Problem with electric supply equipment

[thiambal]

Now not strictly period properties I know but the problem is due to the elextricity installing in a old house.

Essentially I have a big thick wire coming out from under my floorboards and going to a big plastic lump on the wall which then sends wires to the meter. The equipment is positioned so the front door will not open to a full 90 degrees and the wire knocks against door causing damage.

They equipment has been there since Jesus was a wee lad but I want to replace the horrible 1980s front door with a nice reclaimed job - but do not want it immediately damaged by the electrical supply equipment.

The supply company are insisting I pay to have it moved - even though it is damaging my door and preventing me from fully openeing the door. I have tried complaining to Engergy Watch by they do not want to know. I am not legally allowed to have the thing moved myself.

Has anyone had a similar problem or know how I can get this sorted without paying for what what is essentially badly installed equipement - after all the door was there before domestic electricty was avaliable!

 

[geoff]

Nope, you're stuck with being charged for the move. They will also try and insist you install it outside on/in an external wall with a cabinet. They will probably also insist you pay for an electrician's inspection to produce a certificate as they treat it as a 'new installation' even if you aren't changing anything in the electrics. You will probably also have no option who does the work for you - even if the price is daft.

Good Luck

 

[Geoff Flegg]

I needed to move my electricity meter about 18 months ago. Like you, I was told that they would charge, but they wouldn't tell me how much until they came out to do the work!

Anyway, I needed them to come out twice - first to break the seal and remove the main incoming fuse (so I could safely replace the consumer unit, another part of the job) then come back later in the day to move the meter and replace and re-seal the fuse.

When the fitter phoned me up I asked if I could save him the job of coming out in the morning by pulling the fuse myself - which he was OK with. When he came in the afternoon to move the meter, as I'd got everything all prepared for him (new backing plate for the meter already on the wall, etc) he didn't charge me at all.

Firstly - I hit lucky and happened to get a friendly fitter - secondly, your job of moving the incoming line is more major and is definitely only a job for a qualified electrician. But from what I was told you should be able to at least reduce the cost of your job by doing as much of the preparatory work yourself as you can, so the fitter can be at your house as short a period as possible.

They never mentioned once about moving to an external cabinet. That may well depend on which electricity company you deal with though.

 

[Mark]

If its an old system be VERY VERY careful of pulling the fuse yourself. Old boxes and fuses are known to crumble and fail when touched.

I would strongly suggest you get your electrician to do it. (assuming you are getting a leccy in - you need part P for fitting a new CU anyway).

If in doubt http://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl are a very helpful bunch - and know what they are talking about unlike some forums.

They might ask you to post a picture of the box/fuse.

 

[thiambal]

Thanks for the advice chaps - as always not as easy as it appears.

Just to be clear - this is not the CU but a seperate box beloning to the supply company which splits the incoming supply to my meter and to nextdoor via a cable that goes though the adjoining wall to next door. As a result it cannot really be moved to another position and I cannot do any prep work.

I am told by an electrician that a more modern supply cable would not be nearly as thick as the 2" current cable and so would not sit so far from the wall or could be chased in - which would solve my door problem.

I have also notices that the movement on the cable from contact with the door has loosened the screws holding the backing board to the wall so that one of them is sitting 1" proud of the board and can just be pulled out - got to be a H&S issue - I will let you know how I get on!

 

[Penners]

If its an old system be VERY VERY careful of pulling the fuse yourself.

I just want to go further than Mark - you should not try to tamper with this box under any circumstances. It contains the supply company's own fuses and is (or should be) sealed with their wire and lead seal. It is illegal (and very dangerous) for you to try and open it.

I'm afraid you're stuck with paying to have it moved.

 

[NT]

Re work on the incomer, this is the company's property and you should not work on it. Also work on 2" thick jute insulated unswitched cables most of a century old isnt quite as straightforward as working with new pvc cable.

Re replacing a CU, part p applies, but figures show less than 1% of jobs are getting certified as Part P requires.

Re pulling the main fuse, electricians normally do this themselves, and diyers replacing CUs ditto. However it is a part of the system that is live, unswitched and partly unfused, so leave well alone if not competent. The legal situation with pulling the fuse is a bit complex, but in short the leccy companies would shoot themselves in the foot if they ever took action over it, and pulling the fuse has become both normal and best practice.


NT