Isolating a Consumer Unit

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I am planning on having my consumer unit upgraded & it has been pointed out to me that the old installation does not have an isolating switch to disconnect the unit from the main supply.

Should I contact the electricity supplier (First: Utility) to install one or are electricians able to isolate the unit without the switch?

 
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You need to contact your supplier or distribution network operator, normally a fuse pull would be requested to isolate the board for a swap. Either way you need to contact either supplier or DNO.
 
Before I put my CU in I had the DNO come round and fit an isolation switch. Cost about £70 so worth it for me. AIUI PBoD is correct that the DNO will need to pull the fuse but in reality most sparks will happily do it themselves especially as 'the seal was already removed when they got here, honest'
 
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It depends on the cutout type. No one, probably not even DNO staff should be pulling the fuses on iron clad / ceramic cutouts these days, and especially not an electrician with no PPE :eek:
 
No one, probably not even DNO staff should be pulling the fuses on iron clad / ceramic cutouts
Only on certain types under certain conditions, MOP staff do not however operate on them.
What happens if you want to replace one (which is not one of the 'certain types') with something safer - someone then obviously has to 'operate on' it? I would doubt (but maybe I'm wrong!) that you would go to the hassle of disconnecting the service outside of the premises before changing it, would you?

Kind Regards, John
 
I would doubt (but maybe I'm wrong!) that you would go to the hassle of disconnecting the service outside of the premises before changing it, would you?

We have no choice in the matter and have to disconnect outside.

But to put it in context there is only one design of single phase and one design of three phase that is considered unsafe to work on live. However if staff on site consider other types "distressed" or in too poor a condition to work on live we would disconnect them (including modern plastic types)
 
Had a job recently where apparently the fuse had welded it's self into the cutout, and the DNO simply dug the customers drive up to isolate it and replace it!
 
Had a job recently where apparently the fuse had welded it's self into the cutout, and the DNO simply dug the customers drive up to isolate it and replace it!
As westie said, I suppose there are some situations in which they simply don't have any alternative - but I would not have thought that 'fuse welded into cutout' would, alone, necessarily be one of those situations.

Kind Regards, John
 
I watched a Norweb bloke change a cast cut-out live once.

What an art!
 
I know some electricians just take the main 100A time delay fuse out on the line side or the hot leg out in the main fuse holder.

Although they are supposed to contact the electricity board, many don't.
 

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