Replacing the back board in the Meter Cupboard

[mdbalson]

I need to move the electric setup, onto a new piece of wood (Like RF Does on his jobs), as the render on the wall where the meter cupboard is, is crumbling off, so the pieces of wood with the Meter & the Service Head on, are starting to come loose (As you can see in the picture below) (There will by a new CCU & Meter Fitted soon)

The Electric Setup

Close up of the supply cable

What type of wood should I use for the new back board & What do you use to raise the board off of the wall

 

[bernardgreen]

For your safety contact your electricity supply company and discuss this change of mounting for their equipment BEFORE you do any more work around the meter.

I have seen the result of a DIY attempt to replace a crumbling board behind a cut out. It wasn't nice, and the neighbours who lost power for several hours were not friendly when the DIYer came back from hospital.

 

[Roo]

If the meter board is crumbling away mains will usually replace it free of charge as it's a safety issue.

As said above PLEASE DON'T TRY YOURSELF!

Contact your supplier.

 

[JohnD]

quite right - don't try to move the supplier's equipment yourself.

If you want to fit new board for your own stuff (IMO it looks neat and clean and you can lead in the cables from behind) I think laminated chipboard (as used for kitchen worktops) is good. The surface is non-conductive and wil not support a flame, it is easy to wipe clean. You have to drill pilot holes for your screws as the surface is very hard. You can mount it on 2x2 timbers (50mm x 50mm) which gives plenty of room. You only need one at the top and one at the bottom (this keeps out dust and most fingers). The mounts can be painted to match the wall if you can be bothered. You can jig-saw the aperture to match the cutout in the back of the CU before fitting it. This should be well away from the edges of the board.

If it is in a cellar or outbuilding that might get damp, use WBP ply.

If for some reason you don't need much space behind the board you can use the plastic screw-tops from soft drinks bottles with a hole drilled in them, put the mounting screws through these and it gives you a 20mm space to lift it away from a damp or uneven wall. You will find old meter boards use a ceramic spacer of about this size.

If you happen to have your own isolator or earth block, it can neatly be fitted to the same board. It can be handy to have a working socket on the board too.

 

[plugwash]

I have seen the result of a DIY attempt to replace a crumbling board behind a cut out. It wasn't nice, and the neighbours who lost power for several hours were not friendly when the DIYer came back from hospital.

Out of interest any idea what went wrong?

 

[mdbalson]

The Electric supply is in the kitchen, by the kitchen door

 

[bernardgreen]

In an old stone built terrace house no dampproofing. Early 1980's

I didn't see it before the incident but I expect it was previously in a similar state as the cut out on the other side of a very damp party wall. Hardly any board left, the cut out free standing on the incomer kept from falling forward by a book case. The meter hanging on one screw.

After the incident about 6 inches of incomer had "gone " and copper deposits were clearly visible on the wall. The cut out had about a inch of charred incomer poking out of it.

I think what happened may have happen was the cut out tipped and bent the incomer causing the cores to short out.

 

[Lectrician]

I have seen an old lead cable pop and arc and get shorter and shorter...

A castle we worked at on top of a hill had no lecky supply - there was an old cable outside, pot ended, where it used to enter the building. The DNO came out to look to install a new service, and confirmed the old cable was dead......it wasn't......as the JCB driver found out.

It was a very wet day, had been muddy and raining for weeks, and the cable just sat their in a trench lurching and sparking and arcing. Stank. It didn't blow any fuses, and kept on going until it finally managed to burn iself to a state where it stopped - and justed buzzed until the DNO came.....and then chopped it further down line.....and pot ended it again.

It was a very long run, not sure what fuses where on it, but I guess the length of run made the protection pretty un-functional!

 

[streetlighter]

I wouldnt touch and old paper lead cable or move the attached cutout its just too risky. On the other hand split concenctric im quite happy to move about and reposition cutouts, Done quite a few inside lighting columns where the DNO have put there cutout too high up and i need to fit a double pole isolator above it.

 

[Lectrician]

Do the DNO not allow you to use their cutout as means of isolation Streetlighter? Ours do when columns are installed on private complexes, and when installed for the council.

 

[mdbalson]

If the meter board is crumbling away mains will usually replace it free of charge as it's a safety issue.

As said above PLEASE DON'T TRY YOURSELF!

Contact your supplier.

The board looks ok, but it's the render on the wall, which is crumbling off, so the rawlplugs which are holding the board on the wall have nothing to hold in to

 

[mdbalson]

On this topic of RF's (//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=102135&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0) the supply cable looks like the same type as mine, & that cutout was moved by him on to a new back board

 

[JohnD]

The board looks ok, but it's the render on the wall, which is crumbling off, so the rawlplugs which are holding the board on the wall have nothing to hold in to

screws should not be into render or plaster, they should go into the brick. Maybe you could take out one screw at a time, redrill, fit plasplugs or frame fixings, and secure?

 

[ricicle]

On this topic of RF's (//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=102135&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0) the supply cable looks like the same type as mine, & that cutout was moved by him on to a new back board

But he is an experienced electrician.As a DIYer you should not even be contemplating this job.

 

[kai]

I have seen the result of a DIY attempt to replace a crumbling board behind a cut out. It wasn't nice, and the neighbours who lost power for several hours were not friendly when the DIYer came back from hospital.

Out of interest any idea what went wrong?

Why did the neighbours lose their power?