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Matt Pearson
 
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Default henley block / fuse seal

I want to replace my csu. I notice in my leccy box that the main supply
tails come up through the service fuse, which has a metal seal, through a
metal block of 3"x2"x2" into the digital meter and into my csu.

It looks like I'd have to break the seal to remove the fuse to allow me to
detach the main tails into the csu.

I know you probably should get permission to break the seal (they'd probably
insist on a qualified electrician to do the job + resealing - just trying to
save some money by DIY), but it appears very easy to be done.

Then in goes the new csu with rcd and I'm update with spare fuses.

Any thoughts though on this main tails/fuse seal issue would be welcomed.


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Sparks
 
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Default henley block / fuse seal

"Matt Pearson" wrote in message
...
I want to replace my csu. I notice in my leccy box that the main supply
tails come up through the service fuse, which has a metal seal, through a
metal block of 3"x2"x2" into the digital meter and into my csu.

It looks like I'd have to break the seal to remove the fuse to allow me to
detach the main tails into the csu.

I know you probably should get permission to break the seal (they'd

probably
insist on a qualified electrician to do the job + resealing - just trying

to
save some money by DIY), but it appears very easy to be done.

Then in goes the new csu with rcd and I'm update with spare fuses.

Any thoughts though on this main tails/fuse seal issue would be welcomed.


I was in the same situation not so long ago...

I rang the elec company, and they sent someone out free of charge to isolate
the supply in the morning, and someone else in the afternoon to reconnect.
(They took the fuse with them, so I couldn't reconnect it myself for some
reason)

I took the opportunity it fit an isolator in between the CU and the meter,
so if I needed to do any more work to the CU, I could just switch it off at
the isolator.

The bloke that came round to reconnect me was surprised to see I had done it
properly by calling them out to isolate the main fuse, and said most people
just pull the fuse themselves - So I took that as it wouldn't of cause a
major problem if I had simply removed the sealed fuse myself - But as it
didn't cost anything for them to do it, If I were to do it again I would
still call them out myself to be 100% sure!

Sparks...


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Witchy
 
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Default henley block / fuse seal

On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 16:55:30 -0000, "Sparks" wrote:

I was in the same situation not so long ago...

I rang the elec company, and they sent someone out free of charge to isolate
the supply in the morning, and someone else in the afternoon to reconnect.
(They took the fuse with them, so I couldn't reconnect it myself for some
reason)


The first time I fitted a new CU I rang the f(r)iendly local elec
board and the conversation went like this:

me: I'd like someone to remove the consumer fuse from (house) and
refit next day please
them: why?
me: I'm going to replace the consumer unit and I don't want to do it
'live'
them: are you replacing an old unit?
me: yes
them: oh, in that case we won't come out without a certificate
me: really? How do I get a certificate?
them: you need to replace the CU
me: ?????

In the end I did the disconnection/reconnection live, with rubber
gloves on, one hand behind my back, hair well out of the way and
standing on wooden boards whilst wearing rubber soled boots. Just
looking at the apparatus surrounding the street fuse gave me The Fear,
so I preferred to work with the Henley block (or Lucy block in this
case) instead.

Thanks NEDL., you truly are professionals.

--
cheers,

witchy/binarydinosaurs
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Colin Wilson
 
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Default henley block / fuse seal

snip
me: really? How do I get a certificate?
them: you need to replace the CU
me: ?????


Sadly, a lot of the time the service you receive depends on the banana
quotient of the monkey on the other end of the phone :-}

I have daily contact with enough to fill a chimp sanctuary :-}

--
Please add "[newsgroup]" in the subject of any personal replies via email
* old email address "btiruseless" abandoned due to worm-generated spam *
--- My new email address has "ngspamtrap" & @btinternet.com in it ;-) ---
  #5   Report Post  
Andrew Gabriel
 
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Default henley block / fuse seal

In article ,
Witchy writes:

In the end I did the disconnection/reconnection live, with rubber
gloves on, one hand behind my back, hair well out of the way and
standing on wooden boards whilst wearing rubber soled boots. Just
looking at the apparatus surrounding the street fuse gave me The Fear,
so I preferred to work with the Henley block (or Lucy block in this
case) instead.


