

It is weird how they work the costs of these things out. At first she told me there would be a charge for this extra work ( moving the meter) , however she then let slip that they only move meters upto 2 feet for free , I pointed out that mine only needed shifting by 10" or so and am now getting this done gratis in the same visit.

If the cost of switching to a single unit where cheaper than i would do this , but i can't see the point of paying extra money to them every year just to make the installation guys job a bit easier for this single job.

Another little thing he mentioned was that even though he was fitting new 25mm tails, the actual service supply cable conductors were really quite 'weedy' is the phrses i think he used, .

 

[Chris.J]

If you are on a VERY old tarif (pre "white" meter), where you got an afternoon boost at cheap rate, or perhaps "half price" night units (can't remember the exact details) and you want to keep this, suggest you don't let him fit a single meter, because once you have lost your "afternoon boost/half price night" tarif, you can't get it back!

 

[Roo]

If you are on a VERY old tarif (pre "white" meter), where you got an afternoon boost at cheap rate, or perhaps "half price" night units (can't remember the exact details) and you want to keep this, suggest you don't let him fit a single meter, because once you have lost your "afternoon boost/half price night" tarif, you can't get it back!

Chris is right, once PRESERVED TARIFF'S (as they are known) have been removed they can't be fitted again as the supplier does not supply that tariff any more.
If a customer has a preserved tariff it can't be removed unless the customer request's it.

This I believe cause's loads of problems when a customer switch's suppliers as the new supplier doesn't know what the hell to charge them as they've never supplied the tariff, and usually they get the customer to have a normal meter fitted.

Kwik fix
I suspect the chap that came to see you has a person scheduling his work that trained with mine, I had 17 jobs to get round today (not all together either) and that is probably why the fella back heeled it.

I personally would have done it and told the boss i wasn't going to get to some jobs but others like to get their figures in, the time it would have took him to do your job he could have maybe got 3 jobs done.

As for single rate meter, that picture looks to me like your on Economy 7 and the chap probably meant he was going to install an E7 TELEMETER (a meter and timer in one).

This would then give him extra room for the 3/4 pole isolator.


As for

he told me that he wasn't actually an 'electrician' , he just fitted/moved meters, isolators, etc. He was a nice friendly bloke , I just found this comment kinda funny

Why was that funny?

 

[kwikfix328]

I suspect the chap that came to see you has a person scheduling his work that trained with mine, I had 17 jobs to get round today (not all together either) and that is probably why the fella back heeled it.

I personally would have done it and told the boss i wasn't going to get to some jobs but others like to get their figures in, the time it would have took him to do your job he could have maybe got 3 jobs done.

As for single rate meter, that picture looks to me like your on Economy 7 and the chap probably meant he was going to install an E7 TELEMETER (a meter and timer in one).

This would then give him extra room for the 3/4 pole isolator.

Roo , thanks for the informative reply, I was asked to phone back tomorrow to see if i could get my new appointment brought forward at all, having already waited nearly 3 weeks for today's, and taking a morning off, i was a bit miffed. These things happen though....

Yes i do have Economy 7, although it doesn't really get used as such now that all of the electrical heating stuff is no longer used.

At least now that they've had a look at the job they will know what is required next time around. I don't really care what equipment is fitted, just as long as it doesn't cost me any more money, I'm happy for them to fit whatever they think is best.

As for

he told me that he wasn't actually an 'electrician' , he just fitted/moved meters, isolators, etc. He was a nice friendly bloke , I just found this comment kinda funny

Why was that funny?

It just made me smile a bit that's all, when i reflected on it later, but not in a nasty or cynical way. I just figured that it proably doesn't really get much more 'electrical' around the house than fiddling about with the actual service head, meter and supply tails, etc.
I was having a chat with the fella and basically just tapping him for general info because I'm genuinely interested in this kind of stuff when he said that he wasn't actually an electrician.
He had the Toolbox, the test gear, the uniform, the van and the spare parts and the authority so looked every inch a Sparky to me

 

[Roo]

I can understand you being a bit miffed and if it was my house I'd be very miffed and kicking off to get someone else out (not that I advise that as it's bad for business)
As I said before if it was me I would have done the job and told the boss I wasn't going to make it to some of the other's (it makes sense if your already there).
This may have taught the office not to issue so many which I believe was the reason he left.

It just made me smile a bit that's all, when i reflected on it later, but not in a nasty or cynical way. I just figured that it proably doesn't really get much more 'electrical' around the house than fiddling about with the actual service head, meter and supply tails, etc.
I was having a chat with the fella and basically just tapping him for general info because I'm genuinely interested in this kind of stuff when he said that he wasn't actually an electrician.
He had the Toolbox, the test gear, the uniform, the van and the spare parts and the authority so looked every inch a Sparky to me

We do need atleast a basic electrical knowledge to start and the new lads are trained extensively before they go out on their own but you'd probably be very surprised at just how much we don't need to know (compared to a spark) when we are only working on the DNO side of things.

As for the bloke that came to see you judging by what you've said and how he's put that tape on I believe he may have been a new fella.


All the above said there are a lot of sparks that do our job but our company stopped the spark training a long time ago.

 

[kwikfix328]

I got back onto my supplier and they have arranged a new appt, unfortunately I'll still have to wait, despite my moaning

I am getting a new meter fitted in the new position, plus the isolator , plus a neutral block. The guy will be fitting all 25mm tails on 'their' side.
The consumer side of the isolator will be unsealed as will the neutral block.

This is all getting done FOC, so i suppose i can really grumble too much. I might see if they can upgrade the main fuse at the same time to an 80 or 100 amp unit then i should be fully future proofed.

 

[kwikfix328]

Guy came round this morning nice and early and had the job all done within about an hour.

Sparky cvoming round next week to fit my new consumer unit so hopefully that will be me all sorrted for a few years now.

I got a new digital meter, Neutral block and Isolator fitted, here's a before and after piccy:

Why have i got two Neutrals , one coming from the service head, the other coming from the meter ?

 

[Lectrician]

The two neutrals - One is for the peak, and one off peak. They should ideally be marshalled together at the bottom neutral block, but it is not too much of an issue.

You have a double pole switch switching both the lives, the peak and off peak. The neutral is not switched. This is common in many areas, with other areas prefering to also switch the neutral.