DNO Issue !!!!

[Ponty Massive]

Started a PIR for a customer to find the Ze was 58 ohms on a TN-S supply. Contacted the DNO who sent out one of their "Engineers." He confirmed my reading and then called for a jointing team.

The jointing turned up and said they had a reading of 0.3 ohms.

I went back to the property today to find again a reading of 58 ohms???

Called them up and again they sent another engineer around. I waited 2 hours but couldn't wait any longer. Finally had a call from the customer 3 hours later saying the DNO guy had turned up and could I speak to him on the phone? I explained my reading to the guy and he said he was getting a reading on 0.3....

He asked my how I was doing my test? It's a very old supply but I explained the incoming live to the suppliers fuse had exposed wire, I tested between this, neutral and earth. He then said his meter only had two leads and he could only test between live and neutral or live and earth but could not do all three???

Anyway, he excepted my reading of 58 ohms and said he would call his office.

20 mins later I had a call from the customer saying the DNO would PME the supply for a cost of £140+VAT.

Is this right? Surely it's their responsibility to provide a satisfactory earth??

Any help apprreciated !!!!

 

[trev]

As you know mate, if they supply an earth they have to maintain it but I reckon they'll try to wriggle out of this one even further than they have already, what's the betting on them saying your test gear is faulty or you're testing it wrongly

 

[telectrix]

why not try testing with your tester on 2 lead test. and has the DNO engineer tested with the main earth disconnected from the installation to eliminate parallel paths through th water and gas services?

 

[Specialist]

Their responsibility ? Yes but will you get them to sort it out without a wrangle ? doubtful, as trev said they'll probably come up with all sorts of excuses for why they're not responsible.

 

[Ponty Massive]

Infront of the customer I used my proving unit to confirm my meter was correct. I also tested with the gas and water connected and disconnected and it made very little difference. I was amazed the DNO only carry a two lead tester to begin with??

 

[Ponty Massive]

Their responsibility ? Yes but will you get them to sort it out without a wrangle ? doubtful, as trev said they'll probably come up with all sorts of excuses for why they're not responsible.

Surely it's their legal resposibilty. I've never come across this before where the DNO will not take resposibilty for their own earth supply. On other occasions I made a phone call, someone has been there within the hour and it has been sorted...But then having the cheek to try charging to correct the fault !!

 

[Engineer54]

I would fight it to the end, before i coughed up 140 pounds, for a situation they are responsible for. ...Another thing i would try and do, is to ask neighbours if i could test there Ze and see if they had similar values on there service heads.

Typical of a privatised company, try , try and try again to get out of there responsibilities, and get as much cash out of it as they can....

 

[Engineer54]

Surely it's their legal resposibilty. I've never come across this before where the DNO will not take resposibilty for their own earth supply. On other occasions I made a phone call, someone has been there within the hour and it has been sorted...But then having the cheek to try charging to correct the fault !!

But they are not even correcting the fault at all, ....just overcoming the fault!!

 

[Ponty Massive]

I'll be on the blower to them tomorrow. If they will not budge, who should my next call be too?

 

[Engineer54]

The ombudsman ...

 

[trev]

Rogue Traders?

 

[Ponty Massive]

Rogue Traders?

That would be great, Matt Allwright knocking on their door !!!! :63:

 

[Knobhead]

If the DNO have provided an earth in the past they have a responsibility to maintain it. It’s coved in the “sticky” DNO earthing arrangements I posted ages ago.

 

[mechelec]

As tony says if they provide an earth then they are under a legal obligation to maintain it. If they did not provide one or some cowboy has put an EC14 earth clamp around the paper lead incoming cable they will charge to supply a PME earth terminal.
OP why is it not ok for the DNO to use 2 wire testers??? When testing Ze they should remove the cutout fuse and customers earth and test L-N on concentric pvc supplies (PME, TN-C-S) and L-N and L-E on paper lead cables TN-S and (PME, TN-C-S). You do not need three wires to do this!

 

[dingledong]

i ad something like this ze high they sent an engineer around tested one double socket got an acceptable reading and left