My consumer unit maze - how to connect them?

[Tim S]

[e-mail] coughed up some electrons that declared:

Electrical Installation Certificate - modal forms available for download somewhere on

(which is what I used) or in the back of the IEE regs, which can be photocopied.

It's a condition of reconnection of supply with EDF that you produce one. However, since I have a Megger, I wrote my own out (which the BCO is also prepared to accept - that's another pot of randomness).

In your case (village), it's them initiating the work, so if they want to test all your houses, they will have to do it themselves. In my case, I requested the cutout fuse be pulled, so it's all my fault.

EDF did test my work - by waving a volt stick over the bits that were supposed to be live, and noting there were 5 cables going to the Main Earth Terminal (plus the main earth from the cutout) - so I guess he summised that 3 of them might just be connected to gas and water and the CU

Of course, many people find the fuse seals missing when they move into a property - and dutifully tell the DNO after they've done what they need to do.

My meter is too new - would have been obvious if I'd fiddled with it.

However, I have my external isolator now, so I will never have to bother them again :)

Cheers

Tim

[John Rumm]

Yup, mine was like that... well it was after I cut through it anyway ;-)

Certainly makes life easier...

[Tim S]

John Rumm coughed up some electrons that declared:

It's those little things. Fiddling the the CU, just throw the main switch and no longer worry about touching live things (even if it's just the screws on the tails).

I really need to get into the habit of wiring the isolator off otherwise that's going to catch me out one day!

[tom.harrigan]

I've got an isolator, and must say that I find it ridiculous that they are not mandatory. How are you supposed to work safely on a CU without one?

T

[neverwas]

You're not. That way you are discouraged from DIY.

And to make matters worse a lot of contractors around here won't just fix an isolating switch and provide an EIC which EDF will accept for a disconnect/reconnect. They will only quote for a complete new - knowing they can then find and insist on doing more on the back of that. (Some work *does*need to be done but not all at once.) It's Catch 22 meets the law of unintended consequences with a large dose of cover-my-arse.