Pulling live meter tails from isolater switch in consumer unit

[3435hobiton]

Hi, could someone advise me of the safest procedure when pulling live meter tails from the isolator switch at the consumer unit. I know about switching off the main switch to take out the load, but will not be cutting the seal and pulling the fuse from the cut-out. On this occasion I need to pull out the live first... connect to a Henley block and then the neutral and do the same. When reconnecting I will connect the neutral first and then the live. I was wondering if anybody could offer any helpful advise that I may have overlooked.
Regards Paul

 

[VoltzElectrical]

Yes agree to the first part but its in the interest of the forum the advice given does not go beyond legal practice or advise unsafe practices, there's a safe practice method to do this and is the very reason why DNO often change and work live!!! but they wear the appropriate PPE too, something I'm sure the OP will not own, evident in the very fact he has asked the question, genarally in this industry of electrical work we do not get trained to work safely live but how to isolate safely so this is the advice to give.

Looking back over my apprentices of the last 5 I'd say only one would be competent and confident enough to do a live swap, the rest I would dread to think!!!

While we're on the grammAr..lol

 

[Knobhead]

Yes agree to the first part but its in the interest of the forum the advice given does not go beyond legal practice or advise unsafe practices, there's a safe practice method to do this and is the very reason why DNO often change and work live!!! but they wear the appropriate PPE too, something I'm sure the OP will not own, evident in the very fact he has asked the question, genarally in this industry of electrical work we do not get trained to work safely live but how to isolate safely so this is the advise to give.

Looking back over my apprentices of the last 5 I'd say only one would be competent and confident enough to do a live swap, the rest I would dread to think!!!

Punctuation?

 

[Guest55]

Freeze Punks ! This is a bad English raid !






;-)

 

[VoltzElectrical]

They'll need the army, not some irate plebs (sorry I mean fine upstanding, honest policemen/ women/ persons).

 

[andyelectric]

Hi, so cutting and re-sealing is the way forward as it's an urgent job[/QUOTE

So what exactly is so urgent that first you would like to risk your life over it, and then when talked out of that intend to break the law???

Give the whole story, and the experienced chaps on here will give you a tried and tested answer to your problem.

 

[Octopus]

Hi, so cutting and re-sealing is the way forward as it's an urgent job[/QUOTE

So what exactly is so urgent that first you would like to risk your life over it, and then when talked out of that intend to break the law???

Give the whole story, and the experienced chaps on here will give you a tried and tested answer to your problem.

Like why is repositioning a CU "urgent"

 

[andyelectric]

Like why is repositioning a CU "urgent"

Oooops. Missed that.

No need not to wait for an isolator then.

 

[Knobhead]

Thanks Philip, has any Electrician ever been prosecuted for pulling the service fuse?

I don’t know if there have been any prosecutions, as a forum a system of persecution should be introduced to punish members who ask about removing a service fuse.

 

[richy3333]

we can pull a main fuse but never the meter seals and that came from one of Scottish power 's bosses

I understand that the agreement is for NICEIC Approved contractors or the SELECT equivalent, not the millions of fly by night cowboys that exist in Scotland. Years ago I had to show my local manager that I had the safety gear required.

 

[richy3333]

Hi, I'm not bypassing the meter... I'm repositioning the consumer unit 3 foot up the wall. I'm a fully qualified electrician with 2330 levels 2&3, the 17th edition regs and the 2391. I just asked a question and was hoping somebody would offer a constructive answer... not accuse me if being a criminal!

There's brains here that aint been tapped! If you have all those quals then you should know the correct/safe procedure. Prove Darwin wrong...

 

[dazthemmok]

Had to sign up just to comment here! Death for the sake of a £400 job, good one!

 

[Geordie Spark]

Life would be simpler if all meters were fitted with isolation switches on the customer side like gas meters.

............ except that on gas meters the isolator is on the supply side of the meter.

