No main earth in property

[anjme]

My firm is installing a new heating system.
The electrician who we contracted to sort the boiler electrics has confirmed that there is no main earth whatsoever to the property.
He has to put an earth spike in and bond all pipes as required which includes leaving an earth wire for supplier to connect into incoming supply.

My question is ..... Is there a legal procedure where previous electricians should have highlited this lack of safety earth for this customer? I say this because in past two years the customer has had a new digital meter installed by "meter plus" and a new electric cooker fitted (on new colour wire) with cable going back to consumer unit.

Also the incoming main has two 100A fuses one of which supplies house next door. What is the procedure should this fuse blow and the neighbours cannot get access to change the fuse in our customers property? Can our customer ask for this supply to be seperated? is there a charge?

 

[securespark]

Your guy is correct. Before any electrical work is carried out, the regs require that you should ensure earthing arrangements are adequate.

As for the previous work, the guy installing the cooker sounds like a cowboy. Is there any paperwork for that job?

The meter & enquiries about the supply are best directed to the DNO. Ring the number on the customer's bill & enquire.

 

[plugwash]

the supplier are only required to maintain an existing earth and in some cases provide one if asked and if nessacery to make sure thier own equipement is earthed (all thier modern kit is class 2 anyway though so doesn't need earthing) its not thier problem whether the rest of your installation is safe or not.

The electrican who replaced the cooker should have picked up on this issue as part of his normal test procedures, sadly the world is full of both cowboys and i'm sure customers who will claim to be victims of cowboys to hide thier own bodges.

i believe they aren't supposed to have main fuses in other peoples houses like this but i'm not sure of the exact details of the law on that.

 

[Spark123]

Are you requesting the DNO to provide a TN system?

 

[anjme]

Are you requesting the DNO to provide a TN system?

DNO ? TN.... I am a gas fitter and dont speak this lingo !

My industry is one where if I am not allowed to say "it was alright when I left it" If I do gas work and become aware that part of the system is dangerous I am obliged by law to make it safe. I am staggered that a person could install a new digital main meter (Meter Plus 2005) and not test the installation for safety of the user. It is blindingly obvious to me, a gas fitter, that there is no main earth any where out of consumer unit to any where else so how the guy who installed the new meter sleeps at night God only knows.

 

[Spark123]

DNO = Distribution Network Operator.
TN = Supply type where an earth is supplied by the operator.