Henley overheated

[Steve]

What should I do?

Just finished cooking and eating tea today, about 6pm R lass says to me "can you hear that noise coming from that corner?" <pointing at the meter cupboard in the corner of the living room>.

I go and explore with my ear and lo and behold there's a flickering type noise coming from the corner. "I've been hearing it all day" she continues. I open up the cupboard and see flashes coming from under a henley block in there. Straight away I turn off the mainswitch on the CU, taking out the dishwasher mid cycle and the apple pie in the oven.

No smoke, just a strong ozone smell. Once I had called Northern Power Grid, I took a picture on the camera phone (dark corner, no light) and spotted the problem. Overheating neutral from the meter into the henley. I am fully aware this henley is mine, not NPG's, just thought I'd play the system a little bit.

Untitled

• Steve
• 28 Aug 2014
• 1

So the NPG guy rocks up and pulls the neutral straight out. Gets his super insulated screwdriver out, plugs the wire back into the henley and tightens it right up. Also made sure the other connections were nice and tight. Told me if I have any more problems with the block I should call an electrician as it belongs to me.

My concern is that the cable was charred and melty on the end and really should have been stripped back to clean copper. Also, the henley is unnecessary anyway because there is only one CU.

Soooo . . . should I get an electrician to remove this henley altogether and put the two CU tails into the meter? Or should I get the supplier to arrange this, given the meter is sealed . . .

Cheers.

 

[RF Lighting]

Are the tails from the cu long enough to reach the meter without the henley?

 

[Steve]

Yep. The CU is to the left of the meter. Those grey tails in that henley are from the CU. So they are really too long - they hang quite low as it is. Ooh err.

 

[RF Lighting]

Do you want me to take your henley out? I'm working in bakewell / chesterfield but heading back home tomorrow. I can soon divert to yours on the way through. It'll only take 5 mins.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Soooo . . . should I get an electrician to remove this henley altogether and put the two CU tails into the meter?

The connection to the meter is for ONE tail only. If you try and cram two in there, then you'll get a worse problem than you already have.

You need a new Henley, and nice clean connections. Its up to you how you do it.

 

[Steve]

Soooo . . . should I get an electrician to remove this henley altogether and put the two CU tails into the meter?

The connection to the meter is for ONE tail only. If you try and cram two in there, then you'll get a worse problem than you already have.

You need a new Henley, and nice clean connections. Its up to you how you do it.

no no no, there is ONE CU with TWO TAILS (L & N) Apologies.

Rob what time you thinking? I'm out till about 6 but could be home earlier.

 

[JohnW2]

The connection to the meter is for ONE tail only. If you try and cram two in there, then you'll get a worse problem than you already have.

Why two? When you say "ONE tail only", you presumably mean one pair (L & N)? There appears to be just one such pair of tails between mater and CU, joined at the Henley (apparently unnecessarily, per what OP has said).

Kind Regards, John
Damnit - typed too slowly again

 

[RF Lighting]

Not sure we've got a lot to do tomorrow so it won't be too early. How about I let you know when I'm leaving site and see if you're about?

 

[JohnW2]

Do you want me to take your henley out? I'm working in bakewell / chesterfield but heading back home tomorrow. I can soon divert to yours on the way through. It'll only take 5 mins.

Does that 5 minutes include waiting fro the DNO to pull and replace the cutout fuse, or is there an isolator we haven't been told about, or ..... ?

Kind Regards, John

 

[RF Lighting]

There's two load terminals on the meter for two tails

 

[westie101]

The connection to the meter is for ONE tail only. If you try and cram two in there

Though not done for many a year some our old installation inspectors could get 3 x 16mm tails in with no risk of problems

 

[Steve]

Rob I've replied in a facebook message.

 

[MeterMonkey]

with the exposed neutral, you could report it to your supplier, who would come out and make it safe.

A decent meter operative would remove the block if the tails from the CU are long enough. There wouldn't be a charge for it either.

 

[JohnW2]

with the exposed neutral, you could report it to your supplier, who would come out and make it safe.

I think the photo, showing the 'exposed neutral', was taken before the man from NPG pulled it out and then re-terminated it (hopefully leaving no exposed copper). If that's correct, there wouldn't really anything to report to the supplier, is there?

Kind Regards, John

 

[MeterMonkey]

Yeah, if there is no exposed. Theres not going to much of an issue.