(just being pedantic )

 

[ferg]

I understand that the agreement is for NICEIC Approved contractors or the SELECT equivalent, not the millions of fly by night cowboys that exist in Scotland.

I'm none of the above.

The only time I would call out SSE is if I was unable to pull the fuse due to it or the head being in a dangerous condition.

 

[HandySparks]

............ except that on gas meters the isolator is on the supply side of the meter.

Ah yes, I wondered whether someone would point that one out.

Just the chap to do it. :santa_smiley:

 

[Octopus]

Ah yes, I wondered whether someone would point that one out.

Just the chap to do it. :santa_smiley:

ha ha.

I meant one that us sparks could use without all the aggro with seals, dno's isolators and hours on the phone to idiots in call centres! So on the output side!

 

[PEG]

If he has a copper bar,and a pair of goggles,he MAY get 6 minutes to do his swap :icon12:

 

[HandySparks]

It's worth checking that the meter doesn't already incorporate an isolator (some recent digital ones). I pulled a fuse and then realised I could have achieved the same effect with a push-and-turn of the isolator provided.

 

[Engineer54]

Hi, I'm not bypassing the meter... I'm repositioning the consumer unit 3 foot up the wall. I'm a fully qualified electrician with 2330 levels 2&3, the 17th edition regs and the 2391. I just asked a question and was hoping somebody would offer a constructive answer... not accuse me if being a criminal!

Forget about the service cut-out seal, how are you going to find an extra 3' of tails without breaking the meter seals as well then??

It's a shame you haven't got any common sense to go with those qualifications!!

 

[Knobhead]

It's a shame you haven't got any common sense to go with those qualifications!!

And people say I’m cruel. :smilielol5:

 

[kjgreen3]

Forget about the service cut-out seal, how are you going to find an extra 3' of tails without breaking the meter seals as well then??

It's a shame you haven't got any common sense to go with those qualifications!!

I think he mentioned a henley block in the first post, whether he meant as a tool used in the live extraction of the tails from the main switch who knows.

 

[richy3333]

I'm none of the above.

The only time I would call out SSE is if I was unable to pull the fuse due to it or the head being in a dangerous condition.

ferg, aren't you JIB? DO the DNO accept this instead

 

[baldsparkies]

This is a long thread and sorry for not reading all but from the jist of this my thoughts are.
The health and safety at works regulations (HSE) and you are at work even if in a domestic property.
Is a mandatory document.
Safe isolation is paramount, and should be afforded by the DNO.
If not !!
A persons life vs a pulled (no load) cutout fuse is a no brainer.
After all the person of unknown origin who removed the seals prior to your visit did so exactly for that reason, and because no other immediate means of isolation was available to them.
If your a qualified registered sparky covering a consumer unit change and your providing the appropriate paperwork, then I honestly feel you have no reason for concern.
Working on a live set of tails is a grave, pardon the pun, mistake.
Not on my watch, no way !!

 

[baldsparkies]

For what its worth we called the DNO once because an old chap had drilled through his overhead supply.
It was the supply side of the henley block and was popping and fizzing like you wouldn't believe.
I said I was surprised the main cutout was still in and that other houses hadn't been taken out.
He laughed and said you will blow the fault on the cable before that bugger goes, otherwise we would be getting called out every five minutes !!!
And that's a true story.
Now with respect, that kind of PFC would leave you a (harmless/armless, electrician)

 

[UNG]

Life would be simpler if the DNO put in isolation switches they change the meters often enough so put in a switch at the same time then problem solved

Why would they want to install isolators FOC when they can wait for the customer to request one and charge for it

 

[Knobhead]

I understand that the agreement is for NICEIC Approved contractors or the SELECT equivalent, not the millions of fly by night cowboys that exist in Scotland. Years ago I had to show my local manager that I had the safety gear required.

I’m surprised you’ve still got you’ve still got your dangly bits left with a comment like that.

NIC-EIC and the rest of the leaches can’t be used as a benchmark, they’re the ones that have lowered the standards.