Strange one - main cut out fuse

[AJ Boyd]

Hi Guys, was installing a new CU today and all went well but noticed an extra main cut out fuse with 16mm tails going into the wall. Pulled the fuse and found out the next door neighbours power went out. They have no main fuse, just a meter and old rewireable fuse box.

I don't think the neighbours cut out should be here! am I right? The tails should be 25mm and no longer than 3 meters in length, am I correct? They are well over 3 meters!!! Should I notify Scottish power ( the supplier) about this?
Any comments please

 

[nickblake]

I would certainly ask for their advice , but be warned it could open up a complete can of worms , having said that better safe than sorry

 

[telectrix]

is it that it was once one house, converted into 2 at some time?

 

[AJ Boyd]

no, it is 2 seperate houses. According to the old woman next door the houses "were flung up" and the guy doing the electrical installs was sacked! No wonder! These houses are older than me and just wondered if that was the done thing back then? But I don't think so!

 

[Andyfm]

I have seen it in the past. If you contact your supplier they "should" sort it out, either by bringing a new cable in from road or piggy- backing off one service head to another

 

[malcolmsanford]

Quite a few houses in small towns did this practice from just before the war upto until the 60's. It as to be remembered that power usage 60 odd years ago was a lot less than it was now.

I've seen a 60amp head come into a house with set of 7/064 (16mm) tails going into an old 3 way ryefield board, then with 3 sets of 7/052 (10mm) cables with a rewirable 45 amp BS 3036 feeding this and 2 other houses, with the old platted earth strip which would have been about 6mm maximum and that was 9-10 years ago. This was on the Isle of Sheppy and the houses were the old stock houses from the pottery off there.

According to the old lad who had lived there, and was given the house after he retired from the pottery in 1970 odd, how's that for a retirement present, they had never had a bit of trouble. I called the DNO who came down, and they took pictures of this install, for their records, and they upgraded all 3 houses, all free of charge.

 

[robd]

Had a similar thing recently, main feed coming into fuse was 16mm (approx as old imperial not metric) twin and earth lead sheath with a bonding clamp round the lead for the earth. Suprisingly got quite a good earth reading off the clamp, old semi detatched used to be one house, didn't see the arrangement through the other side but DNO were round this week to put new supplies into the property, free of charge, their responsibility I suppose.

 

[cbw]

3 phases in one cellar, 3 main fuses, then through walls either side to both neighbours.

DNO replaced foc.

 

[JD6400]

Quite a few houses in small towns did this practice from just before the war up to until the 60's. It as to be remembered that power usage 60 odd years ago was a lot less than it was now.

I used to work for a company on contract to Aylesbury vale disterict council and came across these quite often , the nextdoor neighbors fuse carrier would normally be all red .
My gaffer at the time said that Aylesbury was enlarged after the war to take the overflow from London , so well dated Malcolm !
If the property was original and not rewired all the light pendants in upstairs the bedrooms would not be centered in the room and would be about two to three foot in from the window .
This was apparently for when net curtains were the rage and it meant people outside could not see in with the light between you and them and not behind you !
Don't know if this is true but made dating them for pir's a breeze !