Tails

[Scoby_Beasley]

My brother is still in business masona, you'll know him by his bright red ears from the tongue lashing he got from me Ma
And no, breezer, I didnt miss your point, just thought I'd let folk know that surviving messing with live tails may not be the end of your problem ("charged" indeed ).
So who's gonna tell me my brother is obviously no "bright spark", hohoho

 

[sharpspark]

When I made enquiries to the East Midlands Electricity board about changing the consumer unit, they came out and, free of charge, fitted an isolator switch directly after the meter with full access to the output side (i.e. no seals) so any work could be done by me safely. I am doing a full rewire (with final testing and inspection by qualified electrician) in the West Midlands and again Npower are coming out to fit an isolator switch at no charge. This seems to be the way things are done now. I have to say that finding the right department and phone number took many phone calls and passing from pillar to post between Aquila (supplier) and NPower (metering) but when I finally got there it was a breeze!

 

[spark]

Sounds like you have it good up there . The closer you get to London, the more expensive it gets .

 

[anonymous_sweatypalms]

An isolator switch sounds like an excellent idea.

I once replaced a CU, but fortunately for me the tails from the meter were already wired into a service connector block, so although when I connected the new CU up I was working on a hot circuit, I wasn't having to deal with live tails flailing around - all I had to do was carefully ( VERY CAREFULLY ) insert cables into solidly fixed and immovable metal bars.

Was it legal? If the equivalent of 25 (1) quoted by Breezer was in force 16 years ago, then no.

Was it safe? Safe enough, I think - I used properly insulated tools, and at no time did I have any loose wires that were live.

Did my palms sweat? A little, but not enough to make the tools slippery

Would I do it again? Dunno. There's a lot of truth in the saying that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. If I ask my supplier to disconnect me so that I can change my CU, and he demands all sorts of fees and inspections, or requires that I pay my nearest Breezer to do it, and I decide "stuff it, I'll do it myself" what then? But if I just do it, my chances of getting caught are vanishingly small (provided I don't blow the main fuse ).

Would I do what Dingbat seems to be contemplating, which is to remove a live tail from a CU and have it dangle live whilst I replaced the CU? I'd feel very uncomfortable with that.

You see I know that I can wire up a CU safely. Or rewire a house if it comes to that. I know that I'm not a qualified electrician, and that I don't have the skills to attempt anything beyond domestic ring mains and lights etc. The regulations know (as is evinced by some of the posts to this forum) that some people don't even understand how to wire up a 2-way light switch.

So where do you draw the line? I'd hate to see us end up like the States, where you can't even install new sockets yourself (bet Breezer would though ).

Maybe next time I should install my own isolator - I'd have the same, one, safe-enough operation to introduce the end of a wire into a live connection box, but once that was done I'd never have to do it again.

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

So who makes/ where can I get a 100A DP isolation switch ? Then I'll find a tamed sparky to fit it .

 

[breezer]

this do?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think Breezer's avin a larf....

Try this:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WYWRM100slash2.html

You'll need an enclosure for it, and the RCD is 100mA, so you will still need a 30mA in your CU.

 

[sharpspark]

Get the metering company to fit it?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Get the metering company to fit it?

I get the feeling that the metering company are just that - people who come and read meters.

 

[breezer]

i was "avin a laugh" becasue as scoby always jokes i wasn't taking him seriously.

but if you really want something then have one of these

which you can get from any electrical wholesaler or from here

 

[il78]

Contact you local supply authority and arrange for them to install an isolation switch between the meter and consumer unit, they do this free of charge, and also you wont be breaking the law. It doesnt matter if you are a competant person, you are not allowed to cut the seal cause this is your supply authorties property (and as a competant person you should know this).

The word competant is a bit of funny word in all trades it seems.....I'm a qualified electrician but does it make me competant to work on electrics....I may know the theory but not the practice and vice versa...

One thing I will say, if you are in doubt about anything, dont do it.....for the sake of the costs is it worth burnt fingers

 

[sharpspark]

In the west midlands, it is NPower (metering) that fitted the Isolator for me rather than Aquila (supplier).

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

this do?

Think that might be a bit excessive for my tastes breezer, but I spoke to a leccy contractor the other day who said he would be willing to fit it if I bought it.
Don't worry, I wouldn't mess with it meself.
We now have our leccy through BG, notorious for doing nothing for nothing, does anyone know if they do freebies?

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

In the west midlands, it is NPower (metering) that fitted the Isolator for me rather than Aquila (supplier).

Where in w/midlands sharp (We were Npower)?