DNO's isolator

[Lurch]

so if you cannot pull the fuse,,,,see the rating/typewhat do you put on the cert ?

You don't. You either find out by enquiry or put the highest fuse size down that the holder will take to allow for worst case.

 

[androiduk2002]

I've still yet to get to a job with seals on the fuse and meter.

Only have to view the picture I posted of my incoming ROTFWL ROTFWL ROTFWL

 

[Evans Electric]

Not a bad idea, don't think it operated in this area though. The original DNO which was the MEB were really strict about anyone cutting seals . It has now passed through various owners and is now Central Networks who don't seem bothered . Well if you phone them you can't get to speak to anyone.

Deke

 

[niceguy]

The isolator that some DNO's insist on is a Wylex REC2 as this can be sealed properly.

http://www.electrium.co.uk/Wylex2007.pdf

Page 31

 

[Theorysparky]

Not a bad idea, don't think it operated in this area though. The original DNO which was the MEB were really strict about anyone cutting seals . It has now passed through various owners and is now Central Networks who don't seem bothered . Well if you phone them you can't get to speak to anyone.Deke

did a job where these guys came out to move the meter

their line was.......

as long as there is no sign of meter tampering leading to a suggestion of theft then they are not bothered.

if its resealed all the better....

 

[gselectrical]

I usually pull them my self. Fit a DP Isolator, Re-fit fuse and seal both the fuse and the isolator. If I waited for the DNO to come out in my area, id be waiting weeks. I know this may sound wrong to some but I'd rather suffer the consequences than wait weeks. Guinness

 

[Evans Electric]

So if you was to call them and they verbally told you to pull the fuse, would you ? IF so and anything was to happen (god forbid) who would be liable ? Or would you request written confirmation to allow you to do this ? Before you pulled said fuse ?

You have hit the crux of the matter there , Android, as you know, pulling the fuse exposes a live terminal so the empty carrier must be refitted . Imagine a child sticking their finger in it.

As you say , to be safe, you would want it in writing and that would'nt happen you can bet on that.

It needs sorting ,and soon , the main thing with the energy supplier is ,I think, they have to pay a meter company to do their work, in the Midlands it is Metering Services .

deke

 

[Evans Electric]

All the boards I change they seem to have forgotten to fit seals . O)

 

[Theorysparky]

just a thought

when we get assessed we are expected to show safe isolation

why not get assessed on pulling the the fuse and safe working on that

your part p provider then sends a notification to the DNO in your area that you are competent to do it !!!

surely its not rocket sience

 

[batty]

just a thoughtwhen we get assessed we are expected to show safe isolation

why not get assessed on pulling the the fuse and safe working on that

your part p provider then sends a notification to the DNO in your area that you are competent to do it !!!

surely its not rocket sience

That will never happen what if something where to go wrong dno would be afraid that you would sue them. Southern electic (sse) have the best idea fitting meters with built in isolators dno side is sealed contractor can isolate meter to put tails in job done. If they won't do that they should put isolators in.

 

[Danny]

I told a customer last week to get edf to upgrade their side prior to a rewire .. edf's answer came back as for me to fit an isolator, they would send me the seals and check at a later date ... anyone else heard of this ?

 

[wozz]

i worked on a job where the edf come and pulled the fuses, three phase supply, he said while we were there could the meter tails be upgraded to save them a job, he then gave us some red plastic things to put in the head to shield the live terminals when working on the outgoing terminals and while the fuse were out.

Do you think they anywhere near fitted? NO

Was it possible to use them NO

sums up my dealings with the EDF really.

 

[androiduk2002]

I told a customer last week to get edf to upgrade their side prior to a rewire .. edf's answer came back as for me to fit an isolator, they would send me the seals and check at a later date ... anyone else heard of this ?

Did you get it in writing Danny or just verbally ?

 

[Danny]

Did you get it in writing Danny or just verbally ?

Via the customer .. i let the job go i the end anyway so never got to the end of it, not enough time .... even so, following on from that message i called edf and surprisingly they knew nothing about that advice ... in any case i dont see why i should carry out work on their side ... who's going to pay me? and why should the customer pay me for work that is not on their kit ? i was half tempted if it had gone through to quote edf something ridiculous to carry out the work .. just to see what happened ..

 

[ProDave]

This is a subject that crops up regularly.

The OP's situation shows why you really should stay with your local DNO as your energy supplier. In that case, you just contact the DNO and they come and help. I find SSE usually particularly helpful.

On the other hand I did a CU change where my customer was an NPower customer. After changing the CU (no seal on main fuse ) I called N power to report that the tails from the supply head to the meter were substandard and needed replacing. I might as well have been speaking chinese as the girl on the phone didn't understand what I was saying. I tried the usual "it's unsafe, I want somebody here right now" approach, but all I got was repeated time and time again, "put your request in writing and we will consider it"

I did write to them pointing out the tails were substandard and I happened to notice there was no seal on the main fuse. I don't know if they ever did anything about it.

If your supplier is not your DNO, then the DNO won't attend on your say so, it's up the the energy supplier to request that the DNO attends, and some are poor at passing on your requests.

Every time I have called SSE directly (when the customer is a SSE customer) they have always attended promptly, done a professional job and been very accommodating.

My personal stance is I will cut the seals on the fuse AND the meter to isolate, and fit new tails from the meter to the CU, in order to do the job properly. When I do this and SSE attend to re seal, they have never once objected to me doing this. Indeed on every new build I have done, SSE expect the electrician to connect the tails from the CU to the meter, and furthermore they say it's not their job to make that connection.

Above all though you just need to apply common sense, and know what your local DNO will allow and what they frown upon.

Heaven forbid if they ever "regulate" this aspect of our job, we don't want any more red tape.

 

[Theorysparky]

My personal stance is I will cut the seals on the fuse AND the meter to isolate, and fit new tails from the meter to the CU, in order to do the job properly.

i agree

safe isolation........

 

[SteveH37]

I tend to stay away from domestic's but (prior to part p) i did a job for work colleague who wanted a new DB fitting, installed to 16th edition regs, upgraded bonding (main and supp) but tails were 16mm, decided not to cut meter seals but mounted a new isolator and terminated existing into that, fitted 25mm on outgoing side to new DB and told them to inform DNO for replacement tails, to my knowledge they have never been and done it (been a few years now too).

 

[Lurch]

I tend to stay away from domestic's but (prior to part p) i did a job for work colleague who wanted a new DB fitting, installed to 16th edition regs, upgraded bonding (main and supp) but tails were 16mm, decided not to cut meter seals but mounted a new isolator and terminated existing into that, fitted 25mm on outgoing side to new DB and told them to inform DNO for replacement tails, to my knowledge they have never been and done it (been a few years now too).

I know a few people who do things like this, but really there's no point as once you've got the main fuse out you might as well just go for broke and cut the meter seals as well and replace the tails.

 

[batty]

I know a few people who do things like this, but really there's no point as once you've got the main fuse out you might as well just go for broke and cut the meter seals as well and replace the tails.

Why do you need to take fuse out, just pull tails out of meter and insert new in job done.

 

[Lurch]

Why do you need to take fuse out, just pull tails out of meter and insert new in job done.

Safe isolation not applicable then. Not saying you can;t do it live, but the same applies for that, once you've got the meter seal cut you might as well cut the fuse seal.