Service Head Earthing Terminal TNC-S

[Paul505]

I want to upgrade the main protective bonding conductors on the gas/water from 6.0mm to 10mm.
Its a bit frustrating when the original bonding condutors along with the main earthing conductor are all conected into an earthing terminal, which is in the side of the main service head....which means you have to withdraw the cut out fuse and take off the cover to gain acsess to the earthing terminal.
Why would someone have done it that way originally? Because i would have thought to make life easier they should have fitted a seperate MET so you dont have to tamper with the service head, plus it makes sense for testing purposes aswell... Ze for example.

 

[Guitarist]

Just phone the DNO and tell them that you want an earth upgrade, should be free. I did that a few weeks ago and got them to install a DP isolator at the same time.

 

[nickblake]

as guitarist has said what they may do is put in a henly block for the earth for you (they do in the same situation round here) this then make life easier for the future

 

[Guitarist]

They do a new earth terminal these days. It is a 16mm tail into the head with a soldered connector block to accept 1 x 16mm cable provided by the customer.

 

[Paul505]

They do a new earth terminal these days. It is a 16mm tail into the head with a soldered connector block to accept 1 x 16mm cable provided by the customer.

Thanks for the reply Guitarist, but why the soldered connector block.....why not just a 16.0mm earth from the head into a standard MET which is screw terminated? Or have i misunderstood what you are saying...

 

[sedgy34]

I want to upgrade the main protective bonding conductors on the gas/water from 6.0mm to 10mm.
Its a bit frustrating when the original bonding condutors along with the main earthing conductor are all conected into an earthing terminal, which is in the side of the main service head....which means you have to withdraw the cut out fuse and take off the cover to gain acsess to the earthing terminal.
Why would someone have done it that way originally? Because i would have thought to make life easier they should have fitted a seperate MET so you dont have to tamper with the service head, plus it makes sense for testing purposes aswell... Ze for example.

its probably from the days when the MEB controlled the industry they could do things like that

 

[Guitarist]

Thanks for the reply Guitarist, but why the soldered connector block.....why not just a 16.0mm earth from the head into a standard MET which is screw terminated? Or have i misunderstood what you are saying...

Guy from Eon said it is what they are all using now. Just one connection for the customer to do what they want with.

 

[Strima]

Guy from Eon said it is what they are all using now. Just one connection for the customer to do what they want with.

View attachment 12007

That's very nice but I'd much prefer going straight into a MET, looks much tidier.

 

[Engineer54]

That looks to me as a quick fix on a converted TN-S service head!! The ''Standard'' DNO PME service head has an earth terminal, that is connected directly (usually by means of a sliding link) to the internal neutral terminal block and that earth terminal protrudes from the side of the service head...

This set-up looks as if it's saving them installing a standard PME head, for the cost of a short length of 16mm CPC with a numpty connector attached.... Typical i suppose these days, why do it right, when you can save a few quid and make a pig's ear of the job!! lol!!

 

[Guitarist]

This is actually from the standard service head on a TNC-S system. The original earthing was 2 x 6mm straight out of the head, one to the CU and the other to the water bonding. I asked the guy to upgrade it to 16mm for me and this is what he installed. My 16mm goes from the top of this to the new CU.

 

[Engineer54]

This is actually from the standard service head on a TNC-S system. The original earthing was 2 x 6mm straight out of the head, one to the CU and the other to the water bonding. I asked the guy to upgrade it to 16mm for me and this is what he installed. My 16mm goes from the top of this to the new CU.

All i can say then, is it must have been and older PME head if it only had earthing facilities for 2 X 6mm cables, though i can't remember 6mm ever being acceptable for PME main earthing or bonding...

 

[malcolmsanford]

That's interesting so from the soldered termination you take an Earth Conductor then onto your MET, wonder if us pedantic Regs types would argue that could possibly classed as a MET, and the conductor coming out of that would be an EMT now .........................but I digress

 

[ample current]

I had no main earth at all when my house was converted to PME (I dont know when this was done) and when i called them to ask about it they said it would £85 + vat to connect an eath, and if they had to change the service head it would be £165.

Luckily for me I had noticed the seals had fallen off so I installed the 1m of 16mm myself.

 

[andydj99]

I had no main earth at all when my house was converted to PME (I dont know when this was done) and when i called them to ask about it they said it would £85 + vat to connect an eath, and if they had to change the service head it would be £165.

Luckily for me I had noticed the seals had fallen off so I installed the 1m of 16mm myself.

well ive never known seals to just fall off lol :smilewinkgrin:

 

[applemac]

well ive never known seals to just fall off lol :smilewinkgrin:

oh they do, pain in the arse! most jobs i see have none at all:smilewinkgrin:

 

[Engineer54]

I had no main earth at all when my house was converted to PME (I dont know when this was done) and when i called them to ask about it they said it would £85 + vat to connect an eath, and if they had to change the service head it would be £165.

Luckily for me I had noticed the seals had fallen off so I installed the 1m of 16mm myself.

Well that sounds very intellegent of you!!!....

 

[Knobhead]

There’s a gravitational anomaly around meter seals. They suddenly take on an immense mass that the little bit of wire can no longer hold.
Strange really?

 

[snowhead]

I heard if you give Uri Geller a call he can sort them out remotely..

.

 

[ezzzekiel]

As a side note, on a recent nic visit it was pointed out that the only cable at the service head should be main earth, any bonding conductors etc should be ran direct to board or a separate met fitted.

 

[Guitarist]

All i can say then, is it must have been and older PME head if it only had earthing facilities for 2 X 6mm cables, though i can't remember 6mm ever being acceptable for PME main earthing or bonding...

Eng, the house was built in 1981. I can only assume that it was like that from new. I did find no bonding at all to the 10 year old boiler, the 2 copper oil supply pipes of which were partially buried....

 

[Paul505]

As a side note, on a recent nic visit it was pointed out that the only cable at the service head should be main earth, any bonding conductors etc should be ran direct to board or a separate met fitted.

Definitely agree with that...

 

[Paul505]

Guy from Eon said it is what they are all using now. Just one connection for the customer to do what they want with.

View attachment 12007

Will they supply an earth block where i can fit my 2x main bonding conductors into aswell....lol? Because im not taking them back to the CU as that is 6 mtrs from the meter cupboard which also houses the gas meter.
Thanks for the pic by the way! It seems to me they solder there side, to rid themselves of any responsibility, for example if an earthing problem was to arise due to a loose connection..

 

[Knobhead]

That's interesting so from the soldered termination you take an Earth Conductor then onto your MET, wonder if us pedantic Regs types would argue that could possibly classed as a MET, and the conductor coming out of that would be an EMT now .........................but I digress

Personally and this is personal I’d solder the outgoing.

 

[Guitarist]

Will they supply an earth block where i can fit my 2x main bonding conductors into aswell....lol? Because im not taking them back to the CU as that is 6 mtrs from the meter cupboard which also houses the gas meter.
Thanks for the pic by the way! It seems to me they solder there side, to rid themselves of any responsibility, for example if an earthing problem was to arise due to a loose connection..

You can always fit a standard MET to do what you like with, no different to always.

 

[Spudnik]

As a side note, on a recent nic visit it was pointed out that the only cable at the service head should be main earth, any bonding conductors etc should be ran direct to board or a separate met fitted.

Did he also point out what reg stipulates this?