Upgrade of meter tails and consumer unit. Please help !

[sunsilk10]

I recently re-did the electrics my kitchen and the electrician has
advised me to upgrade my meter tails from 16mm sq to 25 mm sq and also upgrade the consumer
unit.

I am getting my kitchen wall plastered in the coming week. Since the meter tails is running inside a wall in my
kitchen, i want to get the meter tails in place before this happens.

How do I go about buying the meter tails and getting it in place before the plaster is put.
My electricity supplier will coming in a week's time to look at the meter.

Hence I want to put the meter tails, running from the consumer unit to the meter passing in my kitchen,
and leave the connections for later.


This is all about timing. Cam anyone offer some advice ?


Also , what make of cosumer unit is advisable ? wylex , or crabtree or .. ?

 

[Adam_151]

I recommend you have your electrician advise you on the consumer unit, some earthing arrangements (TT) require one with a time delayed RCD incommer, and your electrician will have his favourite brand that he is used to and likes

 

[Qedelec]

The tails are the suppliers property and should not be interferred with. Contact your supplier to upgrade them.

 

[sunsilk10]

I know that it is the supplier's responsibility to upgrade the tails.

However, I am told by my supplier that they do not connect the tails from the meter to my fusebox as this length is more than 3 m.
They asked me to get my electrician to do this.

Can I lay the wire myself in place ready for the supplier to connect.
I can leave about 1m wire extra.

 

[JohnD]

You could put the wires into position for someone else to connect, with plenty of slack for them to trim at the time.

But, did you mention that the tails were in a wall? this is very much frowned on as they are capable of carrying a very large current, which (when someone nails a picture to the wall and penetrates the wire) is practically unfused and has no switch to turn it off. So you would not usually be allowed to have the tails out of sight. They generally have to be on the surface of the wall (they can be concealed with a cupboard door, but you must be able to get at them).

You might be allowed to run them in trunking, but this is unusual in a domestic situation and you would would need to get agreement on how to do it.

When I last did this (and as a householder I would not be permitted to do it now) I stood by when the new meter tails were connected, and connected them into the consumer unit while the REC engineer was present and had the main fuse out. I can't believe that they would connect the new tails and leave them live for your electrician to connect the other end later.

 

[Steve]

However, I am told by my supplier that they do not connect the tails from the meter to my fusebox as this length is more than 3 m.
They asked me to get my electrician to do this.

could they have meant they were going to terminate the tails in an isolator or something, for your spark to run SWA cable to the fuse box? Lengths more than 3m - this is frowned on by DNO's as the meter tails have little protection from mechanical damage and short circuit. Running 25mm² SWA makes them less susceptible to damage.