I am about to rewire my consumer unit (the current one is very old and doesn't support RCD). To diy it, I think I need cut off the mains supply first. However, I can't find any switch around the incoming mains. Should I contact my power supplier to temporarily cut off the power during the installation? Any suggestions and comments are very much appreicated.
Best wishes,
Bing
Yes you should contact your supplier to make a disconnection as you havent got an isolator fitted, but generally in the real world most of us cut the seal to the main service fuse and remove the fuse isolating the supply.
doesn't support RCD). To diy it, I think I need cut off the mains supply first. However, I can't find any switch around the incoming mains. Should I contact my power supplier to temporarily cut off the power during the installation? Any suggestions and comments are very much appreicated.
When I replaced the CU in my house I removed the suppliers fuse, this involved breaking the seal. 4 years on, no problems, plenty of people have seen the seal has been removed.
Andrew
support RCD). To diy it, I think I need cut off the mains supply first. However, I can't find any switch around the incoming mains. Should I contact my power supplier to temporarily cut off the power during the installation? Any suggestions and comments are very much appreicated.
Cut the seal off the mains fuse and pull it out. Simple really. If you're going to be pulling everything off the wall and installing all the gear in new positions, then it might be best to pull the neutral supply out of the head as well to be sure of not touching that to earth and causing sparks or tingles through you body.
Once you're all done with the installation, then contact your supply company and have them come do their tests, checks, prods about as they do, and re-seal the head end for you.
Don't worry about cutting the seals off the mains head end cover and the terminal cover of the meter, it is not against the law to do this, it's only the seals of meter that are protecting the adjustment gear inside that really worry the electricity suppliers.
So. Don't touch any other seals on the meter other than the ones holding the cover over the connection terminals.
And REMEMBER, once the fuse is taken out of the main head end supply. The exposed parts inside are at high mains voltage. So make sure you don't touch them with anything.
support RCD). To diy it, I think I need cut off the mains supply first. However, I can't find any switch around the incoming mains. Should I contact my power supplier to temporarily cut off the power during the installation? Any suggestions and comments are very much appreicated.
I think you need to trim your line lenghts as well
Dave
In fact, when my main fuse blew and I told the electricity board man who came to fix it of my intention to replace the CU (debris in the CU caused the short) he actually showed me where the fuse was and that I could remove it to isolate my mains. He even said I should move the meter, but in the end he did that for me!
Gerd.
While on about, meter adjustments, would disconnecting the main supply fuse interfere with the settings on the newer electronic digital meters? Do they have a non volatile memory and if so, how long have I got!?
TIA
Will
Yes, they do have NVROM fitted, and you'd probably have about seven or eight years, maybe longer, to get the mains back on before it wiped itself of all memory.
Many thanks for the advice. BTW, do they charge for the re-sealing?
Best wishes,
Bing
Many thanks for the advice. BTW, do they charge for the re-sealing?
Best wishes,
Bing
They never usually charge anything if the installation is ready for testing and re-sealing, but you may incur costs if they have to come back and forward because things on the system aren't right when they first visit. So just take your time and do the job right first time and it shouldn't cost you anything more.
I've done this a number of times but always asked the supplier first. They were happy for me to pull the main fuse, but strictly do not allow removal of the connection cover on the meter. (This might depend on the meter, and the supplier.) I reuse the meter tails, and if they aren't long enough, use a Henley block.
They record that the cutout needs resealing in the customer records, but as they no longer have meter readers (it's all subcontracted out), it never gets resealed IME.
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