Two houses fed of one houses mains - what are my rights.

[Guywithahouse]

Keeping it brief. We recently had a utility room put in the back of our garage including new wiring and a new mini fusebox in the garage by certified electrician. Few weeks later smell burning from inside fusboard, the copper negative (i think that's right, it was copper with black plastic around it) had overheated and melted. Called the electrician and he said likley as you have exceeded voltage capacity due to dishwasher, washing machine and dryer being on at same time for example. He came round and took the inside fusebox lid off and tightened the wires and said should be ok now but dont use everything at once to be safe. So we didn't. Few weeks later smell burning again from fusebox, its really hot. Except nothing is on. So I decide fusebox is too old as its one the plastic case ones from seemingly when house was built in 1960s.

Electrcian is here today with new RCD board, all going well until he takes the main power feed wire to the fuseboard to change them over. 30 mins later western power guy is at the door asking if we're having work done as next doors power has gone.

Turns out both houses were linked up to the same 60v fusebox in our house, and he said they used to do it like that way back when to save time and money!

So here i am £450 down with the current electrician and western power are saying the fusboards need to be separated by western power at no cost to us.

But for me I'm already 450 down for something that turns out wasn't our fault.

 

[ipf]

Problems there with the earth to next door, in my opinion...and that main one looks iffy.
As with the example I showed earlier, the conduit is clamped and dodgy.
I would have thought the DNO would install separate incoming fuses.
What's that sealable connection block, bottom right? Is it being used for earths, by any chance?

 

[PEG]

Yep,i would guess it's an OMET ?

 

[freddo]

There are a lot of errors on that certificate...

 

[James]

There are a lot of errors on that certificate...

As already mentioned, the first mistake was getting the wrong certificate pad out of the van.

 

[ipf]

Yep,i would guess it's an OMET ?

'Ome Made Earth Terminal......?

 

[freddo]

As already mentioned, the first mistake was getting the wrong certificate pad out of the van.

Oh wow I hadn't even noticed that! ? goodness, I wonder what the inside of the cu looks like...

 

[LewisM]

Being a BG board im guessing a shower of s**t

 

[freddo]

Being a BG board im guessing a shower of s**t

Why is it that every single BG board photo posted here has unused MCBs left in it? I've never done that on a CU install. I keep looking at the Kitchen Sockets MCB, it seems to be sitting up at an odd angle, I hope the busbar is the correct side of the terminal clamp.

 

[nicebutdim]

Why is it that every single BG board photo posted here has unused MCBs left in it? I've never done that on a CU install. I keep looking at the Kitchen Sockets MCB, it seems to be sitting up at an odd angle, I hope the busbar is the correct side of the terminal clamp.

Populated boards that don't come with any blanks? A case of using whatever is to hand.

 

[Lister1987]

ive seen two feeds from one intake, but never one like that where the tails go directly through wall without any protection.

I've got a GRP looped service in mine, comes in at the bottom and goes back down again, 1 set of tails out the top of the Henley for my gaff and I'm guessing next door will have an intake and fuse in their gaff with its own set of tails out the top.

Say what you like but if you don't know about looped services, you don't know and you'll only know if you see them and someone points it out to you.

 

[brianmoooore]

I've got a GRP looped service in mine, comes in at the bottom and goes back down again, 1 set of tails out the top of the Henley for my gaff and I'm guessing next door will have an intake and fuse in their gaff with its own set of tails out the top.

Nothing unusual about this setup, but I've never seen one like the OP has either.
Even so, you could hardly miss it, located where it is.

 

[Lister1987]

Nothing unusual about this setup, but I've never seen one like the OP has either.
Even so, you could hardly miss it, located where it is.

You could if you've never seen it before. Like the split concentric neutral tails, if I hadn't seen a list on them I wouldn't realise what it was.

 

[Dave OCD]

And I'd say that old fuse carrier was 60 amps max. Just goes to show that it's served two houses for years without blowing ! Unless it's been 'upgraded'....?

 

[ferg]

The 'Cert' as well as being the wrong type of form is also for the wrong edition of the regulations, Unless I'm mistaken?

 

[ElectricPanda]

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I don't know how all of this works, but basically when he pulled the black wires out to disconnect the electric, it knocked next doors out, they called western power who came out and said both our fuseboards were running off the same volt supply and likley all the houses in the street are the same unless they've had new electrics. Said modern day life means people are finding out about it now because of the strain on the voltage supply.

Or maybe it was all a load of waffle.

Maybe Next door had an older type VOelcb . known to falsely trip when detecting a surge to ground from neighbouring properties. just a thought.