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V

Vitesse

This is long winded, so forgive me!
I went to a customers house on Tuesday to do an assessment and testing of the fixed wiring in the property following a flood in an upstairs bathroom, as requested by the homeowners insurance company. All tested out ok, so I was ready to leave to leave to go and write up my report for the insurance company.

Then the customer mentioned that she had wanted a smart meter fitted for the last two years but her supplier British Gas had said there is no Earth to the property, so they couldn't do it. I had checked and had noticed a PME wire from the head going to the MET. House is overhead supply. I carried out an EFLI from the CU and got absolutely zilch and the MFT was alarming like mad. I then said to the customer "do you have and earth rod"? She showed me what looked like a bit of 15mm copper pipe by the back door that was barely knocked in the ground and I could move around with my hand. I couldn't find any connection back to the MET for the 'rod'.

This is the bit that amazes me! BG had contacted UKPN twice in March 2016 and May 2017. UKPN had come out on both occasions clearly not done any testing and reported back that the house was TT and RCD protected, so was ok!

I contacted UKPN and they tried to fob me off with them not being responsible for earthing at a property, which is fair enough I understand that but pointed out they had been out twice in the last two years and said it is ok, when clearly it isn't. Eventually they agree to come out. So I had just finished up another job and got a call that UKPN were at the house. Got there within 5 minutes, to be greeted by UKPN saying they were going to have to switch off the supply to the house by pulling the main fuse because it was unsafe as there was no earth! The guy couldn't explain what had happen on the their last two visits to not have picked up on this?

Anyway it turns out that the house did have a PME but the link wasn't in place inside the head and you couldn't get to the head with out taking the door off the meter housing. He had measured it at 0.18Ω. He could only connect it if I was willing to take responsibility to say that the house fixed wiring was safe to take a PME. Which is a bit of a dilemma without completing a full EICR on the property, seeing I had only walked in there the day before. Do I take responsibility or leave the customer with no electricity?

So I thought physically from what I can see the house looks like it has been rewired in the last 15 years or so. The only quick test I can do to make sure we aren't going to get RCD's tripping is carry out a global IR on the board. Which I did and it was all good. Connected up PME. 0.18Ω at the board. Switched on the RCD's and breakers all good nothing tripping. Much to my relieve!

It's a hell of a tricky position to be put in at 5pm after a long day. A lot of people may have just walked away and said it ain't my problem but it's not in my DNA to do that.

At the end of the day I walked away with one very happy customer who has never had an earth in the property for the last 17 years and a feeling that I had done a good job!
 
You went there to carry out inspection and testing after a flood.

You carried out this inspection amd testing and concluded that it was all ok and safe and were about to go and write it up as ok when the customer mentioned that there was no earth.

How on earth did you manage to conclude that the installation was safe without and earth? What testing did you carry out?
 
This is long winded, so forgive me!
I went to a customers house on Tuesday to do an assessment and testing of the fixed wiring in the property following a flood in an upstairs bathroom, as requested by the homeowners insurance company. All tested out ok, so I was ready to leave to leave to go and write up my report for the insurance company.

Then the customer mentioned that she had wanted a smart meter fitted for the last two years but her supplier British Gas had said there is no Earth to the property, so they couldn't do it. I had checked and had noticed a PME wire from the head going to the MET. House is overhead supply. I carried out an EFLI from the CU and got absolutely zilch and the MFT was alarming like mad. I then said to the customer "do you have and earth rod"? She showed me what looked like a bit of 15mm copper pipe by the back door that was barely knocked in the ground and I could move around with my hand. I couldn't find any connection back to the MET for the 'rod'.

This is the bit that amazes me! BG had contacted UKPN twice in March 2016 and May 2017. UKPN had come out on both occasions clearly not done any testing and reported back that the house was TT and RCD protected, so was ok!

I contacted UKPN and they tried to fob me off with them not being responsible for earthing at a property, which is fair enough I understand that but pointed out they had been out twice in the last two years and said it is ok, when clearly it isn't. Eventually they agree to come out. So I had just finished up another job and got a call that UKPN were at the house. Got there within 5 minutes, to be greeted by UKPN saying they were going to have to switch off the supply to the house by pulling the main fuse because it was unsafe as there was no earth! The guy couldn't explain what had happen on the their last two visits to not have picked up on this?

Anyway it turns out that the house did have a PME but the link wasn't in place inside the head and you couldn't get to the head with out taking the door off the meter housing. He had measured it at 0.18Ω. He could only connect it if I was willing to take responsibility to say that the house fixed wiring was safe to take a PME. Which is a bit of a dilemma without completing a full EICR on the property, seeing I had only walked in there the day before. Do I take responsibility or leave the customer with no electricity?

So I thought physically from what I can see the house looks like it has been rewired in the last 15 years or so. The only quick test I can do to make sure we aren't going to get RCD's tripping is carry out a global IR on the board. Which I did and it was all good. Connected up PME. 0.18Ω at the board. Switched on the RCD's and breakers all good nothing tripping. Much to my relieve!

It's a hell of a tricky position to be put in at 5pm after a long day. A lot of people may have just walked away and said it ain't my problem but it's not in my DNA to do that.

At the end of the day I walked away with one very happy customer who has never had an earth in the property for the last 17 years and a feeling that I had done a good job!
So your initial testing did not include an Earth loop test then?
 
This is long winded, so forgive me!
I went to a customers house on Tuesday to do an assessment and testing of the fixed wiring in the property following a flood in an upstairs bathroom, as requested by the homeowners insurance company. All tested out ok, so I was ready to leave to leave to go and write up my report for the insurance company.

Then the customer mentioned that she had wanted a smart meter fitted for the last two years but her supplier British Gas had said there is no Earth to the property, so they couldn't do it. I had checked and had noticed a PME wire from the head going to the MET. House is overhead supply. I carried out an EFLI from the CU and got absolutely zilch and the MFT was alarming like mad.

Out of interest what was the agreed scope of the inspection? and I'm not going to be too sarcastic but why on earth didn't you start at the CU and do the Ze first?

"all tested out OK" seems a trifle difficult to believe.

Just wondering!
 

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