[Vortex7]

Hello,

I've been contacted by my Electricity distribution company who want to
upgrade my leccy meter from Analog to Digital.

Problem is my meter board is disintegrating (40+ year old chipboard) so
I told them ....

Call center droid got back to me to say this is no problem to change,
but I would have to supply the board and it would need to be fireproof.

questions:

1. Is this normal? I kind of assumed the board itself is the
responsibility of the meter owner?

2. Where would you source suitable "fireproof" board from? What specs
or BS should I be looking for? Can I get this from any Shed?


D

[Lobster]

On 21/09/2010 09:34, Vortex7 wrote:

Problem is my meter board is disintegrating (40+ year old chipboard) so
I told them ....

Call center droid got back to me to say this is no problem to change,
but I would have to supply the board and it would need to be fireproof.

1. Is this normal? I kind of assumed the board itself is the
responsibility of the meter owner?

I got the electric installed from scratch in a refurbed property about 5
years or so back, and they did expect the mounting board to be in place.

2. Where would you source suitable "fireproof" board from? What specs or
BS should I be looking for? Can I get this from any Shed?

I don't recall any such stipulation and just used bog-standard 0.75"
chipboard, mounted on the wall using rubber door-stoppers as spacers.
Certainly no eyebrows were raised by the guy who fitted the meter.
Which isn't to say that the regs haven't changed since then.

David

[js.b1]

Apparently City Electrical Factors (CEF) carry such boards.

The old boards were marine plywood, with a clear varnish, and would
probably cost a lot of money these days. Plywood is a lot better than
chipboard if you have anything heavy to hang off it - easement in the
deeds allows this if no other space.

None are "fireproof" because that would necessitate something like
calcium silicate board etc, they are probably "will not sustain a
flame" or UL94B-0 etc. I guess they could be painted in "firedoor
varnish" or such like.

Rather than door stoppers, which might rot or perish before a good
decade or two are up, you can buy "black plastic spacers" on Ebay for
about £3 for 4. Ebay item 370242714550, they are actually black acetal
as I recall, various types from 6-9-12-25mm thick and about 25mm
diameter. Also useful for standing consumer unit boards off a wall to
get cables behind.

[Dave Osborne[_2_]]

Vortex7 wrote:
Hello,

I've been contacted by my Electricity distribution company who want to
upgrade my leccy meter from Analog to Digital.

Problem is my meter board is disintegrating (40+ year old chipboard) so
I told them ....

Call center droid got back to me to say this is no problem to change,
but I would have to supply the board and it would need to be fireproof.

questions:

1. Is this normal? I kind of assumed the board itself is the
responsibility of the meter owner?

2. Where would you source suitable "fireproof" board from? What
specs or BS should I be looking for? Can I get this from any Shed?


D


Class "O" Fire Retardant Chipboard to BS476, Part 6
575mm x 375mm for normal domestic supplies

BS476, part 6 class "O" has been superseded by Euro FR Class "B"

e.g. http://www.creffields.co.uk/dynamicd...oofTimber.aspx

Flooring chipboard is available to class B. They might have it in a
shed. Might be just as easy to buy a board from Newey/Edmundsons/CEF,WF,
etc.

[The Wanderer[_2_]]

On Tue, 21 Sep 2010 09:34:49 +0100, Vortex7 wrote:

Hello,

I've been contacted by my Electricity distribution company who want to
upgrade my leccy meter from Analog to Digital.

Problem is my meter board is disintegrating (40+ year old chipboard) so
I told them ....

Call center droid got back to me to say this is no problem to change,
but I would have to supply the board and it would need to be fireproof.

questions:

1. Is this normal? I kind of assumed the board itself is the
responsibility of the meter owner?

The meter board would undoubtedly have been installed by the original
electricity board (pre-privatisation). I'd at least try the line 'You want
ME to supply a new meter board to replace one that was orginally installed
by YOUR predecessor just to mount YOUR equipment. That don't sound right to
me!' You may not get away with it, but in this day and age the distribution
companies are trying to get the customer to pay for whatever they can con
you into paying for.


