What is going on with this cut out and the neutrals.

[HappyHippyDad]

I have just (kind of) completed an EICR. It was the worst house I have ever been in. They are horders plus the house was filthy. I was unable to get to certain areas.

I realise there are a number of fails (c2's) with the picture but my question is regarding the 2 x 10mm tails coming out of the cutout and going to 2 way consumer unit. They are both neutrals.

One of these goes to the neutral bar in the consumer unit and one goes to the main switch in the small CU.

I haven't seen a neutral go straight from the cutout to CU before. From looking on line it seems that this is ok. Is it? The one neutral going straight to the neutral bar means the main switch is not isolating the neutral. I feel this should just be removed? Pictures below..

 

[westward10]

Rather odd but for a dwelling the main switch must isolate all live conductors which includes the neutral, in your case it does not. What size is the line conductor.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Rather odd but for a dwelling the main switch must isolate all live conductors which includes the neutral, in your case it does not. What size is the line conductor.

My guess is 10mm, possible 6mm.

I would be removing both consumer units and replacing with 1. Meaning the small tails would not be in use.

 

[snowhead]

Where the small C.U sits on the backboard there are old screw holes around it and more in other places around the backboard and above.
It may have had an Off peak setup with separate timeswitch and meter.

But I'd say that someone somehow ended up with a Neutral or 2 left over still sealed in the cut-out and thought I'll just park the spare Neutral in the small C.U.
The seal fairies were probaby on holiday that day and couldn't attend.

Can't blame the "Smart" boys and girls this time, it predates them.

 

[brianmoooore]

Main switch in both CUs isolates line and neutral. The oddity in this setup is that the neutral to the second CU does not go through the link bar in the meter.
I have come across setups like this before, where the neutral in the cutout has one wire to the meter and one wire direct to the CU, and I've wired a few private meters like this.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Where the small C.U sits on the backboard there are old screw holes around it and more in other places around the backboard and above.
It may have had an Off peak setup with separate timeswitch and meter.

But I'd say that someone somehow ended up with a Neutral or 2 left over still sealed in the cut-out and thought I'll just park the spare Neutral in the small C.U.
The seal fairies were probaby on holiday that day and couldn't attend.

Can't blame the "Smart" boys and girls this time, it predates them.

I think you're probably spot on there. Well noticed with the screw holes!

They had night storage heaters removed many years ago.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Will you be wanting the DNO out to pull fuse etc to sort the tails or will seal fairy be on call?
With the looped supply it does complicate things a bit I guess but If you tell WPD that you will be 'fitting ev charger' in next few months they will unloop the supply and give you a nice new cut out free of charge! may dig the customers garden up though!
I did read something once about some looped service heads where even though house a has its fuse removed you can still get some quite high currents on the neutral and earth if PME/bonded via the looped supply as these are not meant to be fused but will likely share the same terminal in the service head before going off to house b

 

[ipf]

Something like...a bit.
Two CU's, two Henleys. The live Henley is on the outgoer from the meter, the neutral Henley is before the meter, resulting in one CU neutral bypassing the meter.
Back at this job last week to replace the CU's with one.

Another 'favour'. It's my last. After that I'm not doing any more. Everything possible went wrong.
Oh, by the way, I've always rated Wylex but the latest 'new type' are awful.

 

[pc1966]

It looks like it bypasses the meter - very dodgy - but equally it is not exactly hidden from the meter reader / smart meter installer.

Is it a really crap installation for communal lighting or similar that is not metered?

EDIT: Seen your drawing and the two from the cut out are N - but bypassing the meter - very odd, possibly a legacy of having other stuff in the past.

Really something that should be tidied up.

 

[brianmoooore]

Bypassing the meter neutral does not affect the meter's recording of electricity used, as long as any one of the meter's two neutral terminals is connected.

 

[pc1966]

Bypassing the meter neutral does not affect the meter's recording of electricity used, as long as any one of the meter's two neutral terminals is connected.

I was wondering about that, if the meter only measured the L current and the N pass-through is for getting the voltage and the conveniance of 2-in / 2-out layout.

 

[mechelec]

It looks like the lower cu bypasses the meter completely ? Free electric.

 

[pc1966]

It looks like the lower cu bypasses the meter completely ? Free electric.

That was my first thought, but on closer inspection that cut out has 6 outlets, so in fact it is 1*L and 3*N

No, that does not make any sense to me either!

 

[ipf]

It looks like the lower cu bypasses the meter completely ? Free electric.

You can see the two Neutrals from the cut out, as in accordance with the drawing. L from Henley above.
The left hand side cable into the CU is a T+E, L tail behind it.