Removal of potential asbestos fuse board - who and estimated cost?

[Rybeast]

[EDIT 2056]
Sorry, I think I’ve got my wires crossed and OhMe haven’t been very helpful in detailing what I need to do/say to N-Power except for ‘not our problem’. It is indeed the big, green, metal box at the bottom that is the problem.

Good evening,

Today, I had someone out to install the charging point for my EV on the house. After sending in numerous requests for photos over a two-week period AND a face-to-face inspection of the electrics, it was decided after they had finished installing the charge point that they couldn’t connect it to the electrics in the house because the fuse board looked as if it may contain asbestos.

I need to speak to Northern Powergrid apparently to get this rectified. Would it be someone from N-Power that would do the replacement? Can an electrician trained in safe asbestos removal remove and replace? What sort of cost element is usually involved in such a thing?
Picture attached.

 

[westward10]

Where do they think the asbestos is that white cable.

 

[littlespark]

Not sure what you mean.

Is it the green main fuse head in the bottom right they don’t want to touch? I’d be concerned it fell apart in my hands.
This is Npowers property, so only they can touch it… same goes for the meter.

Is it the brown mounting board that everything is screwed to? I don’t think it is asbestos.

The black braided wire between the meter and the black connector block in the middle looks aged, and could do with being replaced.

Is there more equipment there that can be photographed.
There’s nothing there that contains asbestos, but some old rewirable fuses did have asbestos flash pads behind the fuses.

 

[Rybeast]

Where do they think the asbestos is that white cable.

The board itself.

 

[Rybeast]

Not sure what you mean.

Is it the green main fuse head in the bottom right they don’t want to touch? I’d be concerned it fell apart in my hands.
This is Npowers property, so only they can touch it… same goes for the meter.

Is it the brown mounting board that everything is screwed to? I don’t think it is asbestos.

The black braided wire between the meter and the black connector block in the middle looks aged, and could do with being replaced.

Is there more equipment there that can be photographed.
There’s nothing there that contains asbestos, but some old rewirable fuses did have asbestos flash pads behind the fuses.

It’s the ‘meter board’ N-Power call it (brown panel).

 

[westward10]

Unless my eyes deceive me it looks like it has a wood grain.

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Don't know about the asbestos bit, but the main fuse seems to be only 30A, and your meter only rated to 40A. Perhaps they want these uprated before they will connect, or you run the risk of blowing the main fuse

 

[nicebutdim]

Don't know about the asbestos bit, but the main fuse seems to be only 30A, and your meter only rated to 40A. Perhaps they want these uprated before they will connect, or you run the risk of blowing the main fuse

Perhaps they planned on doing so themselves, but didn't like what they found inside the cutout?

 

[Rybeast]

Unless my eyes deceive me it looks like it has a wood grain.

Perhaps they planned on doing so themselves, but didn't like what they found inside the cutout?

Don't know about the asbestos bit, but the main fuse seems to be only 30A, and your meter only rated to 40A. Perhaps they want these uprated before they will connect, or you run the risk of blowing the main fuse

The only information AES Charge sent to OhMe was that the installers were concerned the board may contain asbestos. There was no mention or discussion with me or with OhMe with increasing the ampage or fuses. The below is the email OhMe sent when I kicked off:

‘As discussed, please accept our apologies for not catching earlier the situation with your fuse board. We totally understand that caused distress to your well-being, I have notified your installers and our account management team about this all situation.’

 

[littlespark]

Good call, pottymouth... i mean @Pretty Mouth I didnt read the fuse rating.

Looking at some old threads, the brown board is likely Paxolin...
Someone from the dark ages can tell us what its made from... probably wood... probably coated in a resin of some sort.

 

[James]

I don't believe the brown board contains asbestos.

is the new supply for the ev charger, the blue and brown cables and the new looking white box to the left of the picture?
If so, I cant see a reason not to connect up, the holes have already been drilled in the board and that is where the risk is, not putting the wires into the terminals.

Edit, after reading some of the posts and looking again, i think that a call to your electricity supplier to upgrade the supply is in order.
as mentioned before 40A meter and 60A fuse is just not going to be enough.

 

[Rybeast]

I guess I need to be in touch with N-Power then to ask for an asbestos survey?

 

[snowhead]

They can only mean the Green fuse cutout, which belongs to N.P.Grid when they say Fuse Board.
They can't mean the wooden backing board.

