Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • State Not Answered
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 110 replies
  • Subscribers 32 subscribers
  • Views 18449 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

On the subject of pulling the DNO fuse.

alanblaby
There have been a couple of reports here of the DNO confronting electricians who have pulled their fuse.


It's getting closer to home, a work colleague was doing a CU change on a domestic house last week, no isolator fitted, so he pulled the fuse (no seals present).

South Nottinghamshire.


Around 90 minutes later there was a knock on the door, a guy from Western Power was investigating a power loss at the property, reported by the Smart Meter phoning home.

He gave the sparky a talking to, and warned they are getting strict in pursuing people who do it, he said meter fiddling was rife, so any loss of power is checked out asap.
Parents
  • 0
    I was called out on Friday to a report of a switch burning. The KMF type fused switch and nearby neutral meter tail had overheated due to a loose connection. The cut-out was less than 10 years old and in good order. I turned off at the CU, cut the seals, gave the fuse holder a bit of a wiggle to check that it would move, then pulled it. No problem. A smart meter had been fitted so I rang the DNO (WPD). I explained what I had done and their operator said they would send someone to put the fuse back in and re-seal. They turned up four hours later, which was plenty of time for me to fit a new switch. I also had an isolator of the type that WPD use ready for when WPD attended. They were more than happy to fit the isolator and said every thing I had done was the correct action in the circumstances.


    I would willing attend a training course on assessing the risk of pulling a fuse, correct PPE, etc. if such a thing was on offer.


    Tomorrow, I have another customer who is having a smart meter fitted. I told him to ask for an isolator because I need replace his CU next year, but apparently he is with a small supplier who says they can't. WPD quoted £220. I'm going to give my customer an isolator and ask him to get the meter man to connect his new smart meter to it rather than the existing tails.


    Eventually, every supply will have an isolator. It didn't need to be made so difficult getting to that point, did it!


    Dave
Reply
  • 0
    I was called out on Friday to a report of a switch burning. The KMF type fused switch and nearby neutral meter tail had overheated due to a loose connection. The cut-out was less than 10 years old and in good order. I turned off at the CU, cut the seals, gave the fuse holder a bit of a wiggle to check that it would move, then pulled it. No problem. A smart meter had been fitted so I rang the DNO (WPD). I explained what I had done and their operator said they would send someone to put the fuse back in and re-seal. They turned up four hours later, which was plenty of time for me to fit a new switch. I also had an isolator of the type that WPD use ready for when WPD attended. They were more than happy to fit the isolator and said every thing I had done was the correct action in the circumstances.


    I would willing attend a training course on assessing the risk of pulling a fuse, correct PPE, etc. if such a thing was on offer.


    Tomorrow, I have another customer who is having a smart meter fitted. I told him to ask for an isolator because I need replace his CU next year, but apparently he is with a small supplier who says they can't. WPD quoted £220. I'm going to give my customer an isolator and ask him to get the meter man to connect his new smart meter to it rather than the existing tails.


    Eventually, every supply will have an isolator. It didn't need to be made so difficult getting to that point, did it!


    Dave
Children
No Data

Community Rules & Guidelines