Do you mean just moving the consumer unit - or the whole shebang
CU/meter/cut-out?

If the whole lot, you will probably have to pay your "wires" company.

EDF charged me £350 for 30 minutes work to move the cut-out 1.5
metres, and my meter company a further £50 to reconnect with a new
meter to the new CU installed by me.

EDF totally ripped me off - and weren't interested when I contested the
price. Nor AIUI is that area covered by the electricity regulators.

wrote in message
...
On 17 Dec 2006 01:03:23 -0800, " wrote:

Do you mean just moving the consumer unit - or the whole shebang
CU/meter/cut-out?


The meter is in a box on the outside, so they can read it when we are
out. The tails go inside to a consumer unit, which I am replacing. I'd
like to put the new CU in a different position, which will need
shorter tails rather than longer ones, so whomever will just have to
trim the existing ones I would imagine.

It's reassuring that some electricians might do this, as I would
expect the board to be horrendously expensive. So to answer your
question, no it's not everything that's moving, just the CU.


Several years back (pre part P) I had one of two choices when
replacing my CU with a new unit in exactly the same location.

1) Cut the seal on the "board fuse" - i.e. the one before the meter to
isolate the supply.
Do what you need to do, replace the fuse. Make sure the meter seals are left
intact.

2) Alternatively wait around for the man to come around, disconnect the
supply,
mess around in the dark drilling holes with a battery powered drill, and
then
wait for the man to turn up again to reconnect you after doing a safety
check
and issuing a test certificate at a cost of £X pounds.

I chose option 1 - the fuse seal got replaced about three months later when
the electricity
board did a scheduled meter replacement. No comment was passed or action
taken regarding the seal on the main fuse.

/John

In article ,
wrote:
The meter is in a box on the outside, so they can read it when we are
out. The tails go inside to a consumer unit, which I am replacing. I'd
like to put the new CU in a different position, which will need
shorter tails rather than longer ones, so whomever will just have to
trim the existing ones I would imagine.

It's reassuring that some electricians might do this, as I would
expect the board to be horrendously expensive. So to answer your
question, no it's not everything that's moving, just the CU.

You imply you might be moving the CU yourself. This is a *far* more
involved job than removing the company fuse and shortening - or indeed
replacing - the tails.

--
*Geeks shall inherit the earth *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

wrote:

The meter is in a box on the outside, so they can read it when we are
out. The tails go inside to a consumer unit, which I am replacing. I'd
like to put the new CU in a different position, which will need
shorter tails rather than longer ones, so whomever will just have to
trim the existing ones I would imagine.

In that case it is easy, pull the fuse, install new CU, wire, test,
replace fuse.

It's reassuring that some electricians might do this, as I would
expect the board to be horrendously expensive. So to answer your
question, no it's not everything that's moving, just the CU.

Personally I have no qualms about pulling the main fuse. When I replaced
my CU I installed a main DP switch as the first item after the meter,
that makes any further work very simple.


--
Cheers,

John.

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| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
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| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
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In article ,
wrote:
On Sun, 17 Dec 2006 16:53:12 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

You imply you might be moving the CU yourself. This is a *far* more
involved job than removing the company fuse and shortening - or indeed
replacing - the tails.


Yes, I was thinking of putting up the new CU myself. I thought that
the law was:

1. only electric boards could touch the main fuse
2. a certified electrician had to check everything you DIY'd

So I thought that if I did the house-side of the CU myself, legally I
would need someone to do 1 and 2. Whilst rewiring the Cu is involved,
as long as you label all the wires it shouldn't be too difficult. I'd
like to think I am competent enough to do that. If I have an
electrician to do 1 and 2, he would be able to check it was all ok
before switching it on anyway.

Or are you suggesting I pull the fuse and do it all myself without
getting a check?

If you really are competent to replace the CU, yes. Strictly speaking you
can't 'legally' cut the seals and remove the fuse, but it's common
practice to do just that, and I've never heard of anyone getting
prosecuted for doing so - unless it involved stealing electricity.

--
*I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

wrote:

Yes, I was thinking of putting up the new CU myself. I thought that
the law was:

1. only electric boards could touch the main fuse

Technically speaking true, although loads of pro sprkies (and DIYers)
will do it every day without a second thought.

2. a certified electrician had to check everything you DIY'd

No. Part P requires that you either be a member of a scheme that allows
you to self certify, or you that do the work under a building notice.
Even as a "certified" electrican you can't certify someone elses work
after the fact.

If you submit a building notice, then what actually happens will vary
from one BCO and local authority to the next it seems - some may be
happy to let you get on with it and give you a completion notice at the
end, others may want to commision a pro to carry out test and inspection
on their behalf, and only then provide a completion notice. The second
catagory seems to be dwindling now the building control deparatments
realised they are not allowed to pass on the costs of a test and
inspection to you.

(if you go that route, and they want to charge extra, point them at para
1.26 of part P!)

So I thought that if I did the house-side of the CU myself, legally I
would need someone to do 1 and 2. Whilst rewiring the Cu is involved,
as long as you label all the wires it shouldn't be too difficult. I'd
like to think I am competent enough to do that. If I have an
electrician to do 1 and 2, he would be able to check it was all ok
before switching it on anyway.

Or are you suggesting I pull the fuse and do it all myself without
getting a check?

Tis the way many would go - assuming they were happy they knew how to
carry out all the required tests along the way.

--
Cheers,

John.

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| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
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| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

wrote:

On Tue, 19 Dec 2006 10:09:48 +0000, John Rumm
wrote:


Tis the way many would go - assuming they were happy they knew how to
carry out all the required tests along the way.


Thanks. I will consider that. It was the legal side rather than the
electrical side of things that had me worried. Any tips? Other than to
label all the wires as I disconnect from one CU and move to the other?

Labelling helps, although don't always assume that the current
configuration is actually 100% correct. So if common sense seems to
contradict the labels - go with common sense (and some tests!) (typical
example would be where a previous error resulted in crossed ends of two
ring circuits)

(Note, see section 10 of the on site guide[1] for details these tests)

For ring circuits: Continuity of each conductor "round trip", followed
by a low ohms resistance test of each. If you can estimate the total
length of the circuit cable you can also do a R1 + R2 test (e.g. phase
+ CPC round trip resistance) and compare that with the tables of
resistance vs cable length in the on-site guide.

Next would be an insulation resistance test (making sure that any
appliances are disconnected from the circuit and there is no vulnerable
electronics hard wired into it)

(if you have suitable test gear) Earth loop impedance tests

Test at each socket to check polarity.

RCD tests.

Lighting circuits and radials can be tested in a similar way with a
temporary short introduced at one end of the circuit (usually in the CU)
and taking readings at the far end of the circuit if you can work out
where it is.

Also check main and supplementary equipotential bonding



[1] "On Site Guide":
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...ternodeltdcomp


--
Cheers,

John.

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| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
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| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/