High Ze

Teddy Lop · Feb 7, 2021

Hi, Any thoughts on this.

Incoming earth 200 ohms on sheath. Had a couple of these over the years - local operator UKPN tends to say "we're not obligated to provide an earth, only maintain an earth we have provided". As most properties around here have had their sweated on earth chopped off and a pipe clamp put on the sheaf by some ape they state "not our earth, get lost, or pay $$$$ for new supply".

But a lead sheaf cable is relying on its sheaf being earthed for its own protection so cannot be considered "safe"

Any thoughts about how best to tackle?

Strima · Feb 7, 2021

If you can prove there was originally a connection supplied by them then they will have to maintain/repair it. Any bits of braid showing or a joint etc?

UNG · Feb 8, 2021

There seems to be a lot disparity over how the DNO's treat this. In the last 5 years or so I have had 2 or 3 instances where I've contacted the local DNO (SP Energy Networks formally MANWEB) on one occasion the service head had clearly been changed to a plastic one some years earlier but there was no MET and no connection to the lead sheath which gave an earth loop of 0.28Ω when tested the DNO guy who came out fobbed it off as a TT supply which I disagreed with and while some properties in the area had mural wiring and were TT supplies this one most certainly wasn't, the guy let site suggesting I put an earth rod in, I put in another call to the DNO and escalated it beyond the normal call handlers and spoke to a guy who agreed with me and said their guy was wrong a couple of days later the earth was repaired, on another job I found a poor DNO earth at 156Ω someone else's solution was to knock an earth rod in,I rang the DNO as I considered it not to be urgent they arranged an appointment with the householder and repaired it
The 2 DNO's I regularly deal with SP Energy Networks and ENWL are both great and I can't knock their service and response to issues I have contacted them over. In a number of cases they have called back to thank me for highlighting some serious network issues they had found as a result of my call, one involved no earth to half the street

With regard to the OP and UKPN I think I would try to speak to someone beyond the call handlers ask them for evidence that they have never provided an earth, I usually gather evidence by knocking on a neighbours door and tell them their neighbour is having earthing issues and could you do a quick no cost check for them if you still get no joy raise a complaint with them and suggest that as they have placed extraneous metalwork in the property they need to repair the problem

I think the issue with DNO's they act a bit like the CP schemes I am now finding that there is always an overseeing body you can complain to

Teddy Lop · Feb 17, 2021

Thanks for replies; UKPN's attitude is it's for the client to prove to UKPN telephone no-understando, nail filing, bubblegum chomping, minesweeper playing monkey satisfaction there was an earth there. This even applies if there's a sodding great metal 3 phase service head panel, apparently "of course it must be earthed, get someone with the faintest clue as to what they're talking about" isn't "proof".

Anyway. I believe if the sheaf fails at the client end its probably the street join, so un-earthed cable sheaf all the way in. My angle at this stage is how can an underground cable fused at 600 whatever amps (FWIW) without a satisfactorily earthed sheaf be safe from spades, enthusiastic builders with mini diggers etc? If cable not safe then their job to make safe regardless, earth status at client side irrelevant.