Pulling the service fuse

ACDC · 13 Oct 2004

I'm making the preparations for installing a new split load cu. Before I do this I am going to install an isolator between the meter & the existing cu.
I'm ready to pull the service fuse (existing cu isolator off, gloves and goggles on, alternative source of light on, lead seal cut), but as I have not done this before I do not know what to expect:

does it pull staright out?,
is the outer plastic cover and the fuse integral or are they 2 separate pieces?
does it require much force?,
is it much like pulling out a fuse on the cu?
will any live parts be exposed once I have pulled it out?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

plugwash · 13 Oct 2004

depends a bit on the particular design but the fuse itsself (which will probablly be a bs88 hrc cartridge in a moren unit) should be in some form of plastic carrier that pulls out (similar in idea to a cartridge fuse holder in a wylex standard)

kai · 13 Oct 2004

Yes, you should wear Gloves and Goggles, wear Nylon type Clothing (including nylon trousers too) as it is a good insulator, and decent Trainers too.

Standing on a sheet of thick insulating perspex helps too.

On Modern fuses, they pull straight out after cutting the seals, BUT beware of live parts being exposed when it is out - cover the "fuse slots" in the main block with insulating tape whilst you work.

sparky24seven · 13 Oct 2004

hi i upgraded my friends cu the other year!
it all went just fine, all i can tell you is to switch off your existing cu before u pull the fuse!
take sure that u install new tail, as i was told (by a meter man)when i started the job! that when mr meter man inspect's, if they see a cut fuse and new tails, they will not look into froud.

breezer · 13 Oct 2004

what you are going to do is ilegal

dingbat · 13 Oct 2004

sparky24seven said:
hi i upgraded my friends cu the other year!
it all went just fine, all i can tell you is to switch off your existing cu before u pull the fuse!
take sure that u install new tail, as i was told (by a meter man)when i started the job! that when mr meter man inspect's, if they see a cut fuse and new tails, they will not look into froud.

I'd be interested in a few clarifications here.

1. Is English your first language?
2. If so, why don't you use it?
3. What is a froud and why would a 'meter man' look into it?
4. Do you know what apostrophes are and what they are for?
5. Why are you [self-confessedly not qualified to offer advice on electrical matters] telling an unqualified member of the public to break the law?

shaggy · 13 Oct 2004

Here we go again. Would somebody actually state what law is being broken by pulling the service fuse please. I'm not saying that it isn't against the law but I've looked for it and can't find it.

plugwash · 13 Oct 2004

its the suppliers property and you are tampering with it

they could also possiblly accuse you of criminal damage for cutting the seal

and finally they could accuse you of trying to steal leccy though i think they would need something more than just a pulled fuse to convince a judge of this

frankly if you want to steal leccy there are much better ways of doing it than messing around in a place clearly visible to a meter reader

breezer · 13 Oct 2004

Hang on, didnt you previously say

plugwash said:
should be in some form of plastic carrier that pulls out

so one minute you say how to do it and next you are agree it is against the law? so why encourage by saying how its done.

shaggy · 13 Oct 2004

I'll agree criminal damage to the seal but I can't imagine the cps taking that one to court. Tampering with someone else's property (ie the fuse) surely isn't a crime if you don't damage it?
They can accuse you of stealing electricity but if you haven't, then again, no crime has been committed.

breezer · 13 Oct 2004

as you said to break the seal is aginst the law, say it was your supply seal he broke? would you be happy?

i bet not

shaggy · 13 Oct 2004

I'm not with you breezer? If who broke my seal? I'm really not bothered about the seal and I've lived in several houses where I have broken it and nobody has ever said anything.
I'm not advising anyone to pull their fuse but there has been some good advice from the pro-sparks about doing it, and I think everyone should make their own mind up whether they feel competent to do so.
What I don't understand is the bit about it's against the law. It's not a big crime to damage the seal but you're trying to make it sound like it's a specific offence to pull the fuse. As I've said I can't find it.

shavvy · 13 Oct 2004

why bother doing it yourself anyway? Had an isolator fitted this week by the local REC and its free. All you need to do is phone your electric supplier (the one you pay your bill to) and ask them to arrange it. Mine was done within a week.

AdamW · 14 Oct 2004

I haven't any experience of this as I have never had the need to pull my service fuse. Have any of you ever rung the REC and asked them to come and pull the fuse, connect your new tails and plug the fuse back in? What was the waiting time, and what was the cost?

I only ask as if they are renowned for being unreasonable with timing and price then it makes sense for a competent person (i.e. one who knows to turn the CU off BEFORE attempting to pull the fuse

) to do it themselves.

I would say that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" applies here: whilst many people are careful I bet some people will read "cut seal, pull fuse" then run off and do it before they get to "LIVE PARTS EXPOSED!". I am sure we all know at leat one DIYer who rushes into jobs without thinking things through and 50% of the time makes errors because of it. In fact I know a couple, and they both make fun of me for taking a long time to do what seems to them like it would be a simple job. Yet I can name several massive, sometimes expense, errors that they have made which would have been avoided by reading ALL the instructions. Pulling a service fuse is one job where you DON'T want to make any mistakes!

AdamW · 14 Oct 2004

I see someone answered my questions before I actually finished my post! Allow me to introduce Shavvy, our DIY clairvoyant

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Pulling the service fuse

kai

breezer

breezer

breezer

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