External Earth Problem - fight with EDF

[danny124]

Hi guys wondering if you can help....


Just done a inspection today, and found that the installation has to external earth supply side.

I rang EDF and they came out 4 hours later to tell me they couldn't help, and told me that this area doesnt have earth within the supply i.e TN-S or PME. he then suggested i put a TT earth system in and he ran away into the sunset...

I thought at the time oh dear, but then something sprang to mind that the house is a semi detached and maybe next door may have a TN-S system. they let me in and to my suprise they had a TN-S system and not only that they had 2 supply cables entering there Cut Out box with earth clamps around both supply cable as a TN-S system, so my cable must be earthed along in to my clients property. So now thinking that they next door house must be supplying my client.

I have seen this once or twice before so it got me thinking that EDF either couldn't be bothered or they are talking ball***t. So i rang EDF back up and told them what i come across and basically told me its now a connections department issue and told me to ring them tomorrow so it can be surveyed and a quote ccan be given for them to do the earth.


Does anyone have any idea on how to go about this, whether there is someone that i can get in touch with at EDF, or a way to get an earth onto this cable before we start thinking about TT/earth rods etc. All there is at the moment is there black tape and resin right up to my clients cut out box.


If anyone can help it would be grateful.


Thanks guys

 

[Knobhead]

Can you post a photo of the cable and cut-out?

 

[danny124]

i can do, but will have to be tomorrow

 

[shocking_eg]

can you not just TT the system and be done with it ?? at least your installation will then be safe - the rest is EDF's problem not yours ? :S

 

[Engineer54]

can you not just TT the system and be done with it ??at least your installation will then be safe - the rest is EDF's problem not yours ? :S

Haha!! ...we have a comedian on tonight!!!

 

[danny124]

I did some further tests, and seems to be an earth running outside somewhere but can find the other end and looked in every possible place for an earth rod ect. I got a reading of 11.62 and the client wants it done by UKPN, so they said up to 7 days so will be a TN-s system soon. So as far as i know there must be something there as i have earth to my gas and water and this other earth couldn't find the other end, so something is there, and the reading i got i felt comfortable.

My client and her tenant have agreed that they won't move in untill its done, as the tenant is going on holiday for 2 weeks, so i feel a little at ease now knowing no-one is living in the property at the moment.

 

[danny124]

its not EDF's problem, the earthing arrangements is the responsibility of the client

 

[Engineer54]

I did some further tests, and seems to be an earth running outside somewhere but can find the other end and looked in every possible place for an earth rod ect. I got a reading of 11.62 and the client wants it done by UKPN, so they said up to 7 days so will be a TN-s system soon. So as far as i know there must be something there as i have earth to my gas and water and this other earth couldn't find the other end, so something is there, and the reading i got i felt comfortable.

My client and her tenant have agreed that they won't move in untill its done, as the tenant is going on holiday for 2 weeks, so i feel a little at ease now knowing no-one is living in the property at the moment.

Good to hear!! A far Better earthing system, than being left to a Rod as suggested a couple of posts back!!

 

[shocking_eg]

you will probably find the reading your getting is high as its using the gas and water bonding as an earth instead

so is there currently no earth clamp around the TNS supply you having coming into the cutout ?

 

[Engineer54]

so is there currently no earth clamp around the TNS supply you having coming into the cutout ?

Wasn't THAT the reason why you were recommending installing a TT system a few posts back??

 

[oldtimer]

It is not uncommon that in communial buildings they have a common earth my brother in law lives in a terraced house and he has a 3 phase cable with DNO fuses that then spur off to each property with the SWA of the supply cable bridged out. In your case check next door again to make sure the DNO has not put in a suply to that house then spurred off to next door that has the problem it could have been importing an earth from the gas or water pipes but due to the supplier running plastic pipes then you have just lost an earth.

Also this is becoming more common as the suppliers or DNOs are becoming cavalier about supplies as far as I am concerned they should be legally obliged to do a Ze and PFC test put the findings on a sticker then put it beside the meter instead its monkey see monkey see because me thinks these guys who change the meters in my view are not trained properly they remove the fuse change the meter then then walk out the door I dont even think they check the earth connection because they are not obliged to do it Also it is the first thing I do when I am doing a job in a house I get my 1553 plug it into a random socket and get a good earth reading

 

[robsparky1975]

Under the ESQR 2002 that supply cable is the property of the dno and they are supposed to maintain all of their network so it is safe to use,so this should of been classed as high priority,i had something similar a few weeks back,main earth on supply cable poor connection,took them 12 hours response,if its tt supply then fair enough,but in this case sounds like its a tn-s supply,are all the circuits rcd protected,as with such a high reading,disconnection times can not be met for earth fault protection.

 

[oldtimer]

Forgot to add I have been in this situation twice in the last 6 months and they asked if the properties were RCD protected and I confirmed this it took 3 months for them to attend