No Earth

[catweazle]

Hi all, I'm not an electrician but have become interested in the topic of earthing due to recent events.
I Recently had my meter changed and whilst putting the things back in the cuboard after the guy left i noticed a 6mm? earth wire leaving the consumer unit and going nowhere, just coiled up in the corner. I've been looking into earthing types and reading what is posted on the forum about earthing types I have TN-S or did have at some point. to confirm this my neighbour let me have a peek at his setup and it is the same,but mine has no sheathed earth where his is or signs there ever was one. I appear to have no earthing point or type at all from a sheath the fuse or a rod. I rang my electricity provider who are sending someone out to take a look and sort things out.
My question is how will they reinstall the earth? Having read plenty on earth clamps on lead insulated cables I would like to know what to expect.Will they maybe clamp onto the lead core insulating the conductors or the metal sheathing around it? Any thoughts apppreciated.

 

[Marvo]

I've changed you permissions so you can post photos. A couple of pictures of the head and the earth wiring would be good if you can.

 

[Octopus]

Best suggestion I have is to get a sparky to come and do a Ze - most would probably do this free of charge! I would!

 

[catweazle]

Best suggestion I have is to get a sparky to come and do a Ze - most would probably do this free of charge! I would!

My electricity provider is sending someone out but not until the first week in January.

Here are a couple of pictures of the head and the earth which is connected to the consummer unit but goes nowhere.



I think at some point it was TN-S? But there is no sign of the sheathed earth or any earth type come to that.
The next picture is the Neighbours set up.

 

[Marvo]

I can only imagine that the bare earth wire that's laying on the carpet was possibly tucked under a screw in the cast iron head assembly or directly onto the cable sheath at one time. I think we can skip the step of getting a sparky to take a Ze measurement and move swiftly on to getting the DNO to maintain their earth (or lack of it). Seriously this isn't a safe installation and it requires immediate attention.

 

[Paul.M]

^^^^ agree with Marvo, you need to get them out asap. Basically you only have an earth from your bonding of gas/water pipe.

 

[Marvo]

I wouldn't wait until next year either do whatever it takes to get them out this week. Email them a picture and casually ask them what the correct name is for the cast iron thing because you want to make sure you send accurate info to the tabloid newspaper that you're in the process of writing to so they take up the case of getting it repaired promptly on your behalf

 

[Paul.M]

Its only a 5 minuet job, waiting until the first week in the new year is daft.

 

[catweazle]

O.k I hear you. I have been here 4 years so it's been like it for at least that long.
Thanks for your advice/help.

 

[catweazle]

I will try and get them in sooner.
I did notice there is a screw missing from the corner of the green box. Is that the 'head' or does that term apply to the whole board?

 

[Octopus]

I can only imagine that the bare earth wire that's laying on the carpet was possibly tucked under a screw in the cast iron head assembly or directly onto the cable sheath at one time. I think we can skip the step of getting a sparky to take a Ze measurement and move swiftly on to getting the DNO to maintain their earth (or lack of it). Seriously this isn't a safe installation and it requires immediate attention.

Good luck with that one. took me 4 weeks recently to get the DNO out to a house with no earth, and yes I'd tested the Ze!

There's a whole housing estate near me where they were all built with the earth being the water pipe!

 

[Marvo]

Why would they take such a relaxed approach? Surely once they've been officially informed they would be responsible if there was an injury or death.

 

[Plonker 3]

I would imagine that is only true if you prove they have provided either a TN-C-S or TN-S previously though.

 

[telectrix]

pic is not very clear, but looks like it was originally soldered to the lead sheath . the single bare wire, that is.

 

[telectrix]

and are those tails sheathed? they look like something stripped out of SWA.