Meter cables

[Gilesda]

Hi all.
I'm after a bit of info about the wiring in my house which was built in 1970.
In the pics below you can see the black and red cables which come from the meter and go to the junction box on the left. They are fairly heavy looking cables, but then the current is carried to the earth leakage detector by 2 twin cables one of which is a larger diameter than the other. Then it's 2 single cables out the bottom of the ELD which go to the consumer unit.
Does anybody know why there are two twin cables rather than just 2 single cables going from the junction box to the top of the ELD? Also the 2 twin cables look a bit flimsy taking into account they supply the whole house. I'm guessing the two of them together are the equivilant of one heavier cable.
The thick red and black cables that come from the meter to the junction aren't original the electric company fitted a new meter X years ago and replaced the original cabling.
One other thing the single black cable coming out of the bottom of the ELD goes under the floorboards and is attached to a steel rod which has been pushed into the ground. The green and yellow cable goes to the consumer unit. Is that the house earth and is that standard in all houses?
Any information much appreciated, thanks, Dave.

 

[Spark123]

It looks like a voltage operated earth leakage circuit breaker (voelcb) which was removed from the regs many years ago, 1985 iirc? The current operated versions are the way to go as the voelcb are not as effective with parallel paths to earth. I recommend getting an electrician to carry out an electrical installation inspection report (eicr) and take it from there, it is anyones guess as to why someone has doubled up a conductor for the supply, normally there is only one.

 

[flameport]

Looks like someone has just used whatever cables they had, rather than obtaining the correct size.
That device and method of earth connection is obsolete and should have been replaced decades ago.

Picture of the fusebox / consumer unit?

 

[Gilesda]

It looks like a voltage operated earth leakage circuit breaker (voelcb) which was removed from the regs many years ago, 1985 iirc? The current operated versions are the way to go as the voelcb are not as effective with parallel paths to earth. I recommend getting an electrician to carry out an electrical installation inspection report (eicr) and take it from there, it is anyones guess as to why someone has doubled up a conductor for the supply, normally there is only one.

It is a voelcb. After reading the replies I've had a read up via Google and found that is what it is called. I've also read that when an electrician comes across one of these devices he should change it for a "today"alternative. A bit worrying.
I think I've worked out why there is two cables from the meter to the leakage detector. I forgot that when we moved into this house it had two fuse boxes, one for lights and one for sockets. I had these changed about 1990 for a MK consumer unit and got the maintainance electrician where I worked to change it for me. He probably left the existing cables from the meter instead of using new cables as he did to connect the CU to the bottom of the breaker.
Anyway I've been meaning for years to have the house rewired but the mess and disruption has put me off doing it. The house wiring is plastic coated, not the old rubber type, and is stranded rather than solid. I've read that it's the insulation that fails with time not the copper, but the cables still look ok.
The lighting circuit doesn't have an earth, the light switch back boxes have plastic threaded inserts which I suppose stops the screws from becoming live. I know this is crap by today's standards but must have been okay in 1969/70.

 

[Gilesda]

Looks like someone has just used whatever cables they had, rather than obtaining the correct size.
That device and method of earth connection is obsolete and should have been replaced decades ago.

Picture of the fusebox / consumer unit?

There's a pic of the CU but I've more or less decided to have the house rewired. My wife's sisters grandson is an electrician and works as, to use his terminology, a house basher. He's just bought his first house and so wil be skint so I'll get him to have a look.
If the earth method is obsolete what other way is there to earth the house? Surely a new installation will still have to use this existing earth method?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That .. method of earth connection is obsolete and should have been replaced decades ago.

TT.

In what way obsolete and overdue for replacement?

 

[RF Lighting]

I think he's referring to the voelcb rather than a TT supply.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Not how I read it:

Looks like someone has just used whatever cables they had, rather than obtaining the correct size.
That device¹ and method of earth connection² is obsolete and should have been replaced decades ago.

¹ - "device" = VOELCB.
² - "method of earth connection" = a rod in the ground.

 

[flameport]

The method of connecting it through that device.
Some installations still have VOELCBs but are using them as an isolator only, with the earth connected directly to the rod and one or more RCDs fitted in the consumer unit.