LABC boys love a shower.

[atm]

looks plastic.. ARCing!!! that sounds like fun.. so get the supplier to come round and fit an isolator.. do they do that? expensive? or if i feel ok about existing main fuse just shut down the CU and away i go?

 

[chivers67]

Isolation!... fuse fairy cut seal before i started.. apart from calling supplier cant see way round it..

Do they leave a pound under your pillow as well

 

[Pensdown]

Isolation!... fuse fairy cut seal before i started.. apart from calling supplier cant see way round it..

Do they leave a pound under your pillow as well

100amp HRC if he's lucky just in case the other blows when he puts it back

 

[atm]

100amp HRC if he's lucky just in case the other blows when he puts it back [/quote]

it can do that?

 

[Trog]

Isolation!... fuse fairy cut seal before i started.

I was lucky the same way in that the fuse was left unsealed, in fact the lugs the wire goes through were broken off. By a German sent round by the lecky people to change the meter. I was however unaware of his sexual orientation until reading the above post.

 

[rebuke]

The nicest way would be to get an isolator fitted. Some suppliers will do them for free, some will charge a small fee (e.g. I had one fitted by British Gas who charged me £30 or so), and some will just refuse claiming you need to get an electrician to do it (even though to do it if it requires changing the meter tails requires breaking the seal on the meter!)...

If you don't have an isolator, the official way you are meant to do it, is to call the DNO out to isolate the supply, and then get them to reconnect when you're done. Quite a lot of professional sparks won't do this (since it requires working to the DNO's schedule), and will just pull the cut-out fuse, and either just not replace the seal, or perhaps have obtained the relevant tags and crimp tool to replace it themselves. Some DNOs even authorise members of certain professional bodys (e.g. NICEIC) to cut the seals and remove the fuses.

If you do do it yourself (which I wouldn't recommend), then as has been said, make sure there is no load present at the time (i.e. switch off CU at main switch), and be very careful once it's out, as depending on the design you may have accessible live terminals, that are effectively unfused (yes there will be some sort of fuse upstream, but by the time that blows you'll be long dead)...

 

[sparkyspike]

Ok, the real reason I mentioned removing the meter leads rather than pulling the fuse, is that the fuse could have been in place for decades and there is a possibility of it breaking when you pull it out - it can be quite stiff.

However, this was slightly tongue-in-cheek. If you are bent on isolating the cut-out yourself, then that's your look out, fuse fairy or not. But you did seem quite agreeable with calling the DNO out for a DP isolator to be fitted. If that's the case, then do it - it will be useful for you and any electricians in the future anyway.

 

[atm]

called supplier, they said they dont do it have to call an electrician.

ok here it is.. i am quite happy to pull fuse myself... assume there is not much to it.. break seal and pull.. surely it cannot be that simple??
what would a qualified spark do differently?

again thanks for support..

 

[rebuke]

Officially only the DNO / supplier is supposed to pull the fuse. Ultimately it is just a matter of switching off the load, then cutting the seal and pulling it, and if it's in good condition, that will be fine (the guy who fitted my isolator just did that, no special precautions taken or whatever).

The tricky bit is being able to recognise when one is in good condition, or when one is likely to disintegrate in your hands - if you post a pic of your service head, people here are likely to be able to tell you what sort of condition it's in...

If it's got a risk of disintegrating, then don't touch it yourself. Someone from the DNO might do it wearing a pair of insulated gauntlets or similar, but they have training (and insurance!) to be able to do it.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do those gauntlets also protect against arcing, or just make it safe to touch live parts?

Talking of arcing - atm - you might want to get a faceshield too - if it all goes pearshaped you do not want to get zapped.

http://www.seton.co.uk/setoneurope/catalog/0/20/100007-1 200110-2 300730-3.html

http://www.seton.co.uk/setoneurope/catalog/0/20/100007-1 200110-2 300731-3.html

 

[rebuke]

Good question - I don't really know. You can get ones with quite extreme ratings in terms of voltage, and obviously you get welding gauntlets that are designed to stop people getting zapped by arc welders, so I'd assume as long as you get one appropriately rated it will do the job...

 

[atm]

ok so arcing is a problem aswell.. what do all you sparks do then carry gaunlets and face shields when you whip out a fuse?

heres my pics.

 

[atm]

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• atm
• 5 Feb 2009
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• atm
• 5 Feb 2009
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• atm
• 5 Feb 2009
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• atm
• 5 Feb 2009
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sorry here they are

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Good question - I don't really know. You can get ones with quite extreme ratings in terms of voltage, and obviously you get welding gauntlets that are designed to stop people getting zapped by arc welders, so I'd assume as long as you get one appropriately rated it will do the job...

I think that for a LV cutout I'd be happier with kneeling/standing on an insulator and wearing dry welding gauntlets....

Fortunately my meter now has a built-in isolator, so I don't have to face that problem....

 

[atm]

thanks BAS. what about the possibility or arcing when the fuse is removed. Someone mentioned that its possible another fuse could be furher up the line?