Dangerous reverse polarity on meter tails

[sidekick]

I have today come accross my first polarity problem.
while checking a socket i found it was showing reverse polarity with L and N.
After checkig behind the socket and all other sockets on the same ring all were correctly wired.
I checked the polarity of L and N at the consumer unit and although also wired correctly this also showed reverse polarity. The job was in one of three flats so were sub mains from the basement where the meters are. In the basement each flat has its own main fused switch from its own meter. On checking this main fuse switch it also showed reverse polarity but was correctly wired.
When i say correctly wired in all cases i mean all Neutrals were black sheathed and all line conductors red sheathed.
However, the tails from the meter to the main fused switch pass via a 100A connector block. In this block both black neutral conductors correctly go into th front connector and both line red conductors go into the rear connector block.
I am assuming the problem is then at the exit from the meter where Line and Neutral must incorrectly wired.
The only identification at the meter is the colour of the sheath so I can do no other check.

Leaving the meter I believe the Neutrals are always side by side in the middle and the two lines are on either side ( L-N-N-L ) but in this case they are ( L-N-L-N).
Is this just a straight case of contacting the supplier to rectify a dangerous situation asap or am I missing something?

 

[shorty]

I think the issue that seems to be being discussed here, with a differance of opinion, is more to do with customer inconvienience and very little if anything to do with safety?

I agree we all seem to have got off topic. The overriding issue is safety to people and the safest thing to do for everyone is isolated supply using main switch, lock it off and report to supply authority. This leaves it all above board.

Yes it inconveniences the customer but I think the customer would rather be safe than risk personal injury.

 

[sidekick]

Thank you to all on this thread for the advice. Some good, some not so sure.
With so much interest I think its only fair to let you all know what I did etc.

After talking to the customer and explaining how dangerous this was, she was very keen for me to advise and get the fault corrected in the best way possible.
I firstly isolated the flat with the switch fuse in the basement and locked off. I then contacted DNO who were very helpful and promised to get an engineer to the premises as soon as one was available in the area.
The customer was happy in the flat with just a gas cooker and a box of matches and some candles for the time being. Unfortunately, it turned out to be about 24 hours.
DNO called in and confirmed tails were reversed and corrected the fault with a strong apology and no charge.
Flat now safe and power restored, the customer was very grateful and thanked me for my professionalism.

At the end of the day I think safety especially the customers is always the priority regardless of any legal actions we need to take to achieve it. If this is not the case, with anyone either leaving a dangerous situation or taking unauthorized measures just to keep a customer happy then I would think that would not be the correct, the professional, the safe, the legal or the sensible way to do things.

Thanks again.

 

[Knobhead]

Thanks for letting us know the outcome. BUT 24hrs for the DNO!

 

[gbert]

in my new house when NIE northern ireland electricity connected up the meter, though i had clearly marked live and neutral on the tails, they connected live into neutral and visa versa. they had the cheek to tell me i had a wiring problem. i had the tails wired into two iscos and was able to fix it myself but there you have it mistakes are made

 

[sidekick]

Thanks for letting us know the outcome. BUT 24hrs for the DNO!

Yes 24 hrs. That was too long for something so dangerous and inconvenient for the customer. But it was down to the customer not home or able to allow access sooner so not strictly there fault for such a delay.

 

[sidekick]

in my new house when NIE northern ireland electricity connected up the meter, though i had clearly marked live and neutral on the tails, they connected live into neutral and visa versa. they had the cheek to tell me i had a wiring problem. i had the tails wired into two iscos and was able to fix it myself but there you have it mistakes are made

Yep and its mistakes like that that give good reason for the polarity checks which most of the time just point out the obvious. As we both now know it is not always obvious.

 

[Dark Derek]

I wonder how the guy got on with the reverse polarity and dno?

I won't give the whole method but this was almost certainly a case of fraudulent extraction of energy by a previous resident.

 

[James]

I won't give the whole method but this was almost certainly a case of fraudulent extraction of energy by a previous resident.

This is an old thread that probably has been resolved by now.
however it did get me thinking, it may be possible to extract electricity through a meter if the polarity is reversed in the right place but would require a separate earth connection and some serious rewiring.
send me a sketch via pm and we will see if we are on the same thread.