Hello Everyone, Anyone good at solving Electricity Thefts?

[Crispin]

I mean you can test the other end of the cable to see which flat it is in. I am sure the Landlord of the other flats would co-operate in such a case as would the tenants if they understood what is at stake. It is confusing as you show the route of the tap cable in red and say it was on the outside wall. If it then goes into the building of your household how could someone next door gain access to the floorboards in the next house? I am afraid the vid does not explain this to me.

The old consumer cable RUNS INSIDE the building (now disconnected) completely hidden from view. Meaning it could be re-instated, made live again, to help find where the wire goes. At the moment no one knows where it runs, under floorboards? inside cavities? Is anyones guess. I understand there is electrical equipment electricians use that can track the course of a live cable, assuming it is Live. However this will STILL require gaining access to other flats to track where the old consumer cable goes. Leading back to the same old problem, no one has right of access.
I think 2 flats (may) allow me in to check (28 & 28 A), however the 3rd flat 28 B (prime suspect) will NOT let me near the place. Suggesting to me that flat C is the culprit.

 

[Crispin]

The old consumer cable RUNS INSIDE the building (now disconnected) completely hidden from view. Meaning it could be re-instated, made live again, to help find where the wire goes. At the moment no one knows where it runs, under floorboards? inside cavities? Is anyones guess. I understand there is electrical equipment electricians use that can track the course of a live cable, assuming it is Live. However this will STILL require gaining access to other flats to track where the old consumer cable goes. Leading back to the same old problem, no one has right of access.
I think 2 flats (may) allow me in to check (28 & 28 A), however the 3rd flat 28 B (prime suspect) will NOT let me near the place. Suggesting to me that flat C is the culprit.

ALL WE NEED IS A CLEVER STRATEGY TO CATCH THEM.
PS and if we're successful? we can use the same method to catch 100s of other thieves operating exactly the same scam all over the country !!!

 

[Vortigern]

Thinking about it, first the cable will not be running inside the cavity wall. The most likely route is from the meters through the wall and then upstairs for all supply cables. It would be the most efficient route to all the four flats. It would be the easiest way to install the cables for a lot of reasons and then just drop down into the ground flr flats and up to the 1st flr flats. that means all the supplies except the flat behind the meters would run through flat A under the floorboards. I would suggest you allow for the fact that maybe Flat A wanted the consumer unit moved an the electrician could have made a mistake and tapped the neighbours cable or something like that. It may well be a planned theft, but do allow for a mistake. Not that I would in any way condone such a mistake.
If as you say you can get into two of the other flats then you can bell the cable in there to find out if the cable you took out is in anyway supplying those two flats. The cable does not have to be live at all. However if you could do that and eliminate the two flats then you know for a fact it is the flat you suspect.
The idea of catching and getting money back is a pretty quixotic idea. I imagine if someone did tap into the cable they will know the game is up and would have dis-connected their tap if they are a guilty party. Even then you would need evidence the person you suspect did it. That would be virtually impossible they could just say it was like that when I got there! Or yes I did connect but it was a mistake I did not realise I got the wrong wire. It is a fairly hopeless pursuit. All you can do is damage limitation now imho.

 

[Crispin]

Thinking about it, first the cable will not be running inside the cavity wall. The most likely route is from the meters through the wall and then upstairs for all supply cables. It would be the most efficient route to all the four flats. It would be the easiest way to install the cables for a lot of reasons and then just drop down into the ground flr flats and up to the 1st flr flats. that means all the supplies except the flat behind the meters would run through flat A under the floorboards. I would suggest you allow for the fact that maybe Flat A wanted the consumer unit moved an the electrician could have made a mistake and tapped the neighbours cable or something like that. It may well be a planned theft, but do allow for a mistake. Not that I would in any way condone such a mistake.
If as you say you can get into two of the other flats then you can bell the cable in there to find out if the cable you took out is in anyway supplying those two flats. The cable does not have to be live at all. However if you could do that and eliminate the two flats then you know for a fact it is the flat you suspect.

yes that makes alot of sense. I honestly didn't think anything like this could happen accidentally, albeit a slim chance. Very grateful for your advice on this matter. will have a careful think about your comment and see if i can find a suitable contractor who can interrogate the issue/do an EICR test at same time. have a great evening and many thanks.

 

[James]

If I thought there might be a fault on a cable that I owned that was using electricity when everything that is supplied was isolated.
I might be tempted to try a series of insulation tests at 1kv or even 5kv just to be sure

 

[WallaceP]

Simple.
Disconnect the suspect cable, buy a neon lamp transformer, connect the HV side of transformer the the cable in question, power up and see what happens next

 

[oscar21]

Simple.
Disconnect the suspect cable, buy a neon lamp transformer, connect the HV side of transformer the the cable in question, power up and see what happens next

I was going to say put the cable across two of the phases, whatever was tapped into it wont be for much longer.
Also should have switched the other isolators off and seen what stays on or even took the meter readings of the other flats.

 

[DPG]

I was going to say put the cable across two of the phases, whatever was tapped into it wont be for much longer.
Also should have switched the other isolators off and seen what stays on or even took the meter readings of the other flats.

I don't think he can get access to the other flats to read the meters.

 

[oscar21]

I don't think he can get access to the other flats to read the meters.

The video from 7.40 onwards shows a couple of MEM? sw fuse isolators and a couple of meters, everything is probably grouped together at the intake and the flats fed from there in 16 or 10 t&e (I wonder how the bondings done)

 

[DPG]

The video from 7.40 onwards shows a couple of MEM? sw fuse isolators and a couple of meters, everything is probably grouped together at the intake and the flats fed from there in 16 or 10 t&e (I wonder how the bondings done)

I must watch the video at some point!

 

[Crispin]

If I thought there might be a fault on a cable that I owned that was using electricity when everything that is supplied was isolated.
I might be tempted to try a series of insulation tests at 1kv or even 5kv just to be sure

Interesting suggestion. Are you local to Bourenmouth?