TT supply and DNO requirement

[067256]

I understand DNO are not obliged to supply an incoming earth but called to a job today, looks like a replacement TT supply was installed in 2007. New colour meter tails.
No main bonding conductor, no exisiting earth bonding, no earth spike present!! I find it incredible that DNO carry out this work without making sure of adequate earthing.
Are they just relying on, and trusting that the customer will get this work done asap?
Anyway.........an escalating quote as we speak. At least the customer is now aware and happy to have all the work carried out.:crazy:

 

[WPD Lad]

What did the DNO do? Cutout change?

May have been the supplier changing the meter if they've changed the tails!

 

[067256]

New TT supply installed at some point in 2007, the old one was felled by a tree!! DNO did cut out change aswell. Newish BS1361 100amp bullet.

 

[D80]

You'd expect at the minimum that they would get a Ze or Ra test before energising the premises!

It would be interesting (and unfortunate) if someone got harmed in that installation because of the missing earth as to just who would be held accountable.

 

[WPD Lad]

Naughty naughty, they should have been left off supply until the earthing was satisfactory

 

[Guest123]

Exactly the same thing happend to my gran a few years ago.

Underground lead sheathed supply cable providing a TN-S was removed & replaced with a pvc sheathed split-con.

Didn't mention anything to my nan at the time, and i didn't call until a few days later.......needless to say they were handed their bottoms in a sling after I had finished with them!!!

 

[sedgy34]

They dont check the earthing arrangement cause they dont know what it is
you will find it was a meter change with new tails pal

 

[ipf]

Have I misread something ?

 

[WPD Lad]

Exactly the same thing happend to my gran a few years ago.

Underground lead sheathed supply cable providing a TN-S was removed & replaced with a pvc sheathed split-con.

Didn't mention anything to my nan at the time, and i didn't call until a few days later.......needless to say they were handed their bottoms in a sling after I had finished with them!!!

Whats wrong with split concentric for TN-S?? Surely a nice new cutout was provided with a separate neutral and earth!?

 

[Guest111]

beats me how some of these people get by, we had a problem with severe volt drop and 2 young lads came out and did an earth loop test "all ok here mate"was his answer,when I asked him how an earth loop test was supposed to prove or disprove volt drop he replied "well thats what we have to do,if it reads ok no problem " out comes my test gear and under a load of about 5A we get about 240V, load it up to about 40A and volts drop to about 120v.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

i think that any opperatives....whether DNO or meter installers.....should be made to learn how to use a loop tester and conduct a Ze/Ra before installing new equipment...be it meters, heads or anything else.....i think its outragous that it can be left without a reliable means of earthing by someone classed as competent enough to undertake work within someones property....just outragous....

 

[ipf]

Agreed. Might help if they could use their eyes and common sense a little, also. Brain dead robots ?

 

[WPD Lad]

Agreed. Might help if they could use their eyes and common sense a little, also. Brain dead robots ?

Bit of an ignorant statement! We're not all like that and mistakes can happen

 

[D80]

Bit of an ignorant statement! We're not all like that and mistakes can happen

In fairness leaving a house energised without an earth goes a bit beyond a mistake. It's total incompetence.

Not that you or any others should be tarred with that same brush, but the operative(s) who left it like that are a disgrace.

 

[ipf]

Bit of an ignorant statement! We're not all like that and mistakes can happen

OK, bit of a minor mistake, leaving an installation without earth and then energising....wow! In my eyes that is sacking material.

 

[WPD Lad]

OK, bit of a minor mistake, leaving an installation without earth and then energising....wow! In my eyes that is sacking material.

Im not gonna defend the operatives, I've already said the supply should have been de-energised

My comments were merely pointing out that we're not all "brain dead robots"

Ive seen much more dangerous situations left by sparks including house fires caused by such things

 

[WPD Lad]

I'm not looking to start a sparks vs DNO thing either, just in case this thread blows out of all proportion.

 

[Guest123]

They took away their TN-S earthing facility and left her without anything, there wasn't a PME connection available and the split con was only a 2 core if you like, 1 solid ali conductor for line and the outer copper strands for neutral.

You can't derive a TN-S from that so I had to TT it. It wouldn't have mattered at all if they had just said that was the case.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk

 

[WPD Lad]

Im not gonna defend the operatives, I've already said the supply should have been de-energised

My comments were merely pointing out that we're not all "brain dead robots"

Ive seen much more dangerous situations left by sparks including house fires caused by such things

They took away their TN-S earthing facility and left her without anything, there wasn't a PME connection available and the split con was only a 2 core if you like, 1 solid ali conductor for line and the outer copper strands for neutral.

You can't derive a TN-S from that so I had to TT it. It wouldn't have mattered at all if they had just said that was the case.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk

Thats not split concentric, just plain hcn (hybrid concentric neutral). If there was a DNO earth there then they should have maintained one!

 

[Guest123]

HCN, thanks for that.

I agree regarding the continual provision of an existing earthing facility, as does ESQCR.

But, as you say there are bad eggs in both camps.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk

 

[ipf]

Agreed Lenny, bad eggs turn up in all spheres.

 

[ipf]

Bit of an ignorant statement! We're not all like that and mistakes can happen

I would consider your statement to be presumptuous.
Where is the ignorance? I was not inferring that all should be tainted. The statement concerns those who carried out this gormless piece of ineptitude. Such a MISTAKE should not happen. All in our trade have a responsibility to complete their tasks, no matter what they might be, to certain standards. BASIC.

 

[WPD Lad]

I would consider your statement to be presumptuous.
Where is the ignorance? I was not inferring that all should be tainted. The statement concerns those who carried out this gormless piece of ineptitude. Such a MISTAKE should not happen. All in our trade have a responsibility to complete their tasks, no matter what they might be, to certain standards. BASIC.

You're correct, I was being presumptuous and defensive, take this as my apology with no sarcasm involved.

 

[ipf]

You're correct, I was being presumptuous and defensive, take this as my apology with no sarcasm involved.

Accepted WPD. In the past.

 

[Guest111]

to WPD and IPF, your misunderstanding over this just proves the point that 1 bad apple spoils the rest in this case one fool does his or her job incorrectly and everyone in that job gets a bad name. Fortunately you 2 are big enough to appologise to each other over misunderstandings and make up,thank god some of us have sense eh.