They're like buses...

[securespark]

Tch.

You wait for a supply cable problem for 6 months and then all of a sudden you get three turning up on the same day. Sorry, no pictures this time...

The one I went to had a Zs of 140 on TN-S. When I got there, there was a PME-style cutout with nothing attached to the earth terminal.

But, hanging out of the bottom of the cutout was a bit of solid strand bare copper earth wire.

Rang the DNO Manweb. She said there is no earth terminal & we want £100 to supply one. I said there was a pre-existing earth terminal that had never been connected to and she had better send someone out because the high Ze was dangerous. A guy turned up prompt as anything & connected the solid strand into the cutout earth terminal. Think it should have been a bit thicker, meself!! He said if you want 16mm², you have to pay for it.

Anyhow, we got 0.3 with it, but how much fault current would it carry before frazzling?

The next one was no earth on a supply I have to go and eyeball next week.

The last one was good: Got a call from a colleague saying he couldn't get a Ze off the tails. He got a voltage of 154V, and on pressing the Alphatek start key, he got PE, indicating no earth.

But, on a ZS, he got 245V.

I presumed the neutral was breaking down. Call the DNO quick!!

 

[Steve]

When you phone the DNO and speak to the people there regarding earthing issues, are they generally knowledgable of such terms as Zs and TT and PME etc? Do they hold technical records for every supply on computer and therefore are able to bring your particular premises up on screen?

 

[JohnD]

 

[securespark]

I concur with John. No!!

They know burger all about this. I even had to explain what an isolator was to a girl in the office of UU the other day...

I just blind them with science until they either send a guy out (which is what I want anyway) or put me through to someone who does...

Crafty, eh, Crafty??

 

[Steve]

I take that as a no. But the way Simon went on, the bird he spoke to at Manweb knew everything about the premises supply.

Can you be asked to be put through to someone in the technical dept?!

 

[securespark]

The Manweb "bird" (tweet!) knew more than most, but did not recognise the word "cut-out" nor my description of it.

Sometimes there are engineers or managers knocking about in the office (the managers are promoted engineers who know the ropes), so they can often put the girls straight. (ooh err missus!)

 

[JohnD]

I stillthink that for anything taxing, a letter is better (but not asquick). The cust serv agent won't be ableto deal with it or fob it off, so it will end on the deskof someone who understands. They are discouraged from "troubling" the engineers with phone callsfrom those pesky customers (what a nuisance they are ) especially if they are in India.

the thing none of them are any goodat is records of wayleaves. It's dreadful system and no-onewants to take it on. Some of them are many decades old and lost,or in filing cabinets in old warehouses.

p.s.sorry I dropped my keyboard and broke thespacekey

 

[securespark]

We have a duty to report dicky supplies immediately & demand a priority response. This can only be done by phone.

Well, if you've got an earth problem on PME, you're in trouble...

I think the most the cust's have waited is 2 hours. Pretty good, really.