Pulling the main fuse :/

[Guest111]

I asked the spark from DNO today about breaking seals and he said as far as they are concerned if a spark does it they don,t mind,its whed it's diy dave does it that they get upset,he even asked if I wanted it resealed today or send someone back next week.

 

[SKY]

UK Power Networks in my area seem ok with it - I have pulled hundreds of fuses and always reseal using the old seal but twist it with a pair of longnose - after the change I ring them up and tell them what I have done and they send a guy over to reseal.

Could not give a monkeys if its not the right thing to do and to be honest whats the worse they can do!!! it will never go to court ever.

Spoken to loads of DNO maintenance chaps onsite who also say if they are at a property with a new CU they actually expect the seals to be absent and just reseal as a natural reaction.
You get some of the young DNO lads just out of training who make a scene of it but they soon get told the "rules" by the experienced DNO fitters as they understand that Mr Sparks has a job to do and working live would be plain stupid.

 

[Andy78]

I asked the spark from DNO today about breaking seals and he said as far as they are concerned if a spark does it they don,t mind,its whed it's diy dave does it that they get upset,he even asked if I wanted it resealed today or send someone back next week.

This is what I have been told on many occasion by DNO and meter sparks. They generally don't give a hoot if you are withdrawing the fuse to isolate, so snips the seals if you need to.
Cutting the seals on a meter however can be another matter entirely.

 

[telectrix]

so how are we supposed to fit new tails into the meter? henley block into the old tails and wait 3 weeks for DNO or supplier to decide who's going to come out.

 

[SKY]

This is what I have been told on many occasion by DNO and meter sparks. They generally don't give a hoot if you are withdrawing the fuse to isolate, so snips the seals if you need to.
Cutting the seals on a meter however can be another matter entirely.

Sometimes that may also have to be done so that uprated tails can be installed to comply with 7671!

 

[Andy78]

I appreciate that. It's not something I do myself, if I can help it, but understand the neccessity some others may feel regards them getting cracked on.

 

[telectrix]

there's a lot of meters and cut-outs out there with ebay seals on them.

 

[micknew]

Should be mentioned that a DIYer should not pull the main fuse as without proper care and knowledge the cutout could blow up.
Wouldn't be the 1st time (just incase they're reading this).

 

[Jay Sparks]

there's a lot of meters and cut-outs out there with ebay seals on them.

And I bet I've fit alot of em....!!! I bought a load of seals from ebay for next to nowt!!!
Don't withdraw the fuse my ---!!!lol

 

[sparkdog]

Its been going on a long time this fuse thing.Even when I was an apprentice in the 1960s the boss used to cut the strands of the seal wire at different lengths and then twist them back when we were finished,to make it look like it hadn't been cut.

 

[Engineer54]

The thing wrong with encouraging to cut seals and pull cut out fuses, is that we have so many fast track wannabe's out there, that won't have a clue when and more importantly when not to pull a cut out fuse!!

An old cast iron cut out, with one or more rewireable ceramic fuses, sort of springs to mind here!! Some of those even i would be more than a little hesitant to pull, especially if you can visually see any damage or tiny/hairline cracks in the fuse or it's holder!! Next fuse up the line, can be anything from 400 to 600A and well and truly loaded too!! lol!!

 

[D Skelton]

Out come the marigolds

 

[Engineer54]

Out come the marigolds

Last thing you would want to use, some of those kitchen gloves are known to be semi-conductive!!!

 

[D Skelton]

That was a joke Eng, c'mon, seriously?! Lol

 

[sparkdog]

Pair of welding gloves for me.

 

[Gazthesparky]

I've got a job coming up to replace the consumer unit and theres a white electronic key meter the ones you put in the blue and orange plastic key in fitted

Does anyone know if you remove power to it does it keep a record of the credit that's on the meter ? I'm guessing its got a battery backup memory so if there's a power cut it then rembers the credit/debt.

can anyone confirm this is the case ?

Cheers

 

[Jay Sparks]

I've got a job coming up to replace the consumer unit and theres a white electronic key meter the ones you put in the blue and orange plastic key in fitted

Does anyone know if you remove power to it does it keep a record of the credit that's on the meter ? I'm guessing its got a battery backup memory so if there's a power cut it then rembers the credit/debt.

can anyone confirm this is the case ?

Cheers

Think you have answered your own question there.

 

[SKY]

They have a little lithium battery is from memory.

 

[Jay Sparks]

The thing wrong with encouraging to cut seals and pull cut out fuses, is that we have so many fast track wannabe's out there, that won't have a clue when and more importantly when not to pull a cut out fuse!!

An old cast iron cut out, with one or more rewireable ceramic fuses, sort of springs to mind here!! Some of those even i would be more than a little hesitant to pull, especially if you can visually see any damage or tiny/hairline cracks in the fuse or it's holder!! Next fuse up the line, can be anything from 400 to 600A and well and truly loaded too!! lol!!

I came across one of these last year, in a factory. It was, I think a 100A, big thing it was. It was completely cracked in half and someone had written on it, in black marker, "Do not remove"...lol I strongly suggested they have the whole place EICR'd because there were 6 or 7 DB's and they all had porcelain fuses in em.

They politely said no to the EICR, as they didnt have the money for it.lol

 

[7029 dave]

No you don't, you haven't a clue what you're on about with all due respect.

Is that so? considering I work for the DNO!!