Electrical fire

[mogga]

YES it could take 8 years for this type of fault to develop into a fire over time it will break down further n further

 

[Marvo]

If you have insurance, now might be a good time to give them a call unless you fancy your chances of pursuing the supply authority for the damages.

 

[La Poste]

The main thing is you have good pictures as good evidence.
That's definitely a plus on your side.
I'd take more pictures of the isolator if I was you, take from every conceivable angle.

 

[Infamous]

Guys i know its been said that the DNO has no reponcibility for connections after the main isolator but sometimes if there isnt any isolator and the tails go straight from the meter into the CU then the DNO can be contacted and requested to supply and fit an isolator for a small fee for maintenance or potential alterations to a customers installation, and that to me looks like the type of iso theyd fit, so maybe we cant rule them out just yet?

 

[Des 56]

I dont see that as being a fault local to the isolator or loose connections at that isolator,it is very extensive for continuity to be maintained enough for a high meltdown current to continue to flow,especially on both legs

There seems to be total meltdown on both the outgoing tails for quite some distance,its as if a near dead short has occured and the cut out fuse hasn't cleared it until the damage made became extensive

I'm going for something external of the box,between the isolator and the consumer unit has occured
What that might be,I wouldn't care to guess,but I don't think simple loose connections

 

[TheatreSparks]

If you look carefully I belive that there is a sticker on the lower half of the switch which looks very much like a suppliers sticker. I would think that the supplier would not have put a sticker on a isolator that they had not fitted.
I also wonder why they (The DNO or supplier) have said that you are not permitted to see the report, I think that is a little strange.
Personally I would go for the loose/poor connection answer, having seen similar, though not as serious, molten switchgear it looks very similar

 

[wacko]

Possible overload, have you had a new shower/hot tub/oven fitted? I think the damage started in the tails and then destroyed the DP.

 

[Richard Burns]

I had a consumer unit that had been wired up ten years ago and a new extension fitted five years ago and when I got to it the consumer unit was just starting to soften as the neutral feed was blackening. There had been no electrical work done for five years, it just took that long to break down enough to melt the insulation.
I agree with the above posts: loose connection at the switch outlet generating a high resistance and melting the insulation on the tails, which may have allowed sparking across the tails, eventually the heat is enough to ignite the insulation and cause the fire.

Sorry you have had the fire. The damage looks quite limited overall. I hope you have good luck with the outcome.

 

[redlittle]

Guys and girls if any thanks once again for your time in reviewing the pictures I posted etc.

No major electrical work has been undertaken on the property since we moved in, other the a dimmer switch being fitted in the kitchen over 18 months which I may add was done by a friend of mine who is an electrician.

We do have a shower which is used by me nearly every day; this is in the en-suite section of my bedroom and was in installed by the builders when we bought the place.

Hawkins are the forensic investigators who are engaged by UK Power Networks to undertaken these works.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks once again

I may not win this, but I will be the best 2nd they have ever seen.

 

[SW1970]

I had a double pole isolator (similar to the one in the photo) installed at a property recently. I contacted the electricity supplier (British Gas) and ordered it. Their "meter team" phone me up and tell me they're from South East Power Networks (part of UK Power Networks) to book the appointment. The engineer arrives, installs the DP Isolator on their meter board, after the meter, connect up the tails and off they go. So, in my view, whoever installs that item, irrespective of who owns it, is responsible for a failure if a failure was to now occur. The only exception would be if another engineer, e.g. an electrician replacing a new consumer unit, opened the DP isolator, to put in new tails to the consumer unit, and may not have done them up tight enough again. If there has been no work on this DP isolator in the photo, then whoever installed it is (most probably) responsible. But of course then there's mechanical failure etc etc.

 

[Knobhead]

Red, thanks for keeping us updated. Give em' hell kid :gunsmilie:

 

[telectrix]

i reckon that provided that you are insured, let your insurance company sort out the damage and then it'sdown to them to pursue DNO , saves you the hassle.

 

[redlittle]

The latest

 

[redlittle]

i reckon that provided that you are insured, let your insurance company sort out the damage and then it'sdown to them to pursue DNO , saves you the hassle.

I'm up for a battle! :94:

 

[telectrix]

it's all down to whoever installed the isolator and/or the manufacturers of same. from their communication, they say that they did not install it. that's where you need to find out if that is true or not.