Cast Iron Incomer

[bigd]

Just a bit of advice from you guys.

Seem to be coming across these a lot recently in old houses-cast iron main fuse on the DNO side, prior to the meter. Told customers to approach DNO and get them to replace.

Does anyone know if the DNO's are charging for this service?

The last one I went to the cables from the supplier can't be more than 10-12mm, which feed into the meter. There's fuses in both the line & neutral and they're ceramic fuse carriers?!

How old are these? I've been informed that removing the ceramic fuse carriers is not a good idea as it can cause wear on the copper contacts, leading to connection problems. Is this true?

Sorry don't have any pictures.

 

[Engineer54]

The DNO's should replace any cast iron service cut-out with ceramic DP fuses as a matter of course. And no, there should not be any charge to the customer. These service cut-outs should have all been replaced by (i think) Sept 2011, but as you have found, it never happened!!

The reason that ceramic rewireable fuses are now considered past their serviceable life, is that the fuses are classed as too dangerous even for the DNO electricians. They can and often do break apart/disintegrate in the electricians hands leaving the fuse blades still engaged in the cut-out fuse holders...

 

[Geordie Spark]

The DNO's should replace any cast iron service cut-out with ceramic DP fuses as a matter of course. And no, there should not be any charge to the customer. These service cut-outs should have all been replaced by (i think) Sept 2011, but as you have found, it never happened!!

The reason that ceramic rewireable fuses are now considered past their serviceable life, is that the fuses are classed as too dangerous even for the DNO electricians. They can and often do break apart/disintegrate in the electricians hands leaving the fuse blades still engaged in the cut-out fuse... holders...

I wonder whose pocket the money "saved" by not replacing them went into?

 

[Guest55]

I wonder whose pocket the money "saved" by not replacing them went into?

shareholders.
and the dno's are years behind on there cut-out / network upgrade program.
money grabbing ----ers.
lol ;-)

 

[trev]

shareholders.
and the dno's are years behind on there cut-out / network upgrade program.
money grabbing ----ers.
lol ;-)

They've started renewing the cabling round our way, I collared one of the lads the other day to ask if PME conversions were going to be available, he had no idea. As I walked off one of his mates asked what I had been talking about, the original guy said "something about key meters mate"
There's really no hope is there

 

[Hants-Spark]

I wonder whose pocket the money "saved" by not replacing them went into?

SSE recently declared a £1.3Bil profit for last year.

 

[oldtimer]

I had a customer who was told it would be chargeable but she said well if thats the case my electrician advises me to get this in writing from you five minutes later they called her back to say a yes it is free of charge and they will be in on Wednesday to change it.

 

[PEG]

The really pretty ones were fitted 1930's and yes,they can be frangible...DNO's probably not rushed swapping them due to us still using other 1930's infrastructure,water supply,gas supply,railways,sewers and Bruce Forsyth...

 

[Thefailsafe2012]

The really pretty ones were fitted 1930's and yes,they can be frangible...DNO's probably not rushed swapping them due to us still using other 1930's infrastructure,water supply,gas supply,railways,sewers and Bruce Forsyth...

Bahahahaha genius!!

 

[happyhippy68]

SSE recently declared a £1.3Bil profit for last year.

That will be the same SSE whose meter installer connected a meter up with the line and neutral reversed at a property when putting in the money grabbing Key meter. I went to test it after a gas engineer got a shock from an isolated boiler! I phoned them up and they wouldn't even put me through to a supervisor. 3 hours on the phone with customer service ( A real misnomer that one!!) in the end I gave up and called Western Powers emergency team. They were there in 35 minutes and they went ballistic!!! It was corrected and then reported to the HSE. I had to do a full report about it for them. The meter installer got canned, company should have been prosecuted.

 

[Knobhead]

Could you post a photograph of one of these service heads.

I came across them many times around a former air force base. Originally they were on a DC supply, hence the neutral being fused.