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Service cable and cut out too hot.

broadgage
I was called by a local hospice to investigate "overheating" and found the DNO service cable and cut out to be alarmingly hot, I would estimate the surface temperature of the service cable to be at least 60 degrees. Definite smell of hot PVC.

Enquires suggested that the supply was originally 60 amps, single phase and was upgraded to 100 amps by fitting a larger fuse.


Measured load was just just under 100 amps, it probably exceeded 100 amps if anyone used a kettle.Service cable looks like only about 10mm. Voltage is rather low at 221 volts, but just within tolerance.


Is it worth calling the DNO, or will they simply say "supply working, do not worry" I suspect that the service cable is very undersized, but am aware that DNOs work to different rules.


I have moved combustibles away from the cable and advised reducing the load a bit,


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    OMS:

    Playing devils advocate here, but 60C isn't that hot - after all we design cables with PVC insulation to run to 70C. 




    That was precisely my thought.


    Referring back to the other thread on BS1363 bits and bobs: has anybody ever tried to pull out a plug and dropped it because it was at 70 deg C? They are allowed to reach 72 deg C with an ambient temperature of 20 deg C.


    We are not used to feeling hot cables (at least domestically) which rather suggests that many instalations are over-engineered.

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  • 0

    OMS:

    Playing devils advocate here, but 60C isn't that hot - after all we design cables with PVC insulation to run to 70C. 




    That was precisely my thought.


    Referring back to the other thread on BS1363 bits and bobs: has anybody ever tried to pull out a plug and dropped it because it was at 70 deg C? They are allowed to reach 72 deg C with an ambient temperature of 20 deg C.


    We are not used to feeling hot cables (at least domestically) which rather suggests that many instalations are over-engineered.

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