New cable between two cut outs

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Strange one for me but I am sure more experiences people will know this situation.

Two purpose built flats about 70 or more years old.

Supply is looped from downstairs flat to upstairs flat.

Each flat has its own cut out fuse.
Pulling the DS fuse isolates both properties

cable from DS to US flat is old VIR which needs to be replaced

DNO are coming to sort out the fuse situation, but refuse to run new cable between the two cutouts saying its a private submain

(don't understand that, perhaps a DNO person on here could explain)

Its a simple run of about 5 meters straight up, so was going to use 25mm2 SWA.


I was just wondering about the best enclosure to terminate the SWA cable

I could put ther L/N into henley blocks, but that leaves the issue of terminating the SWA.


I guess the DNO could put the tails straight into the cut out, as is now, so no need for henley blocks. But how to terminate the cable

What is the neatest solution to this
 
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Who owns/ maintains the meter attached to the "private submain"?
 
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No pictures but I will try to get some.

But The DNO must be responsible as this is a supply cable, before the meter.


I believe I am correct in saying.....

The DNO is responsible for the supply cable?

The DNO is responsible for a looped supply, the downstairs cut out is being used as a junction box of kind.
 
It will be a DNO cable but often you are not talking on the phone to someone who knows all the ins and outs. It was quite commo9n to have a "top side" loop in older premises.

We have often dealt with these by getting a piece of steel conduit installed between the two meter positions (if there isn't some there to begin with)and installing new cable, it could then be connected as a "bottom side" loop
 
It sounds a bit of an odd set up that's for sure.

Is there a seperate electricity suppliers meter in each flat?

I've seen an odd top side loop here and there. I'll have a look for some photos later.
 
Yes two meters

Thats how it was. L/N in some steel conduit, to upstairs flat.

The earth for upstairs was a clamp on the conduit, only problem was the conduit was not connected to the downstairs MET.

I ran temporary 10mm G/Y to downstairs MET so upstairs had an earth.
Don't like two separate properties having a shared MET, but is seems to be quite common down his road.

The sub contractors for the DNO - Morrisons are the people who came out to survey the properties, and I am finding it difficult to get to speak with some one who can tell me what the plan is.
The person today said they need to put a three phase head on!!
 
The person today said they need to put a three phase head on!

That makes sense it provides a point of protection to the loop going upstairs that is separate from the downstairs flat
 
I've seen an odd top side loop here and there. I'll have a look for some photos later.
Albeit a bit different from what is presumably being discussed here, since mine is an overhead supply in singles, do the cables marked with arrows here constitute what you call a 'top side loop'? They supply an adjacent property, which was once part of my house, which I presume is the reason it was done like this (to save an additional new long run to the pole when the other bit of the property became a separate dwelling).

Kind Regards, John
 
Can't tell from the pic John, a top side is where the loop is controlled by the fuse so will be on the same side as the meter.
There is a huge issue with these as if that fuse blows and there is no one in, the other customer is without supply until access can be gained
 
Can't tell from the pic John, a top side is where the loop is controlled by the fuse so will be on the same side as the meter. There is a huge issue with these as if that fuse blows and there is no one in, the other customer is without supply until access can be gained
Ah, I see! No, that's not the situation here, because my fuses are 'upside down' to what generally happens with an underground supply. In other words, as you should be able to see, the 'top' of my fuses is where the DNO supply arrives - so the supply to the adjacent property comes off before my cutout fuse. As you can see, my meter (just off top right of piccie) is supplied from the 'bottom' of the fuses.

So, although in literal terms I have a 'top side loop', it's probably a 'bottom side loop' in your language :)

Kind Regards, John.
 
There is a huge issue with these as if that fuse blows and there is no one in, the other customer is without supply until access can be gained
I'm pretty confident that if I lost my supply via that route I would gain access quite quickly.
 

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