Dangerous reverse polarity on meter tails

[bluestar]

yes would be intrested to see what the dno did
last time i used them they left the premises with the same dangerous fault as they were called out for as he told me" my responsibility stops at the cut out "

 

[SirKit Breaker]

The last time i came across this a few years ago i banged my head against a wall for a while on the phone to the meter fitting company, whilst they tried to decide who should come and sort it out as it had only been fitted about 3 weeks earlier. So i swapped the tails over myself at the meter to make it all safe, and balls to the DNO etc. I would rather take my chance in court for cutting seals on a dangerous install and making it safe, over leaving it as it was and getting the blame for death or injury. It was also LNLN instead of LNNL.

Cheers..........Howard

 

[Geoffsd]

There is a switch-fuse in the installation in question and I have been wondering why the out-going tails were not swapped and marked, at least temporarily.

 

[telectrix]

There is a switch-fuse in the installation in question and I have been wondering why the out-going tails were not swapped and marked, at least temporarily.

but , if that were to be done, then DNO or supplier came and put the original fault right, the installation would then be back to reverse polarity! i'm with sir kit on this cut and be damned. safety of lives overrides petty rules.

 

[nikmet]

How can peoples lives be at risk , and how can the electrician who discovers this fault be blamed for death or injury if they isolate the installation and lock it off? A call to arrange for a DNO repair and all is well again.

 

[Geoffsd]

Fair enough, tel, but I assumed spark would be there when DNO/supplier came.

 

[Mark F]

How can peoples lives be at risk , and how can the electrician who discovers this fault be blamed for death or injury if they isolate the installation and lock it off? A call to arrange for a DNO repair and all is well again.

This is what i would do too, maybe inconveniant for the customer, but it's the safest, with no comebacks, and the inconvenience for the customer should be sorted by the DNO.

 

[Knobhead]

I got caught out removing meter seals years ago by the North Western EB as it was then. Just got a ticking off by a senior engineer. Mind you he was trying to get his head round a bigger problem at the time.

 

[nikmet]

I think the issue that seems to be being discussed here, with a differance of opinion, is more to do with customer inconvienience and very little if anything to do with safety?

 

[telectrix]

I think the issue that seems to be being discussed here, with a differance of opinion, is more to do with customer inconvienience and very little if anything to do with safety?

totally agree, but as said on a previous post, since the de-nationalisation, DNO's responsibility ends at the cut-out, or maybe the supply side of the meter. it's then the supplier's responsibility. known in the trade as "buck-passing". IF DNO or whoever will come out in a resonable space of time and correct the fault, fair enough, but you can't expect the customer to accept a freezer full of rotten food as an "inconvenience".

 

[shorty]

I think the issue that seems to be being discussed here, with a differance of opinion, is more to do with customer inconvienience and very little if anything to do with safety?

I agree we all seem to have got off topic. The overriding issue is safety to people and the safest thing to do for everyone is isolated supply using main switch, lock it off and report to supply authority. This leaves it all above board.

Yes it inconveniences the customer but I think the customer would rather be safe than risk personal injury.

 

[sidekick]

Thank you to all on this thread for the advice. Some good, some not so sure.
With so much interest I think its only fair to let you all know what I did etc.

After talking to the customer and explaining how dangerous this was, she was very keen for me to advise and get the fault corrected in the best way possible.
I firstly isolated the flat with the switch fuse in the basement and locked off. I then contacted DNO who were very helpful and promised to get an engineer to the premises as soon as one was available in the area.
The customer was happy in the flat with just a gas cooker and a box of matches and some candles for the time being. Unfortunately, it turned out to be about 24 hours.
DNO called in and confirmed tails were reversed and corrected the fault with a strong apology and no charge.
Flat now safe and power restored, the customer was very grateful and thanked me for my professionalism.

At the end of the day I think safety especially the customers is always the priority regardless of any legal actions we need to take to achieve it. If this is not the case, with anyone either leaving a dangerous situation or taking unauthorized measures just to keep a customer happy then I would think that would not be the correct, the professional, the safe, the legal or the sensible way to do things.

Thanks again.

 

[Knobhead]

Thanks for letting us know the outcome. BUT 24hrs for the DNO!

 

[gbert]

in my new house when NIE northern ireland electricity connected up the meter, though i had clearly marked live and neutral on the tails, they connected live into neutral and visa versa. they had the cheek to tell me i had a wiring problem. i had the tails wired into two iscos and was able to fix it myself but there you have it mistakes are made

 

[sidekick]

Thanks for letting us know the outcome. BUT 24hrs for the DNO!

Yes 24 hrs. That was too long for something so dangerous and inconvenient for the customer. But it was down to the customer not home or able to allow access sooner so not strictly there fault for such a delay.

 

[sidekick]

in my new house when NIE northern ireland electricity connected up the meter, though i had clearly marked live and neutral on the tails, they connected live into neutral and visa versa. they had the cheek to tell me i had a wiring problem. i had the tails wired into two iscos and was able to fix it myself but there you have it mistakes are made

Yep and its mistakes like that that give good reason for the polarity checks which most of the time just point out the obvious. As we both now know it is not always obvious.

 

[Dark Derek]

I wonder how the guy got on with the reverse polarity and dno?

I won't give the whole method but this was almost certainly a case of fraudulent extraction of energy by a previous resident.

 

[James]

I won't give the whole method but this was almost certainly a case of fraudulent extraction of energy by a previous resident.

This is an old thread that probably has been resolved by now.
however it did get me thinking, it may be possible to extract electricity through a meter if the polarity is reversed in the right place but would require a separate earth connection and some serious rewiring.
send me a sketch via pm and we will see if we are on the same thread.