Spark from Ze test!!

[Jay Sparks]

So I went to do a job this morning for a builder I know. Nowt big, just extending the ring and added a few more lights. When I turned up, the builder said, "we have had a guy in fitting the controls for the new heating system etc and he said you need to tell your sparky to test the earth!!" So I open up a small cupboard where the cu and incomer was. The incomer was an old cast iron type and the arrangement was tn-s. So I opened the cu and dissconected the 6mm main earth. I started the test and within 5 secs there was a spark from where the earth was clamped to the service cable. Obviousley I crapped my sen and dropped the test lead on the floor which resulted in "trip" on my tester. I wasnt expecting that to happen.lol

I thought it may have been down to me not having the test probes connected firmly enough, so after shaking for 5 mins, I decided to try and test it again but this time I was ready, It sparked again and gave me a reading of 4.12 ohms!!

I phoned YEDL, expecting the same old drivvle but to my suprise, they sent someone with in 30mins wow!!! The guy had a look and said he would do his tests and fill in a warning form and that I would have to get some one out and they would PME it and install a new service head. So I left him too it. About 5 min later he came out and said "come and look at this". Were the clamp was around the service cable, there was a hole and you could see the bare line conductor.

He told me he had to remove the fuse and that someone would come out in the next few hours to PME it and sort it out. So a small job turned in to the homeowner having to have a little cupboard ripped out and the service head changed.

Now Im always slateing the DNO but this time I cant complain. Just wonder how long its been like that for!!


Jay

 

[Clive P]

Hi,

Good call Jay, doing things correctly pays dividends; add that one to your CV.

Regards.

 

[Plonker 3]

Nice to see someone giving a balanced view on here about the DNO, for all there faults they can sometimes be very good at what they do.

 

[Jay Sparks]

Hi,

Good call Jay, doing things correctly pays dividends; add that one to your CV.

Regards.

I actually said to the YEDL engineer, "If I was a cowboy, I wouldnt of even tested that and then done the work regardless, leaving the install in a very bad way" He started laughing.


Jay

 

[Octopus]

Did the builder pass any helpful or complementary comments?

 

[Jay Sparks]

Did the builder pass any helpful or complementary comments?

No, he was actually pleased that we got it sorted so soon cos I told him DNO dont rush. He was a "sparky" back int day!!! Yeah, right!!lol

 

[paul_h]

I was having a similar problem recently. I wired for a new heating system. First thing I done was check the db, straightaway I noticed the incomer was vir 6mm tails. No earth and the supplying conduit not visible. I reported it to my boss wired my circuits n isolated the house. Went back next day when the heating system was getting done, power had been switched back on (by the plumbers) and nothing had been done. Called my boss again he replied Scottish power have been emailed!!!! The plumbers were getting a belt off the gas main outside , I measured the gas main to the mossy path and was getting 80v. ended up calling sp myself and they were out with in an hour and rewired the lateral there n then. Couldn't have asked for a better service, just wish my boss had called them on the first day!

 

[Guitarist]

You obviously didn't "isolate" it well enough if the plumbers were able to switch it back on

 

[Jay Sparks]

You obviously didn't "isolate" it well enough if the plumbers were able to switch it back on

In my case I was lucky, the yedl man took the main fuse with him and sealed the head. Now unless the plumber cut the seal and put in a 6 inch nail,(id love to see that..lol) then no power till it got sorted by the jointers.lol



Jay

 

[Jay Sparks]

So I thought I would update you on this old thread.
I went back to the house today to do a few minor works. Whilst there the owner showed me the lovely new srvice head that the YEDL had put in. He then went on to say that the engineer told him the tails from the meter to the cu had been painted and needed changing because the paint was damaging the insulation. He also told him all he had to do was to CUT THE SEAL AND PULL OUT THE MAIN FUSE!!!!!!

Now I laughed at this and told him that this was illegal, even for a qualified electrician and that he should not have told you to do it.
I also explained that sometimes the main fuse will just jump out out when I go near it.......and that if this should happen, I would change the tails for him.....so im going round next week to see if the fuse, does indeed jump out...lol

Anyway, I cant believe that the DNO would tell a home owner that he could cut the seal and pull the fuse!!!!!
Barmy, bloody barmy!!!!!


Jay

 

[iconnect]

I rang them asked them to reseal a rewire I did went back two years later to do some more work still not been back. I don't think they care anymore lol