I assume the EV people have installed the brown and blue cables, the brown and blue boxes and the new 100amp switch which is currently Off.?
They'd need to open that and pull the fuses to do the final connection, if there are wired fuses in there there may also be asbestos.
Contact Northern Power grid

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Good call, pottymouth... i mean @Pretty Mouth I didnt read the fuse rating.

Looking at some old threads, the brown board is likely Paxolin...
Someone from the dark ages can tell us what its made from... probably wood... probably coated in a resin of some sort.

Might be painted. There was a time many many years ago (have seen it a lot in 30's houses, but could be later) when it was fashionable to paint all the woodwork in a house to imitate a dark hardwood finish. Quite skilled work.

 

[Rybeast]

Ok, so I may have messed up in what I heard when they explained things to me.
The white boxes and wires are new.
The big green metal thing at the bottom is what they have an issue with as they think it’s asbestos. What is the big metal thing called?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

This is all very muddled.

'Fuse board' means the same as 'fuse box' i.e. it is a box containing fuses, not a piece of board. The term 'fuse board' is an anachronism from 100 years ago when the fuses were actually mounted directly on a piece of board. In the picture, the only thing that merits the term 'fuse board' is the box mostly out of shot at left, which we would normally call a 'consumer unit' but an older spark might call it a fuse board.

The term 'meter board' does mean a piece of board and that is the brown flat thing mounted on the wall with stuff attached to it. Surely that is a piece of wood? It looks like wood and I've never seen one that is not wood. If anyone has seen a conventional meter board made of anything but wood, say now. It is not paxolin; that is made of resin-impregnated paper and used to make (usually thin) insulating panels. You cannot drive woodscrews into paxolin.

The green cast-iron device under the meter is correctly called 'service terminal equipment' but normally referred to as the 'head.' It is never called a 'board' or 'fuse board' but I think this is what they are talking about and someone has got confused. The head is where the incoming service cable is sealed and protected by fuses. This is an old pattern of unit that may not be up to snuff for the additional load of the EV charger. As mentioned above it is the property of the DNO and electricians do not normally touch it, except under very specialised circumstances. It might contain asbestos although is safe in that regard if left alone. They might have intended to isolate the supply at the head and have the DNO re-seal it (it has to be sealed to prevent theft of electricity, as is the meter.) The DNO might like to replace it anyway as it might have an (obsolete) fused neutral and is metallic (these days they are all-insulated for safety).

Call the DNO and explain you have an old cast-iron head with likely a fused neutral. It is a nice-looking one so if they can be persuaded to leave it behind I will reimburse you to give them a drink and post it to me for the museum! If it does actually contain asbestos, they probably wouldn't leave it though.

 

[Rybeast]

This is all very muddled.

'Fuse board' means the same as 'fuse box' i.e. it is a box containing fuses, not a piece of board. The term 'fuse board' is an anachronism from 100 years ago when the fuses were actually mounted directly on a piece of board. In the picture, the only thing that merits the term 'fuse board' is the box mostly out of shot at left, which we would normally call a 'consumer unit' but an older spark might call it a fuse board.

The term 'meter board' does mean a piece of board and that is the brown flat thing mounted on the wall with stuff attached to it. Surely that is a piece of wood? It looks like wood and I've never seen one that is not wood. If anyone has seen a conventional meter board made of anything but wood, say now. It is not paxolin; that is made of resin-impregnated paper and used to make (usually thin) insulating panels. You cannot drive woodscrews into paxolin.

The green cast-iron device under the meter is correctly called 'service terminal equipment' but normally referred to as the 'head.' It is never called a 'board' or 'fuse board' but I think this is what they are talking about and someone has got confused. The head is where the incoming service cable is sealed and protected by fuses. This is an old pattern of unit that may not be up to snuff for the additional load of the EV charger. As mentioned above it is the property of the DNO and electricians do not normally touch it, except under very specialised circumstances. It might contain asbestos although is safe in that regard if left alone.

I think I posted answers to your queries just as you posted! I think I have clearly got my wires crossed (giggity).

 

[Rybeast]

Anyone know how big a job it is to get this sort of thing modernised? How much downtime is needed with no electricity?

 

[westward10]

What is that black thing to the left it looks like a sword scabbard.

 

[Rybeast]

What is that black thing to the left it looks like a sword scabbard.

Exactly that. No idea why it’s in the house. Nothing to do with me!