Meter tails and new builds

[scott1980]

Hi all,

We purchased a new build house recently, and I have noticed that the supply from the meter runs in 25mm meter tails from adjacent the front door, into the ceiling void and then to the CU which is under the stairs (probably about 8m or so in terms of cable length, if they take the most direct route) Looking through the back of the meter cupboard, they seem to disappear through the wall and up the middle of the WC wall internally. Apart from the 100A cutout fuse, there's no other protection for the tails between the meter and CU.

I was under the impression (may be wrong) that it's not the done thing to run tails for any great distance from the meter, if so it should be SWA and protected by a switch fuse and that if they do run up the middle of the WC wall, they should at least be contained in an earthed metallic conduit or such (although I presume the meter cupboard on the other side of the wall extends the safe zone to the other side?)

Any regs being broken here or have I misunderstood?

Thanks!

 

[Iggifer]

Concealed cables <50mm deep should be RCD protected no matter what (unless as you mention, earthed steel containment).

Yes there should be a switch fuse protecting the tails over that kind of distance.

SWA would still need a switchfuse but would get away with the RCD requirement.

So yes, some regulations have been broken, and it's something responsible tradespeople have to deal with now external meter cupboards are becoming the norm. We did a row of new build houses where the CU was in the living room directly behind the meter cupboard because the principal contractor didn't want to pay for the extra costs involved in getting the supply to another part of the house

 

[EFLImpudence]

(although I presume the meter cupboard on the other side of the wall extends the safe zone to the other side?)

No.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So yes, some regulations have been broken

And some laws.

Whoever said that Building Regulations were complied with lied, and should, ideally, be locked up.

Lock a few people like that up and all of a sudden the others will decide to stop lying.

 

[SimonH2]

My mum's house has a subset of that issue. The meter tails come through the wall, then up under the plaster for maybe about 6-12" to the CU. They are not in any way protected and thus do not comply with wiring regs yet the house has been signed off. They've also done some work in the kitchen which has resulted in cables that are not in a safe zone.
Given how the sparkies have done "the minimum they could", I'm really tempted to put my foot down and insist that it be listed as a fault to be rectified before the full price is paid (as in, withhold enough of the price to make it worth doing the job). The downside to that is that it would further delay her being able to move in and it's already causing her significant stress.

 

[sparkwright]

I never really know why new houses have this problem.

It should be decided early on where the kiosk and the consumer unit will go.

A position should be found so the kiosk will be back-to-back with the consumer unit.

The consumer's tails should enter the BOTTOM of the kiosk, through the brick cavity (this is allowed) and into the back of the consumer unit.

Obviously other, easier ways can be done if the electrics are to go on the wall of an integral garage, such as using trunking run surface.

 

[securespark]

And some laws.

Whoever said that Building Regulations were complied with lied, and should, ideally, be locked up.

Lock a few people like that up and all of a sudden the others will decide to stop lying.

No they won't.

Do murderers/ rapists/ etcetera decide to stop what they're doing because a few of them have been locked up?

And that's at the extreme end of the criminality scale.

People will not stop doing what you complain of. Ever.

 

[JohnD]

No they won't.

Very true.

The maximum penalty for smoking is death.

Not a quick, humane execution, either.

It doesn't deter people.

An extra 50p on a packet has more effect.

Behaviour modification effects have to be certain, immediate and personal.

If I stood behind you with a cattle prod ready to shock you every time you lit a fag, you wouldn't.

If you think "in forty years, if I'm unlucky, maybe I'll be one of those who gets it" then you won't care.

If you rob houses, and think "I probably won't be caught, if I am I might just be cautioned, if I get prosecuted it'll take months and I can do what I like while I'm bailed, I might get off, if I'm found guilty I might get a suspended sentence, with remission I'll be out in a few months" it won't stop you.