Meter Tails bodged?

[sammoseley]

Hi
I've just noticed a friend's consumer unit is connected to the old meter tails with terminal connections wrapped around with electrical tape, dangling below the consumer unit. Am I right in thinking this has not been done right and he should get it checked out?
I assume they should have replaced the entire tails back to the meter board, not joined them to the originals.

Also an MCB (upstairs lights) won't reset even with the main switch off, so I think the MCB could be at fault rather than a wiring fault somewhere?

cheers
Sam

 

[jj4091]

Yes I think you are correct on both counts.

 

[Steve]

Any chance of a photo? Tell him you've asked a forum of sad electricians with nothing better to amuse them this christmas.

 

[sammoseley]

Thanks.
To be fair, I can't say for sure that they are terminal blocks under the tape as *****d if I'm touching it to find out. But I assume there should be no connection of any type there.

Steve - sorry I reckon I'm staying well away till it's fixed

 

[Click-Sure]

Are you sure you're not refering to henley blocks?

I've never seen choc-blocks that can handle the 100 amps that you are normally expecting to dealing with at the supply end.

Unless its 2 tails put together and taped up, if thats the case then this needs to be addressed pronto by an electrician, allthough a call to your electricity supplier might not go a miss, after all part of the supply tails side is strictly speaking their responsability, allthough they try to shirk this whenever possible.

 

[Lectrician]

They do do terminal blocks or varying sizes.

I have seen and used some 25mm ones.

It is fairly common to connect your new tails to the old with some henleys, and then send a form off to the DNO to connect the new tails directly to the meter. Perhaps this is what was intended to happen, but something didn't quite go according to plan!?!

Taped up tails are not good as even a temporary measure.

 

[securespark]

Any chance of a photo? Tell him you've asked a forum of sad electricians with nothing better to amuse them this christmas.

Speak for yourself, Stevie-boy, I've got far better things to amuse myself with this Christmas!

Gotta go, I have to re-organise my photobucket album by photo type & fully index it.