Illegal cabling(?) and strange box

[ban-all-sheds]

My wife sends her love!

He'll be on his way as soon as he's had a bath.

 

[JBR]

My wife sends her love!

He'll be on his way as soon as he's had a bath.

Bath? What's a bath?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Sorry - I forgot you were from Yorkshire.

Yorkshire bath:

Cheshire bath:

London bath:

 

[JohnW2]

But what is a 'surface mounted viewing cabinet'? Is that some modern equivalent to the old metal box under the bedroom floor? I assume there would be sufficient space for it on the board next to the meter and cutout (see earlier pictures).

I think he's probably talking about an external 'meter box'. mounted on an outside wall of your house.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JBR]

But what is a 'surface mounted viewing cabinet'? Is that some modern equivalent to the old metal box under the bedroom floor? I assume there would be sufficient space for it on the board next to the meter and cutout (see earlier pictures).

I think he's probably talking about an external 'meter box'. mounted on an outside wall of your house.

Kind Regards, John

Oh I see. We already have an external gas meter now, so I suppose an external electrickery meter is logical and they wouldn't have to come in to read it. I didn't know they did them, though.
Thanks.

 

[JohnW2]

I think he's probably talking about an external 'meter box'. mounted on an outside wall of your house.

Oh I see. We already have an external gas meter now, so I suppose an external electrickery meter is logical and they wouldn't have to come in to read it. I didn't know they did them, though. Thanks.

You're welcome. They're common. I think they have probably 'standard' for new builds for quite a while, although they can then easily be recessed into the wall ('flush'), whereas with an existing building, it's far more practical to install a surface-mounted one.

Kind Regards, John

 

[bernardgreen]

it's far more practical to install a surface-mounted one.

It doesn't take long to cut a hole to fit a near flush mounted box ready for the DNO to install cable and cut out. Makes a much neater job. DNO cable runs up the front of the wall and into the "rim" of the box.

 

[JohnW2]

it's far more practical to install a surface-mounted one.

It doesn't take long to cut a hole to fit a near flush mounted box ready for the DNO to install cable and cut out. Makes a much neater job. DNO cable runs up the front of the wall and into the "rim" of the box.

I suspect that depends a fair bit on the material and construction of the wall!

Kind Regards, John

 

[JBR]

Sorry - I forgot you were from Yorkshire.

Yorkshire bath:

Cheshire bath:

London bath:

I think it's significant that there's no-one actually in the London bath. Just for show, I suppose!

 

[westie101]

It doesn't take long to cut a hole to fit a near flush mounted box ready for the DNO to install cable and cut out. Makes a much neater job. DNO cable runs up the front of the wall and into the "rim" of the box.

Depending on the house construction that can lead to a lot of grief.
I know of one or two where it ended up with part of the house wall needing rebuilt so I would never recommend it.
Also in this case the cost of that would fall to the customer, whereas, if I were doing it, with an surface mounted cabinet, there would be no cost to the customer.

The actual route of your service as shown on our records, so extending it would not be an issue



Note that this plan is not to scale so should only be used as an indication of any cable route

 

[bernardgreen]

Yes I accept that I should have said "depending on the type and condition of the wall cutting a hole for a meter box may not be a big problem."

 

[JohnW2]

Yes I accept that I should have said "depending on the type and condition of the wall cutting a hole for a meter box may not be a big problem."

Indeed. For example, I don't think I'd want to try it in either of my daughters' houses - one has a stone-built cottage (and, anyway, Listed - so a meter cabinet would probably be a no-no) and the other is timber framed.

Kind Regards, John

 

[westie101]

Just out of interest, why do both you and SS think it unwise to re-use the present conduit?

Sorry, missed this earlier.
Because of a desire to have the shortest length of our cable that may be protected by a fuse of up to 400A at the feeding substation within the property.
Generally faults on service cable will not operate (blow) fuses of this size and will simply burn back until they become open circuited.
In a steel pipe under a wooden floor this would not be a good thing!

 

[westie101]

What does that mean?

Any calls that come into us regarding loss of supply, something looking dangerous or odd etc are passed out through our fault management system for generally same day attendance, usually within 3 hours.

If they need immediate attendance as decided by our staff they will be managed within that system to be dealt with ASAP depending on the actual situation.

Other jobs, such as this, will be removed from the fault system and go into a routine service replacement system run by each office.
They will often be passed to an individual member of staff for attention

 

[JBR]

It doesn't take long to cut a hole to fit a near flush mounted box ready for the DNO to install cable and cut out. Makes a much neater job. DNO cable runs up the front of the wall and into the "rim" of the box.

Depending on the house construction that can lead to a lot of grief.
I know of one or two where it ended up with part of the house wall needing rebuilt so I would never recommend it.
Also in this case the cost of that would fall to the customer, whereas, if I were doing it, with an surface mounted cabinet, there would be no cost to the customer.

The actual route of your service as shown on our records, so extending it would not be an issue



Note that this plan is not to scale so should only be used as an indication of any cable route

Thanks for that, Westie, especially the plan. The gentleman I spoke to on the phone did mention that the service passes under a corner of the next door neighbour's garden, but it seems to run through the whole lot!

Looking at the route of the underground cable, would that mean they'd put the surface-mounted cabinet at roughly the existing entry point?