The risk is not only that of electric shock but also that
of explosion and serious burns from accidently shorting the
meter tails and forming a flash arc spraying molten and
vaporised copper over you. The precautions should include
eye protection (preferably full face protection), clothing
which covers the rest of your skin (leather is good for
this;-) and removal/covering of all earthed metelwork in
the area, as well as having someone on hand (but not too
close) who is familiar with CPR. Of course, this is all
just such a ridiculas level of risk and pulling the fuse
so much safer that you shouldn't even be considering working
on live tails.

--
Andrew Gabriel


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Chris Oates
 
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Default henley block / fuse seal


"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
...


The risk is not only that of electric shock but also that
of explosion and serious burns from accidently shorting the
meter tails and forming a flash arc spraying molten and
vaporised copper over you. The precautions should include
eye protection (preferably full face protection), clothing
which covers the rest of your skin (leather is good for
this;-) and removal/covering of all earthed metelwork in
the area, as well as having someone on hand (but not too
close) who is familiar with CPR. Of course, this is all
just such a ridiculas level of risk and pulling the fuse
so much safer that you shouldn't even be considering working
on live tails.


Can't agree more
Arc flash apparently kills more
than electrocution
http://tinyurl.com/36l3n


  #7   Report Post  
RichardS
 
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Default henley block / fuse seal


"Chris Oates" none wrote in message
...

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in message
...


The risk is not only that of electric shock but also that
of explosion and serious burns from accidently shorting the
meter tails and forming a flash arc spraying molten and
vaporised copper over you. The precautions should include
eye protection (preferably full face protection), clothing
which covers the rest of your skin (leather is good for
this;-) and removal/covering of all earthed metelwork in
the area, as well as having someone on hand (but not too
close) who is familiar with CPR. Of course, this is all
just such a ridiculas level of risk and pulling the fuse
so much safer that you shouldn't even be considering working
on live tails.


Can't agree more
Arc flash apparently kills more
than electrocution
http://tinyurl.com/36l3n



ouch.

Lee's paper on arc burns makes for sobering reading.

--
Richard Sampson

email me at
richard at olifant d-ot co do-t uk


  #8   Report Post  
Witchy
 
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Default henley block / fuse seal

On 19 Jan 2004 23:27:56 GMT, (Andrew
Gabriel) wrote:

In article ,
Witchy writes:

In the end I did the disconnection/reconnection live, with rubber
gloves on, one hand behind my back, hair well out of the way and
standing on wooden boards whilst wearing rubber soled boots. Just
looking at the apparatus surrounding the street fuse gave me The Fear,
so I preferred to work with the Henley block (or Lucy block in this
case) instead.


The risk is not only that of electric shock but also that
of explosion and serious burns from accidently shorting the
meter tails and forming a flash arc spraying molten and
vaporised copper over you. The precautions should include
eye protection (preferably full face protection), clothing
which covers the rest of your skin (leather is good for
this;-) and removal/covering of all earthed metelwork in
the area, as well as having someone on hand (but not too
close) who is familiar with CPR. Of course, this is all
just such a ridiculas level of risk and pulling the fuse
so much safer that you shouldn't even be considering working
on live tails.


I know that now One of the other reasons I concentrated on the
henley block was that the tails were obviously fed into 2 seperate
blocks several inches apart so the chances of an accidental short were
vastly reduced. I'd also read (on here I think) that you can also
reduce or remove the chance of an arc by making sure the new CU was
completely off so there was no load on the other end.....

--
cheers,

witchy/binarydinosaurs
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Richard Savage
 
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Default henley block / fuse seal

Replaced both my dodgy consumer units by withdrawing the tails from the
unsealed
Henly block - if that is what the Bakelite box with two stacked busbars is
called. I used a seriously insulated screwdriver to undo each tail in turn
and
then refitted the cover. Removed and replaced the consumer units and
mounting
board. Remade new tails and then refitted them to the Henly. All without
removing the company seal.

This was all done after watching the bod from the Lecy board replace the
company
fuse by hammering the tar filled remains off the incoming cables (live)
without
any protection apart from the wooden handle of his hammer (and plenty of
practice!).


BOL Richard

PS he didn't seal my Henly block.

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