--
The Wanderer

Usenet is like a troupe of performing elephants with diarrhoea:
massive, difficult to redirect, awe-inspiring, entertaining perhaps,
but a source of mind-boggling amounts of excrement when you least expect
it.

[Vortex7]

On 21/09/2010 10:29, Lobster wrote:
On 21/09/2010 09:34, Vortex7 wrote:

Problem is my meter board is disintegrating (40+ year old chipboard) so
I told them ....

Call center droid got back to me to say this is no problem to change,
but I would have to supply the board and it would need to be fireproof.

1. Is this normal? I kind of assumed the board itself is the
responsibility of the meter owner?

I got the electric installed from scratch in a refurbed property about 5
years or so back, and they did expect the mounting board to be in place.

2. Where would you source suitable "fireproof" board from? What specs or
BS should I be looking for? Can I get this from any Shed?

I don't recall any such stipulation and just used bog-standard 0.75"
chipboard, mounted on the wall using rubber door-stoppers as spacers.
Certainly no eyebrows were raised by the guy who fitted the meter. Which
isn't to say that the regs haven't changed since then.

David


I'm inclined to think a sparky who installs and changes meters every day
MUST carry boards on his van.

Having said that I will try to obtain a sheet of "Class B" flooring
chipboard in the mean time.

D

[Toby]

"Vortex7" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I've been contacted by my Electricity distribution company who want to
upgrade my leccy meter from Analog to Digital.

Problem is my meter board is disintegrating (40+ year old chipboard) so I
told them ....

Call center droid got back to me to say this is no problem to change, but
I would have to supply the board and it would need to be fireproof.

questions:

1. Is this normal? I kind of assumed the board itself is the
responsibility of the meter owner?

2. Where would you source suitable "fireproof" board from? What specs or
BS should I be looking for? Can I get this from any Shed?


D

When EDF changed my cut-out from an old metal clad thing with asbestos
inside, they just installed a new board at the same time - the old one was
made up of what looked like floorboards!

They made a point of telling me it was their board when I asked about
mounting an isolator on it too.

Toby...

[docholliday]

On 21 Sep, 09:34, Vortex7 wrote:
Hello,

I've been contacted by my Electricity distribution company who want to
upgrade my leccy meter from Analog to Digital.

Problem is my meter board is disintegrating (40+ year old chipboard) so
I told them ....

Call center droid got back to me to say this is no problem to change,
but I would have to supply the board and it would need to be fireproof.

questions:

1. * * *Is this normal? *I kind of assumed the board itself is the
responsibility of the meter owner?

It's a while ago, but when my meter was replaced the fitter replaced
the board at the same time - I was slightly annoyed that he insisted
on taking the old one away, too, since it had a nameplate from the
original supply company on that I'd have liked to have kept (should
have removed it before he arrived, obviously!)
I was rather more annoyed that he removed the fuse so vigorously that
his hand swung up and smashed the fluorescent tube in the fitting
above; he then proceeded to knacker the spare tube by trying to fit it
in the dark and pushing the pins back into the cap.
Mike

[Vortex7]

On 21/09/2010 09:34, Vortex7 wrote:
Hello,

I've been contacted by my Electricity distribution company who want to
upgrade my leccy meter from Analog to Digital.

Problem is my meter board is disintegrating (40+ year old chipboard) so
I told them ....

Call center droid got back to me to say this is no problem to change,
but I would have to supply the board and it would need to be fireproof.

questions:

1. Is this normal? I kind of assumed the board itself is the
responsibility of the meter owner?

2. Where would you source suitable "fireproof" board from? What specs or
BS should I be looking for? Can I get this from any Shed?


D

For the record a new meter board which I rustled up from conventional
flammable 15mm plywood was installed yesterday.

As a free bonus my fuse was upgraded from 60 Amp to 100 Amp.

I can now relax in the knowledge that the meter will not fall off in the
night.