Earthing on TNCS

[Rockingit]

I repeat, again, that you need professional intervention at this point.

However..... because DNO's frequently annoy me on this, here's what the actual law of the land says on the matter:

The Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 -
28. A distributor shall provide, in respect of any existing or proposed consumer’s
installation which is connected or is to be connected to his network, to any person who can
show a reasonable cause for requiring the information, a written statement of—
(a) the maximum prospective short circuit current at the supply terminals;*
(b) for low voltage connections, the maximum earth loop impedance of the earth fault
path outside the installation;
(c) the type and rating of the distributor’s protective device or devices nearest to the
supply terminals;
(d) the type of earthing system applicable to the connection; and
(e) the information specified in regulation 27(1),
which apply, or will apply, to that installation.

* In your situation they wont be able to

 

[marcuswareham]

I repeat, again, that you need professional intervention at this point.

However..... because DNO's frequently annoy me on this, here's what the actual law of the land says on the matter:

The Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 -
28. A distributor shall provide, in respect of any existing or proposed consumer’s
installation which is connected or is to be connected to his network, to any person who can
show a reasonable cause for requiring the information, a written statement of—
(a) the maximum prospective short circuit current at the supply terminals;*
(b) for low voltage connections, the maximum earth loop impedance of the earth fault
path outside the installation;
(c) the type and rating of the distributor’s protective device or devices nearest to the
supply terminals;
(d) the type of earthing system applicable to the c weonnection; and
(e) the information specified in regulation 27(1),
which apply, or will apply, to that installation.

* In your situation they wont be able to

Him trying to get the DNO out to sort it is professional intervention

 

[marcuswareham]

Just been a little bamboozled on this. A lady from western power phoned up and said they didn't want to send an engineer as they are not responsible for the earth in the property. I tried explaining that the earth termimal had both connections to the meter, like tncs, and to the sheath, like tns, and whilst she said I can't have that, she seemed to think it is not their problem and I should get electrician in to sort it. Unless I wanted to buy a pme upgrade.

Went in circles a little until she offered to send someone to look at, but they wouldn't touch it, and there's no appointments till the 10th June.

I was under the impression that although the DNO dont need to provide an earth

they DO need to maintain an earth which they have provided in the past?

The DNOs do seem to be a law unto themselves although,

You said you will get an electrician involved to help/oversee the projects, I wonder if the DNO behave any differently with a request from a qualified spark.

When you say they wouldn't touch it has someone already been out then? Really the DNO are the only people allowed & trained to touch it, it is there property and they have a duty to maintain it,

 

[Slimmct]

Thank you @Rockingit , that section makes it very clear what I can expect, and covers what I wasn't sure about in my discussions on the phone with Western Power. I appreciate your concern, but I'm not sure I need intervention just yet. This is still just a plan on paper. Once I have it to where I think it is a good plan, I will engage with an electrician as to how it looks on paper, and take advice on the whether building regs, or working with the electrician is the best plan.

@marcuswareham I did try covering that with the lady on the phone about provision of earth, and whilst I had read that they are under no obligation to provide an earth, and there are several installations where they won't, that I thought that where they did, they were responsible for it. The conversation got bogged down on where the demarcation was. She was convinced that they were only responsible for the cutout, and that the earthing terminal was mine. I was trying to point out that the earth cable that goes into the cutout was obviously theirs, and that the earth terminal was where the consumer side would first connect to that, and the question about the braid being apparently provided by the DNO, or its predecessor. We went around in circles until she gave in and said I can have appointment, but they were very busy, and middle of June would be earliest. I wasn't going to say no. That is where she said that all they would do is look at it. They wouldn't disconnect or change anything, the only way I could get any work done on it was to order a PME upgrade.

I did call back and speak to someone different as she had finished shift, but all they would say is they couldn't comment on it as it already assigned to her.

 

[Slimmct]

The DNO have been out this morning and said that the connection is PME, and both the braid and wire together are part of the system. They've slapped a couple of stickers on it and gone.