My first Consumer unit change

[pablod]

I have my first job so I can get signed off by one of the part p bodies. I need to know the best route to take for the isolation of the supply to the unit. I'm from Brentwood in Essex and wondering how easy it is to get the supplier to fit an isolation switch inplaceof the Henley block. And what it costsThanks

 

[vernam616]

I once used to work with someone who whenever changing a DB and there was no isolator, he refused to cut the seals, so instead used to carefully remove each tail from the main switch in existing DB and tape them up

I dont mind working live now and again on the odd switch/socket, but not like this haha

 

[SW1970]

Spot on ban-all-sheds.

 

[ezzzekiel]

how about fully trained electricians needing to safely isolate a supply?

top and bottom of it is it happens and will continue to happen untill the dno recognise the need and either a. fit isolators to all properties or b. allow sparks to do it themselves.

 

[gooner1984]

how about fully trained electricians needing to safely isolate a supply?

top and bottom of it is it happens and will continue to happen untill the dno recognise the need and either a. fit isolators to all properties or b. allow sparks to do it themselves.

spot on ezzzekiel

 

[Rappid]

What about a system where only scheme registered electricians can pull the main fuse, when we notify, we also tick a check box that a meter needs to be re-sealed, pay a couple of quid and they notify the relevant DNO that a fuse needs to be sealed.

 

[DaveyD]

I have numbered labels from Scottish and Southern electric. They allow me to remove fuse. I just call them with the address. |Then, if they can be bothered, they retag.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Seems to me that there is a pull the bullit--v--dont pull the bullit thing going on here.........at the end of the day its your health n safety here (dealing with things that can and WILL kill you)...I think DNOs have a duty (and a moral responsibility to install isolators or allow legal pulling of bullits (by registered electricians)....its only a matter of time.............

 

[DaveyD]

Yea, totally agree with that GS.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Seems to me that there is a pull the bullit--v--dont pull the bullit thing going on here.........at the end of the day its your health n safety here (dealing with things that can and WILL kill you)...I think DNOs have a duty (and a moral responsibility to install isolators or allow legal pulling of bullits (by registered electricians)....its only a matter of time.............

I would go further & say that they should provide an isolator AND an Earth .... by LAW !!

They've all been paid a fortune over the years through the Standing Charge & I think it's way past time for them to put their hands in their pockets & provide these things to make installations safer.

I had a meeting with my MP last week (about an entirely different matter) but mentioned this to him towards the end of the meeting. His face just went blank ........ :dunce2:

 

[Geordie Spark]

I once used to work with someone who whenever changing a DB and there was no isolator, he refused to cut the seals, so instead used to carefully remove each tail from the main switch in existing DB and tape them up

I dont mind working live now and again on the odd switch/socket, but not like this haha

I've seen the plastic nozzles that come with tubes of mastic / silicone / decorators caulk etc. used to insulate the bare ends of tails.

 

[generalbosh]

It seems the DNO's are reluctant to move on & improve standards. Industry standards are improved/changed & a new set of regulations are drawn up to reflect these, most are to improve safety & to ease/improve maintenance procedures.

About time DNO's had a rethink & brought they're practises back inline with a modern standards

 

[vernam616]

I've seen the plastic nozzles that come with tubes of mastic / silicone / decorators caulk etc. used to insulate the bare ends of tails.

Real bodgy

OT - Where in Newcastle are you working/area?

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I've seen the plastic nozzles that come with tubes of mastic / silicone / decorators caulk etc. used to insulate the bare ends of tails.

I guess that really could be "coals from newcastle" then wouldn`t it? lol..........

 

[slpotts]

is there actually anybody on here that knows what they are doing?
amateurs advising amateurs.if you really cant bring yourself to cut seal,(and by the way,if you cut one end close to the crimp and hammer a cable clip through whats left to open crimp back up it can be resealed with all markings intact),then try pulling the service fuse out slightly,usually there is enough slack on the seal to cut the power,wedge the fuse at this point and away ya go,ffs,this is called the electrician forum,though i doubt there are many on here.Im sorry to be so abrubt,but it seems to me that people these days get to call themselves electricians after doing a bit of "theory" work at college,or even worse,online,if you are so unsure then leave well alone.worse case scenario,cut the seal,reseal after with yellow crimp,cut the plastic off after crimping & sit back & wait for call from dno asking whos been tampering,heres a clue,you'll be waiting a long time.meter readers are just that now,health & safety dictates they can read a set of numbers & tap them into a machine,examining seals is beyond their remit.

 

[electrician4u]

Pull the fuse! Years ago i tried to replace a fusebox by removing the live tails to preserve the seal. I ended up in a confined space touching the live tail which belted me into the wall and could have killed me. As the Yanks say, you do the math