It's the use of the word "plug". That to me is the thing on the end of a= cable that is designed to be detached from a "socket". The earth should = be permanently and securely connected at all times, no way should there be =
any ability to "unplug" it and thus disconnect the earth.
That's me not being technical enough... it does indeed go into a double socket - well and truly attached to the wall!
That doesn't sound right to me, usually it would go back to either the consumer unit (fusebox) or a connection block near it.
Can you post a picture of the whole fusebox arrangement inside, including the cables to/from the meter?
Toby...
I've had a look at the pics you posted. Unfortunately, there's not quite enough detail to be able to offer a definitive comment, so a couple of questions - without you poking and prodding too much!
Do the cables look as though they're sheathed with pvc or do they have a sort of woven fabric outer cover? Even if they're painted, you should still be able to get some idea of what the outer layer is like.
If they're pvc sheathed, they are fairly modern and should be fine.
If they have the woven cambric outer layer, then the cables will probably be PBJ - poly butyl jute. They will be quite old, and reaching the end of their serviceable life. The insulation is a rubber compound, and this degrades and stiffens with age, particlarly on bends, loops etc. Any movement of the cables can cause the insulation to crack and crumble away. The local electricity distribution company will inspect them and replace them FoC if they consider the cables have reached the end of their life.
You mention clips - are these like large thin metal strips, a bit like was used for wiring before the introduction of pvc clips, but much larger? If they are, then you'll probably have PBJ lead-in cables.
Looks very much like the connection to an earth rod. Looks a bit loose and flappy, but should be fine to clip back to the wall. You might just want to ask an electrician to check that the earthing meets current standards if you're not happy about checking this yourself.
Aye, picking up a random earth point like that is not really satisfactory and wasn't satifactory 12 years ago either...
With the other part of this thread going on about the possibilty of the incomers being past it it might be worth getting the REC in to inspect and provide you with a proper earth. Depending on the state of the rest of the instalation they might do that work but then disconnect you until such time as the installation passes muster...
Ah. I've never actually met anyone called Mudd.
He's from Star Trek:
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