Upgrade my electricity fuse scheme query

At present there's a push to upgrade leccy fuses by https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/internet/en/our-services/upgrade-fuse/

The men came and done mine and did my brothers a few weeks later, both domestic households. Funnily enough we both had 100 amp fuses already, but still they were swapped over. Maybe it's company policy to change them anyhow because of the fee per changeover?

Anyhow the image below is self explanatory, but can anyone confirm that a company can leave your premises unprotected because the main earth is attached to the consumer unit, hence being the homeowners responsibility to re-attach, even though it was correctly earthed before the swap over?

As you can see the guys who did my swap over didn't leave this important safety connection out....https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/internet/en/our-services/upgrade-fuse/

Thanks in advance

Couldn't see how to edit the wrong link I inserted so here it is...

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You need to contact them as a matter of urgency as the property now has no earth.

They should have reconnected the earth before they left.

Perhaps they'll send this meter  guy   :C

So I gather they’ve changed the whole service head just for a fuse change??

cant see any reason to change whole head ? Even if they have changed the fuse carrier still no reason to disconnect the earth? 

Perhaps this was an upgrade from tns to tncs only they forgot the neutral earth link?? 

What reason did they give for the change? 

Id seriously call them ASAP as there’s a serious breach in H&S ?? 

Are meter fitters now changing heads ? 

Not connecting an earth is pretty terrible IMHO

I am confused.

The two pictures are different installations.

On the right hand one, there is no sign that there has ever been an earth clamp in the incoming cable, so it's not a case of they didn't put it back.  HOW was it earthed before they changed the head?

If the supplier does not provide an earth, then it is up to YOU or your electrician to install your own earth, e.g. an earth rod and check all other requirements like RCD's are in place.

DNO are not required to provide an earth. if they do it must be maintained, but if it was never provided then thats not their problem.

ProDave said:

I am confused.

The two pictures are different installations.

On the right hand one, there is no sign that there has ever been an earth clamp in the incoming cable, so it's not a case of they didn't put it back.  HOW was it earthed before they changed the head?

If the supplier does not provide an earth, then it is up to YOU or your electrician to install your own earth, e.g. an earth rod and check all other requirements like RCD's are in place.

Click to expand...

Thanks Andy

Yes it was an example of how two different teams fitted the new fuse heads. Both of the supplies originally had a neutral earth link on the old fuse heads and were connected appropriately to them. As you can see, one team decided not to connect an earthing point. either because it was difficult to get a good fix for an earth strap, or he never had any appropriate solution there and then. and couldn't be bothered by passing the buck to the customer. The point is, the existing supply of both  units was correctly installed with a main earth for the household, with only one correctly re-installed back to original specs.

As I say my brother was told to get one fitted himself. Which I think is a bit unfair to have a company come and revamp your supply on a Gov scheme I expect they get paid for, then expect you to finish off any remaining work at your expense to bring the job back to it's original specifications before they handled it!!!

get DNO back to do it, you cant legally fit a clamp onto their cable. and you cant use a 951 either

He got in touch and a lad came back today. He explained that the Neutral to Earth link wasn't bridged, so he had never had a mains earth to begin with.

They wouldn't do it in case it had a fault somewhere and expected them to fix it basically. He said you'd still be able to fit a strap to the remaining part

of the pipe even though it was an odd shape. I suppose it's fair enough, so he'll have to get someone out to do it now.

Thank you for all your kind replies.

(Original fuse head at property)

Has any electrical work or inspection and testing ever been done on the property?

Nobody can help or advise you at all unless you provide photos of YOUR installation. Photos you found on the internet that you "think" are similar are no use at all. It would be like me putting photos of a cod and a dolphin on a fish forum because they appeared to be more or less the same..

john..

apprentice87 said:

 It would be like me putting photos of a cod and a dolphin on a fish forum because they appeared to be more or less the same..

john..

Click to expand...

[pedantic]  A Dolphin is a mammal not a fish [/pedantic]

ProDave said:

[pedantic]  A Dolphin is a mammal not a fish [/pedantic]

Click to expand...

Yes, that is what i meant!! The first installation in the picture is not the same as the second one [as you pointed out], or the third one either!!

john..

apprentice87 said:

Nobody can help or advise you at all unless you provide photos of YOUR installation. Photos you found on the internet that you "think" are similar are no use at all. It would be like me putting photos of a cod and a dolphin on a fish forum because they appeared to be more or less the same..

john..

Click to expand...

They are the original photos! Even says it above the original fuse head which the installer captured  before installing new Fuse head.! The top post refers to mine and my brothers installations as stated.

Tried to make it as easy as possible for responders.

Sidney said:

Has any electrical work or inspection and testing ever been done on the property?

Click to expand...

Rewired years ago but I don't think an inspection was done,  I think he will be getting one after the mains earth is connected. He did have a new fuse board fitted a few years back also and the guy connected the main earth to the exposed earth block that protrudes out of the original black fuse head. I suppose it is an easy mistake to think the neutral earth link was in place, considering the older board he removed was originally connect there also.

Thanks for your reply Sidney

The reason I ask about testing as that would have identified if the earth was connected or not.

pmc64 said:

Rewired years ago but I don't think an inspection was done,  I think he will be getting one after the mains earth is connected. He did have a new fuse board fitted a few years back also and the guy connected the main earth to the exposed earth block that protrudes out of the original black fuse head. I suppose it is an easy mistake to think the neutral earth link was in place, considering the older board he removed was originally connect there also.

Thanks for your reply Sidney

Click to expand...

But in the process of changing the consumer unit he should have done a lot of testing, including the earth. If nor he was a cowboy. An electrician would have tested the earth, not just connected it and hoped.

Thanks ProDave, and all who responded.

He's got an electrician to come out and do the earth and also an inspection.

Regards

Paul