Understanding my Electricity Main Board

[toxictoad]

Hi all,

First let me say, I am not looking to make any changes to the electricity myself but I do want to know what is going on...

Here is a photo I took of the mains electric board

main electric board

• toxictoad
• 2 Aug 2010
• 2

My main question is about the Dial Meter. Is it still in use or is it redundant now there is the digital meter?

If it is redundant can I have it removed?
If it's not redundant, what is it used for?
why is there a wire going from the dial meter to the digital meter?

What are the 2 small boxes that are in between the digital meter and the consumer unit? what are they for?

I colour coded the wires so if you could give me any info on them that would be good too.

Thanks in advance

 

[ricicle]

Why have you opened up a live cut-out ??? Close it up and do not touch anything else to do with it !

The dial meter is an off-peak time clock. The blocks are just large connectors for the mains tails.

There would have been some more tails coming out of the dial meter for an off peak board. The small tail between the meters is a signal to tell the digital meter to switch the main installation to off-peak as well.

You have a TN-S system (cable sheath used as the incoming earth)

 

[RF Lighting]

First of all, you appear to have opened your cutout (the green box on the left)

Close it very carefully and do not open it ever again. It exposes live parts wich are only protected by the substation fuses, and also it contains asbestos.

I can't stress enough how much you shouldn't ever touch it. It should have had a metal seal on it to prevent you from opening it.

The 'dial meter' is actually a time switch. It switches on and off during the day. The little wire connecting the clock to the digital meter tells the meter if the clock is on or off.

The clock changes your meter between peak and off peak metering, so you get charged full price during the day, and a lesser rate at night time.

The little black boxes are called henley blocks. They are just used for jointing the tails from your meter to your consumer unit.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I could be wrong, but it looks like the off-peak stuff on the consumer's side has been removed.

The time clock is the property of the electricity company. So you must not touch it.

You could ask them to remove it, if it is no longer required (good luck with that request). They should upgrade that old cast iron cable head though.

 

[ricicle]

I could be wrong, but iot looks like the off-peak stuff on the consumer's side has been removed.

.

Agreed

 

[RF Lighting]

It's quite possibly still switching the entire installation to off peak on a night time.

It might be saving you a few £££ by still having it in.

 

[ricicle]

It's quite possibly still switching the entire installation to off peak on a night time.

It might be saving you a few £££ by still having it in.

Especially if you do your washing/drying off peak

 

[toxictoad]

Thanks for the reply's and info.

I opened the cutout box just for the photo. I knew it was the live feed and took absolute care not to touch anything. The door just lifts and opens though, there was no seal (I wouldn't have opened it if it did) I closed it right after I took the photo and will leave it well alone. I'll ask someone certified to seal it when I can.

Not sure what you mean by "I could be wrong, but iot looks like the off-peak stuff on the consumer's side has been removed" ricicle?

RF lighting, you said "The little black boxes are called henley blocks. They are just used for jointing the tails from your meter to your consumer unit."

Why are they needed? Why doesn't the wire go from the meter direct into the consumer unit?

Thanks again all

 

[ricicle]

There would have been some more tails coming out of the dial meter for an off peak board.

This would have fed some storage heaters or maybe UFH

 

[Steve]

The "dial meter" is just a timer. Its probably still running - it has power to it. But I bet the time is wrong. Time switches are rarely used nowadays because they have to be updated etc - the preferred method of switching is now radio signal, and new installs of economy 7 use a meter with the radio teleswitch built in.

The henleys are there because when the house had eco7, there would have been a need to "tap off" here for the storage heater board, via the timeswitch. The timeswitch does two thigns - it turns the meter to off peak for the whole install (by putting a voltage on the thin wire), and it provides a contact to switch on the storage heaters.

Are there two rates on the meter? If so, you may still be on an Eco7. This could be good or bad if you are. The thing with eco7 is it means your daytime rate is higher than a flat rate tarriff. This is balanced out by an extremely low night rate. So its only good if your nighttime use is very high. But you are probably on a normal tarrif now.

And close the cutout - its very old. I have one identical. You could try to get it updated to a PME one.

 

[BSBS]

I called Central Networks on a job I was doing Last year and told them it was a metal cutout enclosure, The woman on the other end started to sound a little worried an hour later two Vans turned up outside and started digging the womans drive up.

Apparently they have had instances with the metal cutouts where the sealent they used to use started to breakdown and the cables had shorted out against the enclosure.

 

[RF Lighting]

I'd guess that 40% of houses around here have cast iron cutouts

Unless there is something wrong with it such as a failed earth, it is a chargeable upgrade in my area (YEDL / CE).

 

[securespark]

UU generally change them.

 

[bhm1712]

It looks to me like that time switch is still switching between peak time, and base load to me.

this is the same setup as my old house, the time switch just switched the siemens meter onto the different rates and the display would change over at that time.

 

[Adam_151]

Apparently they have had instances with the metal cutouts where the sealent they used to use started to breakdown and the cables had shorted out against the enclosure.

The problem as I understood is it was the fuse carriers have become quite brittle and there is a chance that upon pulling the fuse that it might break and the incomming phase might get pulled onto the metalwork, or if the guy pulling the fuse realises whats happening before it goes bang.. he is left holding a fusecarrier with the incomming part of the holder stuck to it still live and with no way to isolate it

... I notice a newish meter in the picture, I wonder what the chances are that it was fitted by a meter fitter who's only been on a basic meter fitters course, as opposed to a jointer who is aware of the risks of older cutouts...