No incoming earth and VIR feeding cutout

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Hi guys, I'm doing a job at the moment where the incoming supply is VIR. It's a terrace house and the supply if fed from next door where I presume the incoming cable is. There is a cut out and meter in the house I'm working in only the cables feeding cutout are VIR and there is no Earth. Also the conduit that comes through the wall with the VIR is not earthed. Is this a case where the supplier should upgraded the service head?
Thanks
 
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All you can do is ask them. Unless the cutout is cast iron, and or the tails have degraded, then there's unlikely to be anything to upgrade.

You might be able to apply for an upgrade of the supply to a PME supply at the expense of your customer if you want a suppliers earth terminal.
 
All you can do is ask them. Unless the cutout is cast iron, and or the tails have degraded, then there's unlikely to be anything to upgrade.

You might be able to apply for an upgrade of the supply to a PME supply at the expense of your customer if you want a suppliers earth terminal.

Thanks RF

What about the fact the steel conduit that they supply the VIR to the head is not earthed. Could this be good reasons for them to change it?
 
Probably not. They might earth the tube, but they'll probably leave the rest as it is.
 
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Education time for me, again, it seems! I hadn't heard of VIR being used for incoming supplies - I though that pre-PVC is was usually paper insulation? Is that wrong?

Kind Regards, John
 
Yeah. VIR is used quite widely.

I've seen it used as TT or TN-S piggy-backed off next door in conduit, or as a sheathed pair TT supply coming off a pole.
 
Yeah. VIR is used quite widely. I've seen it used as TT or TN-S piggy-backed off next door in conduit, or as a sheathed pair TT supply coming off a pole.
Interesting - thanks. What era does that relate to, then - the same period as when VIR was being used within installations?

Kind Regards, John
 
John,

As far as Im aware, no one is saying the U/G service cable is VIR insulated, it seems to me that the situation being discribed is some 6181Y tails on the DNOs side which are VIR insulated, feeding a cutout fuse on the other side of a wall from a service head in an adjacent building.

Back to back servcies are not uncommon
 
John, As far as Im aware, no one is saying the U/G service cable is VIR insulated, it seems to me that the situation being discribed is some 6181Y tails on the DNOs side which are VIR insulated, feeding a cutout fuse on the other side of a wall from a service head in an adjacent building.
Ah, yes - I mis-read the OP. Was I therefore right when I wrote "I hadn't heard of VIR being used for incoming supplies..." (in the sense of the U/G or O/G service cable)?

Kind Regards, John
 
This is the best I can do to show what we mean.

PILC feeder, and then VIR in conduit through to next door.

Electrospark is working on the other end of this supply.

cutout2.jpg
 
This is the best I can do to show what we mean. PILC feeder, and then VIR in conduit through to next door. Electrospark is working on the other end of this supply.
Yes, as I said, I understand now. Thanks. In fact, the first house I can recal from my youth had a setup just like that (the end in your photo, not Electrospark's end), albeit the cutout was cast iron - however, I was too young at the time to take any interest in the nature of the insulation of the cables going to 'next door'!

Kind Regards, John
 
I doubt they'll replace it - you could always do IR test to see how cables are.

How is the property earthed then???
I would say it's up to you to earth (bond) the metal 'tube'.
 
You can't bond upstream electrical service pipes if you don't have an earth from the supplier, a fault within the service pipe could render the whole premises live!
Only way forward without DNO intervention is a TT supply.
 
I doubt they'll replace it - you could always do IR test to see how cables are.
How would you suggest that he should disconnect the cables in question from the cutout in order to do an IR test? In any event, if they are singles, and the conduit appears unearthed, I'm not sure that an IR test would necessarily help, would it?

Kind Regards, John
 

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