Overtightening Meter Terminals

[Simon47]

It is a 3ph meter on a 1ph supply. I have no idea why he didn't use a Henley block on the live side - but he used two phases on the meter and fitted two isolators to feed the 4 fuseboards

Photos of the "workmanship" of the sort that such targets, plus the use of "not exceedingly well trained" meter fitters produces The OP clearly sets himself higher standards judging by the way he's asking the questions

Yes, these tails are fully inserted. The neutral here actually came out of the terminal when I moved the tail while working out what went where


And the complete work of art. Bonus points if you can spot what's going on with the neutrals !



BTW, if anyone wants any of the old fuseboards for their museum, they are yours for the postage.

 

[Dustydazzler]

that’s a beauty

 

[Simon47]

We aren’t aloud to put 19 strand into a meter. Have to be blocked or replaced if we find those.

Well that sounds like a rule dreamed up by a complete idiot. The mind boggles at why you would be forced to replace a good cable with a very inferior one. Whoever dreamed that rule up would have kittens if they saw what I used on the church job - lovely easy to work with 6381Y

 

[Pete999]

Hello guys and girls I was wondering if you have any advice to give to a meter installer. I’m often worried about over-tightening terminals inside the meter. How easy is it to break the strands on 16mm copper or 25mm? I tighten the terminal until I can’t tighten them anymore. But I’d this right or should I be just tightening until I feel enough resistance? We never used to have this problem with the old meters as they were flat head terminals and you couldn’t get a lot of torque on them. But these Modular screws with plus and minus screw drivers get a lot of torque on them and I’m worried I could damage the strands.

The problem is Flipsy, all pride has disappeared from many parts of this electrical trade, all emphasis is on targets not workmanship, from reading through this thread, there have been some shocking revelations, people using impact drivers to tighten connections, one very good idea was posted by Westward 10, binding the bare conductor with a strand of scrap wire, I will ad that during my apprenticeship I was always taught to do this, as well as tinning the connection as an extra precaution ( using a Mentholated Spirit blow lamp) whatever happened to those? most of the Electricians I worked under had these items in their tool kits.

Mind you in those days Electricians were trained properly, and of course, this method doesn't fit in with todays bish bash bosh culture more's the pity.

Sorry for the rant, ask your employer for a torque screwdriver set to enable you to maintain the correct setting for the connections, the trouble is they may stick you down as a trouble maker, a no win situation really.

What ever good luck and don't let the boogers grind you down.

 

[Great68]

Before we had torque drivers I had snapped a few meter screw heads but never cut into the cable

 

[Simon47]

...
Sorry for the rant

That's not a rant, it's a statement of facts - sad though it is to see them laid out like that and how bad things have become

ask your employer for a torque screwdriver set to enable you to maintain the correct setting for the connections, the trouble is they may stick you down as a trouble maker, a no win situation really.

I would add, ask in writing if that's practical - Flipsy, do you have a work email address ? Just ask by email, and print it after you've sent it; when you get a reply, print that; keep both at home.
One Pete left out was the CYA factor. The reason for saying to print the emails and keep the printouts at home is if something goes wrong and the finger gets pointed at you. An unscrupulous employer/manager will be more than happy to make the person doing the work into a scapegoat. You want to be able to show that you did all you could - and if, for example, they won't give you the right tools be able to show that you asked and they refused.
In other words, always make sure you CYA

 

[Bobster]

Spare conductor?????????????

I know what he means, I was taught the same at the beginning of my career. Now that crimps and ferrules are so abundant, it's not done anymore.

7 strand conductor, 3 are taken round each side of the bolt. Then the 7th wraps around the returning 6 strands and locks them in place.

 

[Pete999]

I know what he means, I was taught the same at the beginning of my career. Now that crimps and ferrules are so abundant, it's not done anymore.

7 strand conductor, 3 are taken round each side of the bolt. Then the 7th wraps around the returning 6 strands and locks them in place.

Ah thought that may have been the case, just wanted reassurance.

 

[Carl S]

I know what he means, I was taught the same at the beginning of my career. Now that crimps and ferrules are so abundant, it's not done anymore.

7 strand conductor, 3 are taken round each side of the bolt. Then the 7th wraps around the returning 6 strands and locks them in place.

I’ll bet like me you were shown married, britannia, spliced tee and scarf joints. I used a married joint once on an overhead line, 7/064 HD to 19/044. Line taps would have been easier.

 

[Bobster]

I’ll bet like me you were shown married, britannia, spliced tee and scarf joints. I used a married joint once on an overhead line, 7/064 HD to 19/044. Line taps would have been easier.

Yes, I was taught this also, and pretty proficient at them too.

However modern connectors make life a damn site easier an quicker. Although falling back on these skills has pulled me out of the mire a few times.

 

[Pete999]

Yes, I was taught this also, and pretty proficient at them too.

However modern connectors make life a damn site easier an quicker. Although falling back on these skills has pulled me out of the mire a few times.

 

[Pete999]

Yes, I was taught this also, and pretty proficient at them too.

However modern connectors make life a damn site easier an quicker. Although falling back on these skills has pulled me out of the mire a few times.

Imagine the training Places teaching that, have to train the trainers first

 

[Bobster]

Imagine the training Places teaching that, have to train the trainers first

There are still some good training centers and trainers around Pete.

In fact even mine, I learned more in the first month on site than I did in my first 12 months at the centre. (We all had to do 12 months before we were allowed on site.)

 

[Pete999]

There are still some good training centers and trainers around Pete.

In fact even mine, I learned more in the first month on site than I did in my first 12 months at the centre. (We all had to do 12 months before we were allowed on site.)

Agree Rob I do tend to generalise on occasions

 

[Carl S]

Imagine the training Places teaching that, have to train the trainers first

I qualified as a trainer of trainers (AKA teach people how to teach), I hated the course. It was part of a man people management NVQ.