Not seen this before...

[Shift]

There appears to be 2 service fuses on the mains live incomer anyone have any idea why!. Also if you look at the image closely you will see some old cloth covered live and neutral wires dissapearing down a conduit which is earth bonded anyone have any ides what they might be before i rip up the floorboards.

 

[JohnD]

Those old tails really do look extremely horrible! They are evidently a lot older than the old brown Wylex, so I imagine pre-war.

Since they don't appear to go through the meter, it is hopefully to another house. If you are in a terrace or semi they sometimes used to share a service head between two dwellings. I bet that's it.

As they don't pass through a CU or switchfuse I would hope there is (was?) something on the other end... black cast iron probably. Or a flat if the building was formerly in multiple occupation?

Excavate with care with luck the circuit is disused so you can ask for them to be taken out.

If you have a clamp meter you could see if they are drawing any current.

 

[baldelectrician]

Tis probably the REC sub mains going to next door- it will be live so don't touch it. It is the REC property.

The other end of the tube will come up adjacent to their meter.

 

[Lectrician]

It isn't usual to fuse a back-to-back type service though. Normally a 25mm supply to the first head, and then a 16mm looping out before the fuse to another head.

I would suspect flats rather than a terrace.

Earthing arrangements are not clear either. Looks like a lead sheath supply, but no sign of any earth connection to the head/cable.

Any chance of a wider shot?

 

[Shift]

They are pulling 7amps so must be going to next door(1930's semi detatched), should I ask the REC to change them and shouldn't I have a means of isolating my own supply without distubing next door or should I ask them to fit next door with their own service head. Any anyone have any thoughts why there is 2 fuses on the live incomer

 

[Lectrician]

You can isolate your supply by pulling the RH fuse......although thats not your problem, it is the DNO's - It is them that should be pulling that fuse, not you

I would contact the DNO and ask their opinion as to the condition etc.

 

[JohnD]

Yours could be isolated by pulling the RHS supplier's fuse.

It is possible I suppose that the other fuseholder contains a solid link.

The old cables do look pretty ropey so you could inform your supplier and ask for a safety check and upgrade.

edited - not quick enough

 

[Steve]

By the way, there are live terminals exposed on that (¿transformer?) above that old Wylex.

i reckon some clever dick thought "this 'ere pipe, gus under t'floorboards n looks important so it must be earthed eh, lets earth t'entire 'ouse to it!"

 

[RF Lighting]

I have seen REC supplies fed in VIR tails in steel conduit, relying on the condiut as the suppliers earth, so it might be that the conduit supplies the earth to whatever the tails feed.

 

[securespark]

1 fuse is for you, t'other for next door.

 

[Lectrician]

Sort of.....

LH fuse is both properties, RH is you only.

 

[securespark]

Sorry, yes!

That lot should be re-jigged....

Reminds me of an estate in Chorlton, Manchester I was working on.

Pulled the main fuse to change CU (don't do this without permission!)

It killed the whole side of the street downstream from that house.....

All the houses were fed from each other. Instead of being fed from the mains side of the fuse, they'd fed all the downstream houses from the fused side of the cut-outs......

 

[Shift]

The conduit with the old red and black cables that goes to next door is earthed via my fusebox but I cant see an earth from the service head to my fusebox so how is my fuse box connected to earth. There must be a earth because when I put the meter probes on the live side of the main switch and the conduit earth bonding point I get 240v.

 

[RF Lighting]

Is there any bonding in place between your fusebox and the water or gas pipes?

Have you carried out an EFLI test? If so what was the reading?

 

[Lectrician]

I bet your high impedance volt meter would show 240 v from live to a brick wall aswell

The only fool proof way to check for an earth is to do an EFL test. But if there is no visible connection of a means of earthing, there is no point, as even if the EFL is nice and low, you still need a connection.