NPower Builders Supply Earth Rod Issue

[Steve3948]

Well Friday was a bad day we had installed a builders supply, 2 way Rcd Board, couple of twin sockets, all inside builders provided meter type box, this was mounted adjacent to the Western Power meter box.

Our earth rod was directly below, about 1.5M away, all done nicely with conduit etc.

So Npower turn up to fit the meter and stick the fuse in, "Sorry mate I cannot connect that"

Why I ask.

"Because the earth rod needs to be 9M from the meter"

Why I ask.

"Don't know he replies, but unless you move it I ain't connecting"

Well ring your boss and explain that the ground is being removed all around and they will dig the rod up.

"Don't matter my boss will just agree with what I've told you and you will have to move it or no connect"

Problem - I did not have a spare rod and could not get that one out, so got my 1M - 18mm SDS drill bit out the van stuck it in the drill and fired it into the ground, replaced cable and clamped earth to my drill bit, tested 166 ohms, not bad for a drill bit haha.

Anyway he then connected while I had a tidy up with me moaning every time I walked past him.

Well he said thanks and got in his van a drove off.

I sat in my van brooding why should I have moved it, called builder to say job done and explained what had gone on, he said we are digging all that ground out on Monday, so I thought sod it got out of van and put it back how I had it to start with, after all it is my earth and not NPowers.

So can anyone throw some light on why NPower insist on 9M, yet Western Power and SSE don't, it's mind boggling.

I am in the village again later this week so can move it to the 9M zone once they have removed ground, but until someone can convince me, its staying.

 

[Manator]

I know of no justified reason, in fact all PME supplies when done properly have a rod as close to the supply as possible.

 

[wozz]

This is worse than when I was told 'they should only have a single rate meter as they have LPG'.

 

[Steve3948]

I do hope you pulled your drill out and connected to the proper rod next to the DNO supply and left it

Yeah like I said he drove off, and I waited 10 minutes, then ripped out what he requested, got me bit out of the ground and reconnected to my lovely earth spike.

What annoyed me was he said he did not know why, nor did his manager, he said they were only doing what they had been told to do,so I said well who said then, he replied NPower policy, don't know why, and every time I visit a builders site I have to break the bad news, I said you want to try making it known first then instead of turning up and refusing to connect. They have you by the balls though because he would not connect until I moved it away by 9M, even measured it the muppet.

 

[Evans Electric]

Never heard of that before but I'd be writing to DNO for an explanation myself.

Can only think they want it away from the field set up round the mains cable .

 

[Steve3948]

Never heard of that before but I'd be writing to DNO for an explanation myself. Can only think they want it away from the field set up round the mains cable .

Only applies to a "Builders Supply" though, which the deemed temporary.

I did phone on Friday and today, and each time they said they would ring back, but so far no.

 

[NozSpark]

A bit of left of field thinking, but,,,,,

Maybe he's PME'd it (obviously not allowed to use PME on a building site) and they don't want your earth going back up their rod to the transformer star point?

 

[NozSpark]

I'm not saying that he left an earth terminal, but if the service in that area is PME and there's an undergroud joint nearby then maybe????? :C

 

[Steve3948]

A bit of left of field thinking, but,,,,,Maybe he's PME'd it (obviously not allowed to use PME on a building site) and they don't want your earth going back up their rod to the transformer star point?

Now that is a good point, however his suggested location was 9m closer to the pole, and it applies to all sites he's been to, so that may be the reason, but he does not understand that if that is the reason.

When Western Power put the supply the guy tested across L&N and got 0.20 ohms, I said that's good, when new dwelling is built we will ask for PME, he said I doubt you will get it NPower don't like you having it.

Npower bad day explode