Strange box attached to 3 phase meter

oscar21 · Aug 7, 2023

I didn't get a picture so will have to wait until I go back again but I've done a crude drawing of what was there.

Its in a commercial set up with a poly-phase meter, the distribution board and switchgear were all quite old but the meter looked fairly new, it was the usualll 3 phase in and 3 phase out meter but underneath it was a sealed metal box with several 6mm singles coming out of it, one picked up the neutral, 2 went to the meter and 2 went to a 1 gang switch all inside the meter cupboard.

I've seen similar where a contactor triggers the meter into switching over to a cheaper rate but thats on single phase meters and it just switched the neutral to the meter, usually with just one wire into the meter. If it is some kind of night rate relay why would it have an overide switch of some sort.

The metal box looked like it was owned by the DNO because it has a seal on it and said do not open on it I think.

[ElectriciansForums.net] Strange box attached to 3 phase meter

oscar21 · Aug 8, 2023

Picutre of said item

Switch appears to say heating written by someone who cant spell maybe.

Bonus picture, this is what some of the building looks like, been asked if we can "sort it out".

DPG · Aug 8, 2023

oscar21 said:
Picutre of said item

View attachment 109853

Switch appears to say heating written by someone who cant spell maybe.

View attachment 109854

Bonus picture, this is what some of the building looks like, been asked if we can "sort it out".

View attachment 109855

With the vandalism that's gone on there I'm surprised the cables haven't been stolen.

nicebutdim · Aug 8, 2023

All fun and games until someone takes down the ceiling grid.

oscar21 · Aug 8, 2023

DPG said:
With the vandalism that's gone on there I'm surprised the cables haven't been stolen.

Its not vandalism, the firm has been in to remove everything and take it back to a basic building, ceiling down, all internal stud walls gone, they expected us to go in, disconnect everything not needed and just to get the sockets round the outer walls working again with provision for some lights when the new ceiling goes in.

Thing is its had that many alterations over the years there is no way now of telling what is old, what is new, what went where and what needs to go where. I mean I could but it would be far quicker to just snip everything out and start again.

I'm not really sure what has gone on for it to be empty, the fire alarm looks brand new and not even fully installed yet, new addressable panel on the wall and half a drum of FP sat on top of a wall. I'll bet there is a fire alarm installer somewhere that hasn't been paid and the place has gone bankrupt.

oscar21 · Aug 8, 2023

Just out of interest, what would be a ball park figure to do some basic wiring in there, the building is about 35M long by 10M wide, I was thinking a tray down each side with click roses under it. It will mainly be a large open space and the only other rooms will be a kitchen and toilet block. There will of course need to be EM lights etc.

I was thinking about £15k

DPG · Aug 8, 2023

oscar21 said:
Its not vandalism, the firm has been in to remove everything and take it back to a basic building, ceiling down, all internal stud walls gone, they expected us to go in, disconnect everything not needed and just to get the sockets round the outer walls working again with provision for some lights when the new ceiling goes in.

Thing is its had that many alterations over the years there is no way now of telling what is old, what is new, what went where and what needs to go where. I mean I could but it would be far quicker to just snip everything out and start again.

I'm not really sure what has gone on for it to be empty, the fire alarm looks brand new and not even fully installed yet, new addressable panel on the wall and half a drum of FP sat on top of a wall. I'll bet there is a fire alarm installer somewhere that hasn't been paid and the place has gone bankrupt.

Ah I see. I was going with the graffiti on the wall.

I reckon you're right about the fire alarm.

oscar21 · Aug 8, 2023

Couple more pictures, wont be too bad once all the data cables are out of the way I reckon.#

freddo · Dec 17, 2023

So what was in the box?! You can't leave us wondering...

Timbo · Dec 17, 2023

I would suggest it could be heating contactor(s).

Mike Johnson · Dec 17, 2023

I would suggest the only way forward is to snip everything out and start again.

pc1966 · Dec 18, 2023

Timbo said:
I would suggest it could be heating contactor(s).

Its hard to tell, but it looks like the single fuse might have been connected to the cut-out and is now disconnected? My thought was some sort of time-switch for shared lighting (like stairways in blocks of flats, etc) so fixed load and not metered.

freddo · Dec 19, 2023

pc1966 said:
Its hard to tell, but it looks like the single fuse might have been connected to the cut-out and is now disconnected? My thought was some sort of time-switch for shared lighting (like stairways in blocks of flats, etc) so fixed load and not metered.

If you look closely the wire appears to go into the terminal of fuse1. The neutral coming from the meters neutral terminal, looping into the meters aux switch then down to the box. Perhaps the switch was to disable the contactor in the box during the summer? I assume there should be cables coming out the bottom of that box that are now removed?

7029 dave · Dec 21, 2023

DNO slot fuse were always used for E7 time clocks, could also have controlled some sort of contactor. Does not look complete some cables have been removed.