Take a look at this...

[Goody]

Visited a property today and found these:

1. Dodgy main earth (couple of strands of bare 1.5mm stuck to the cut-out and taped to hold it)
2. One of the tails bodged up with insulation tape.
3. Electric Meter too close to the gas meter (this is common in most of the houses)
4. There was a strong smell of gas when I opened the meter cupboard.
5. No RCD protection.
6. Customer says their light blow up too often
7. Gas boiler right inside a bed room (not my area of responsibility, ofcourse)

TN-S system with Ze of 0.26 and a PFC of 1.1 KA

 

[goldie]

customer will be saying their house blew up next!! atleast ze was within .8

 

[Octopus]

That CU looks reasonably new - don't suppose you saw a cert?


As for the proximity of the CU, meter and gas - this is so common and there are so many houses in this situation - there's not much we can do about it.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

I dont see what you are trying to get at?

1, Get DNO out to fix it and fit an isolator.
2, When 1 is done, go back and change tails.
3, Wouldnt worry about it, they are where they are, and not much you can do about it. (mine are side by side at home, and have been for 40 years, even new ones last year went back in same places!.
4, Would worry about it get BG out to it NOW.
5, Does not comply with 17th edition, but does not necessarily make the installation unsafe.
6,Investigate further.
7, If it is correctly installed and certified, it can be wherever they want it fitting.

Cheers......Howard

 

[malcolmsanford]

Looks like it could be concentric wire for the mains in Goody.

If you getting a Ze 0,26 and a Ka of 1.1 then you may find that the earth is fine. Personally I may still give the DNO a ring and you may get a result that they upgrade it, but don't hold you breath. I would certainly though try fitting the earth into a proper MET if you can and dis the chocy block

I certainly would also give TRANSCO a ring about the gas smell. well at least the customer should.

What is your remit here a board change??

 

[telectrix]

well. at least he'll go home smelling of gas and not a tart's perfume.

 

[spark 68]

Is item 2) in your list not just a piece of marker tape (to ID the polarity of the tails), rather than for insulation ?

I have come across this several times, and it may not be as bad as you think, I cannot see from your picture

 

[telectrix]

i'm not much for the choice of shagpile carpet, either.

 

[londonlec]

The only thing you can do anything about is 2 and 5. Looks like self amalgamating tape by DNO on their earth. Cant do anything about gas meter. Cant do anything about smell of gas. And whats wrong with a room sealed boiler in a bedroom?

 

[Goody]

Thank you all for the feedbacks. I am trying to persuade them to have their CU upgraded once the main earth is sorted out by the DNO (hopefully). With 0.26 Ze the meter says the earth is OK but visually I am bit concerned. There is dampness around the socket in the bedroom that powers the boiler.

The existing CU is OK as it is, but having RCD protection would do good in the future.

Again how much could I charge them for the following:

1. Supplying and fitting 2 broken wall lights
2. Investigating and rectifying faults on the lighting circuits that blow bulbs
3. Investigating and rectifying faults on socket circuits that trips MCB’s
4. Supplying and fitting 2 recessed IPX4 rated lamps in the bath room

Cheers!

 

[hyperloop]

youve got to supply and fit 2 broken wall lights?

 

[hyperloop]

what sort of bulbs are blowing (my guess GU10's??

 

[Goody]

what sort of bulbs are blowing (my guess GU10's??

Normal energy saving lamps and the wall light fitting are these..

 

[UKMeterman]

Ah,
Is there a glass cover that causes a build up of heat? Energy saving lamps like to run cool..

 

[Geordie Spark]

I wouldn't worry too much about the boiler being in the bedroom as it's a room sealed appliance.

Open flue appliances such as gas fires are a no-no though.