Old ISCO, just interested in the vintage

[happysteve]

Nice old iron-clad service cutout, just wondered how old it is?

Apparently the smart-meter fitter took one look at it and said, "I'm not touching that, this is a job for Western Power." I'll get the client to ask nicely for PME while they're at it, and an isolator (currently TT, Victorian semi)

 

[ruston]

Nice old iron-clad service cutout, just wondered how old it is?

Apparently the smart-meter fitter took one look at it and said, "I'm not touching that, this is a job for Western Power." I'll get the client to ask nicely for PME while they're at it, and an isolator (currently TT, Victorian semi)

View attachment 61155

That is class , That tacky tape spoils the pic.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Probably '30s, may have been installed for DC supply. Would be very interested to see if could be rescued for the museum!

 

[Micktw68]

A thing of beauty.

 

[freddo]

I like the old ISCO stuff, must be the green colour. Some ironclad blocks somewhere we work often, I don't really know why they haven't been renewed everything else around them is newer. I think the supply here is split phase 240/480.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Totally needs updating asap. Items like these are prohibited in landfill, they must be sent to our warehouse for processing and converting into beers.

 

[Colin Jenkins]

Nice old iron-clad service cutout, just wondered how old it is?

Apparently the smart-meter fitter took one look at it and said, "I'm not touching that, this is a job for Western Power." I'll get the client to ask nicely for PME while they're at it, and an isolator (currently TT, Victorian semi)

View attachment 61155

Hello Happy Steve.
This type of metalclad cu-out was used well into the 1950s; the design probably dates from the 1930s. Safe enough if left alone, but potentially very dangerous if disturbed. Often the biggest hazard with these is a worm-eaten meter board crumbling away and leaving the cut-out with weakened support. The meter board in the photograph looks ok from that perspective.
Regards,
Colin Jenkins.

 

[happysteve]

Thanks folks, great to learn a bit about old gear.

There's no issue with the cut-out pictured itself; clearly no-one's going to touch it, but it's not in any danger of falling off the wall. I was there doing an EICR, and the client mentioned that they'd asked to have a smart meter installed but the work got postponed because of this.

The property would benefit from PME (and I suspect it's available, since it's an underground supply in an urban setting), and an isolator while they're at it; the client is happy to approach WPD to pay for that aspect of the work to be done.

If we can persuade them to leave us the old cut-out, I'll post it to Lucien Nunes

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Thanks folks, great to learn a bit about old gear.

There's no issue with the cut-out pictured itself; clearly no-one's going to touch it, but it's not in any danger of falling off the wall. I was there doing an EICR, and the client mentioned that they'd asked to have a smart meter installed but the work got postponed because of this.

The property would benefit from PME (and I suspect it's available, since it's an underground supply in an urban setting), and an isolator while they're at it; the client is happy to approach WPD to pay for that aspect of the work to be done.

If we can persuade them to leave us the old cut-out, I'll post it to Lucien Nunes

WPD will change that free of charge. if some office desk pilot tries to charge just tell them client is getting an ev charger and solar. they then have to change cut out for free to facilitate these technologies as part of some ofgem directive. if you are lucky they will fit an isolator for free if you supply one on site. but some are a bit cagey as its not wpd supplied and leave it isolated for 10 mins whilst you fit an isolator on the tails. given wpd will be changing cutout the charge for the isolator should be less than the usual £170 they currently charge!
Cant fault WPD - had them out yesterday, they pulled fuse on really old cutout so i could replace main switch in the fuse board that had jammed shut during EICR and couldn't turn back on. from call to arriving took less than an hour.

 

[R-fur]

Probably '30s, may have been installed for DC supply.

I agree with the date but if it was DC there would only be three fuses. +ve -ve and mid.

 

[mattg4321]

WPD will change that free of charge. if some office desk pilot tries to charge just tell them client is getting an ev charger and solar. they then have to change cut out for free to facilitate these technologies as part of some ofgem directive. if you are lucky they will fit an isolator for free if you supply one on site. but some are a bit cagey as its not wpd supplied and leave it isolated for 10 mins whilst you fit an isolator on the tails. given wpd will be changing cutout the charge for the isolator should be less than the usual £170 they currently charge!
Cant fault WPD - had them out yesterday, they pulled fuse on really old cutout so i could replace main switch in the fuse board that had jammed shut during EICR and couldn't turn back on. from call to arriving took less than an hour.

Never dealt with WPD as not my area but UKPN would no doubt have been an absolute nightmare to deal with in the same circumstances.

I had a good one with them recently. Requested PME at customers house. Even had the ‘PME available‘ label next to the meter, albeit a few years old. They arrived and refused to supply the connection as their tester read ze as 0.56. Mine and my colleagues testers both read 0.29. They tried theirs again and it said 0.40. Seems like they had a dodgy piece of equipment to me. No matter, they still refused to fit. Meant me putting an s type RCD on a distribution circuit. Not ideal.

Another one recently. They turned up to move cutout. The customer had paid them extra to also move meter as their energy supplier wouldn’t send anyone out due to Covid (pathetic but I digress). They move the cutout and then casually ask if customer has booked their meter to be moved that day with supplier. Then decide that they don’t want to do it after being told the score and call their office. Office sends another team out later that day to move meter. Fecking pathetic. Surely the job of moving the cutout is both more dangerous and time consuming than a couple of wood screws and 4 terminations on isolated cables to fit a meter.

 

[freddo]

Magazine page from 1936

 

[snowhead]

Nice find there.