Looped supply through garage? Look ok?

[chriso]

Hi

Just bought this 1960s house, will be doing full rewire. Incoming supply splits and goes through hole in garage to next door. This is a looped supply?

From what I've read this can restrict us getting an electric car charger in future, that I can speak to the dno about unlooping.

Electrician said the earth cable clamp (coming from next door), clamping on to the mains at the bottom, was loose. Is that a dno issue?

How safe is this setup, sharing next door via a hole in the wall? I believe they are on old style fuses like this with no rcds. If anything were to blow or fire on their old electrics, would it quickly spread through here?

I don't want to annoy the neighbours by having the driveway dug up, but I also want to be safe.

On the full rewire, does this old bit of backboard have to stay? Or is it fine?

Thanks

 

[Lister1987]

Doesn't look looped to me - tell-tale is 2 cables coming out the bottom of the cutout, you only have 1 and the cables out the top are just LN for your install

 

[nicebutdim]

Doesn't look looped to me - tell-tale is 2 cables coming out the bottom of the cutout, you only have 1 and the cables out the top are just LN for your install

Edit: just looked at image, rather than posting blindly.

 

[chriso]

Screenshot 2023 01 06 at 16 17 48 — Postimages

postimg.cc

closer look, see markings in red

 

[snowhead]

Doesn't look looped to me - tell-tale is 2 cables coming out the bottom of the cutout, you only have 1 and the cables out the top are just LN for your install

I'm guessing you're on a phone?

 

[7029 dave]

Edit: just looked at image, rather than posting blindly.

Its not a looped supply its shared on the one fuse.

 

[chriso]

IMG 2345 — Postimages

postimg.cc

Here you go, bigger photo

 

[nicebutdim]

Its not a looped supply its shared on the one fuse.

Yeah, I'd quickly looked at the incoming cable and figured they were end of line, then realised what @Lister1987 was highlighting. Seems he failed to recognise the second set of tails went next door, before OP's meter.

 

[chriso]

Thanks. So it's not a looped connection?

"What happens if you share an electricity supply with another property? When two properties share a single electricity service cabled, this is a ‘looped service’. These are often found in terraced or semi-detached houses. The service will enter into a property via premises 1 and be looped into premises 2. Everything else is the same as an overhead or underground connection."
Either way, if it is a single feed coming into our garage, going to both properties, what are the risks? What load can be put through here? What if we want a car charger? What if the neighbour circuits blow due to having 1960s circuits that haven't been updated?

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Shared supply will be treated same as looped from dno perspective.
If looking for an ev charger in the future they will unloop for free, which could involve major groundworks, but at least you aint paying for it!
If you know the rating of the fuse then via 2 ct clamps you can still monitor the loads and group them via the zappi group monitor function

Have you actually cheked your neighbours to see if they have a meter? have seen cases and images online before of people having an unmetered supply... werent very happy when neighbours got it disconnected!

Should also say that if the dno become aware of this they may decide to enforce the remedial works... Had a situation in Bath where by one neighbour wanted an ev charger but was looped and fed next door. the neighbour wouldnt give permission and kicked up right fuss. was fuming when his power was off for a few hours as in the end they did all the remedial on my customers side and left the awkward one with a 60a supply and the old cables but my customer got a nice 100A supply with PME, my customer agreed to old cutout remaining in place but unused alongside a new one.
Long story short your neighbour doesnt have much say in the matter! dno can force the remedial work on them if they want, they have quite wide ranging powers.

 

[7029 dave]

Its a shared supply off the same cutout fuse, eg if the supply is fused at 100A, then that 100A is shared between the 2 property's. The other property will have a cutout fuse (maybe 60A) metering equipment etc.
My advice would be to speak to your DNO regarding EV charging in the pipe line, could be a cost involved to split the shared service? they will advice or maybe free of charge.

 

[suffolkspark]

Hi

Just bought this 1960s house, will be doing full rewire. Incoming supply splits and goes through hole in garage to next door. This is a looped supply?

From what I've read this can restrict us getting an electric car charger in future, that I can speak to the dno about unlooping.

Electrician said the earth cable clamp (coming from next door), clamping on to the mains at the bottom, was loose. Is that a dno issue?

How safe is this setup, sharing next door via a hole in the wall? I believe they are on old style fuses like this with no rcds. If anything were to blow or fire on their old electrics, would it quickly spread through here?

I don't want to annoy the neighbours by having the driveway dug up, but I also want to be safe.

On the full rewire, does this old bit of backboard have to stay? Or is it fine?

Thanks


View attachment 105084

Yes, with them tagged off the outgoing side of your cutout fuse you probably want ukpn out to sort if your wanting a car charger etc, and yes their earth on that clamp doesnt look amazing either

 

[littlespark]

I like the dual brown set up. I hope neighbours have correct polarity.
Also unprotected going through brick wall.

 

[westward10]

I like the dual brown set up. I hope neighbours have correct polarity.
Also unprotected going through brick wall.

They don't need protection where they pass through the wall however it almost certainly needs fire sealing as it breeches a fire compartment.

 

[LewisM]

I like the dual brown set up. I hope neighbours have correct polarity.
Also unprotected going through brick wall.

Geez look at that old Hessian tape they've definitely been there a while

 

[chriso]

Update.
Nice chap from National Grid came out and looked. Said that they can unloop it and give next door their own supply, but would have to dig up their drive and road.

The fuse (in behind the metal tie on the main incoming black box) was only rated 60amps. Is that fuse just for my property or covering both properties?

Eletrician with us said thats not enough for todays loads, especially for a 4 bed house and suggested it should be 80amps. National Grid guy said he's not sure if thats a chargeable service, because technically it's not a fault.

What would you do here? Anyone have any experience in how much they charge?

It seems bonkers that they can unloop a supply digging up the roads for free, but to change an inadequate fuse for todays needs is chargeable.

We don't have an electric car or heat pump, but will have elec fireplace, hob, oven, immersion heater, garden office etc.

Even if we unloop and next door get a nice new supply, presumably with a higher rated fuse, would we even get a fuse upgrade on our side?

He also said they wouldn't put fireproof foam in the hole between properties, they don't touch that and its down to residents.

Thanks

 

[Lister1987]

My neighbour needs Thiers unlooping for an EV charger. Normally they would go and do the work via 15 but are unable to access the property as the owner is recently deceased so they're going to joint from our driveway and tap into the main trunk there.

The image shows the local LV main and supplies to each house, not something I've seen before so thought I'd share

 

[nicebutdim]

The fuse (in behind the metal tie on the main incoming black box) was only rated 60amps. Is that fuse just for my property or covering both properties?

Eletrician with us said thats not enough for todays loads, especially for a 4 bed house and suggested it should be 80amps. National Grid guy said he's not sure if thats a chargeable service, because technically it's not a fault.

From your image, it seems as though one fuse covers both properties.

Clearly this isn't ideal, but equally it mustn't have caused issues to date. The only people who can advise on the issue of cost is the network operator as they'll decide how much (if anything) works will cost.

I can't imagine this being chargeable, but would put forward the case that your neighbour could be left without electricity, should they manage to blow the main fuse while you were away on holiday - an unlikely circumstance, but one that would be difficult to argue against.

 

[Midwest]

Never seen anything like this before, although from whats been said seems common?

Doesn't seem right, that your neighbours supply is in your property. Neighbours supply, and not DNO's cable. Seems a bit of a DNO bodge to me?

 

[Darkwood]

Anyone else notice the ceiling, is that asbestos because it looks very sus' to me.