moving meter

[BillyTheSparks]

Hello all,

I have a client who wishes to remove a wall which has the supply cable/head and meter on it, and also the CU.
The cable is lead sheath and I was wondering if it is possible to take the cable and meter board off of the wall, lay it down and then change it's direction from coming into the property under the floor and going up the wall being removed, to coming into the property under the floor and coming under the stairs?

I know this is not really the way to go, but if it was completly neccesary would the cable be liable to break/damage easily?

If you wish to message me so as to keep off of the public forum I would prefer that also.


Tin Hat on and ready for the fall-out!!! :13:

 

[Plonker 3]

I was asked a while ago about moving a meter and DB, but didn't want anything to do with it as what needed doing was not even worth thinking about.

Several months later I met the "Plumber" off the the job who was doing a few bits around the house also, he told me I was no Electrician as he had managed to move everything, went round to see what he had done and a DB had been fitted, no RCDs protected circuits or certification and I dread to think where or how he joined the cable, still I am safe in the knowledge I haven't done anything wrong.

 

[Des 56]

I am afraid I would not move a lead sheathed incomer and suggest it would be a silly job to take on

Having said that
I moved the incomer for an upstairs flat recently, it was a modern property with the cable coming into the garage on ground level
The cable was surface hockey sticked at an atrocious angle to a meter box on a cavity/stud wall, which made the move not only extra easy but made the job look the bees knees
The elect board priced the job at £250 which is what I almost earned for one hours work

 

[BillyTheSparks]

Right well spoken to the clients yesterday, lots of things suggested.
"Can we..." "But if we..." "Surely If that goes there..." "Can't It just..." "Wont that be ok..." "I'm sure that'll be ok..."
I said to them that they are all very good suggestions, but I'm not moving it. Full Stop.

There was even a suggestion to put it it the wall!!!!
"But won't it be ok? We can put a timber frame around it so it can't get damaged."

I had to point out that this was just a tiny bit silly; as if that was the case, anyone drilling through the wall would see wood and think "That's ok, it's only wood.", and carry on drilling!

So long and short of the matter is I'm not moving it, all areas of possible suggestion have been covered.
I've told them to ring the DNO, and if when I start the re-wire I notice that the cable has been moved in to the wall I will ring the DNO and tell them what has gone on.

I may loose the job, but if they want to be silly about things I don't want to know anyway.

I must say that those stories above were good. Anyone got any more?

 

[Edd]

I must say that those stories above were good. Anyone got any more?

Got called to a bungalow in Ilford by a plumber friend who's apprentice had been taken to hospital after drilling to fix a radiator in a bedroom and had hit the incoming service!! They didnt wana involve the DNO and asked me to take a look...
On arival I found that the high level CU in the hall was fed via the incoming cable comming out the ground and up inside the wall!! the bedroom backed onto this wall. The poor apprentice never even knew it was there..
Anyway all the power in the house and street was still on and in the bedroom was a hole with a burn mark around it! the plumbers really didnt want the DNO involved so i thought i would try expose the hole a bit to see what had happened.. I stood to one side and carefully tapped away at the surrounding plaster to try expose the hole.. the chap I was working with sat on a tool box about 2 meters away oposite the hole.....
Sudenly with an almighty explosion the cable must have re shorted again by my tapping around the hole and my mate was showered with bits of brick dust from the hole.. it was like a gun going off.. At that point we all desided the DNO was needed.. Cost the plumbers over £1500 Still makes me laugth thinking of my mate sitting there chating as im tapping away then the almighty explosion and him being shot with bits....
PS the apprentice was fine just.. drill bit had evaporated and he got slight burn to hand...

 

[BillyTheSparks]

Why did the plumbers get charged £1500 for drilling the cable which surely shouldn't have been in the wall?

 

[Edd]

Why did the plumbers get charged £1500 for drilling the cable which surely shouldn't have been in the wall?

Yer I wondered that and did advise them talking to the HSE or someone, but they really didnt want to get anyone else involved. This is the kind of setup they had from the hall it was preety clear where not to drill, but in the bedroom not so!!! not sure where they stood there, maybe they would have to answer why they allowed an apprentice to drill into a wall with out assessing the risks?. This must have been about 10 yrs ago now!

 

[Engineer54]

Why did the plumbers get charged £1500 for drilling the cable which surely shouldn't have been in the wall?

I would say that the majority of all DNO service cables installed into Council properties between the 50's to the 70's would have been within the fabric of the building, and would have all been mounted in similar steel Service cabinets that is shown in Edd's photo.

I can't see anything wrong in this at all, it was down to the plumber to check for any services the best he could, before allowing the apprentice to drill for radiator fixings. Don't forget within that same period of time all the pipework for Water and Gas was also embedded in the fabric of the house too!!
It's something you need to be aware of, it's also where experience/knowledge pays dividends, like knowing how these older houses were constructed, as far as services are concerned!!