Meter tails how long

Tale of tails: how long can a tail be? Recommended Posts. ToughButterCup 2, Posted March 14, According to our DNO, our meter tails must be no longer than 2 meters. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites. Jeremy Harris 5, Nickfromwales 3, ProDave 5, PeterW 4, Posted March 14, edited.

Approved Document M of these regulations states that consumer unit switches should be between mm and mm above floor level. Similar regulations apply in Scotland, Wales and N.

New build developments are made up of different house types and there will be many identical plots in each house type. Buyers sometimes request something different and this is known as a site variation. The specification for all the houses of a certain type will be the same and therefore it is possible that they will be wired identically to each other.

The problem with repetition of work is that if a design error resulting in a non-compliance is made in one plot, it is likely the error will be repeated in all plots. This length quoted is often three metres.

You should be aware that some DNOs require shorter lengths. London South UK Power Networks only permit a maximum length of two metres from the meter to the customer equipment. They have a requirement for the developer to provide and install an intermediate switch fuse if the distance between the meter and consumer unit is greater than two metres. They also state that meter tails must not be installed or run inside the cavity wall of a building other than passing directly through the wall.

Meter cabinets are usually external, but this is not always the case as they can be located elsewhere, for example in a garage. It is interesting to note in The other change could be running a cable in thermal insulation, change in method of installation, type of cable or conductor change or environmental conditions.

Working today as well I'm afraid - before taking a big chance and heading to Cumbria this afternoon - I've been trying to book the company Ark Anyhow, I don't follow this apologies if it's just my yard stare state of mind : Egor, the moonlighter I spoke with above, who works for EDF in his real life, eventually took out my fuse and put an isolator in out of the back of his van.

Yes, I'm confused by that too OMS. Thanks for the validation of the my concern. Neat little job if I say so myself. I enjoyed that morning sitting in the winter sun. However, Since my supsicions and Egor being involved, d'you know I'd much rather not be involved so I certificated it as not connected and I'm going to send quite an invoice.

As far as I can see, the more than 3m tail thing is OK but everything else isn't. Not least, my DB isn't there any more and I bet that's in the back of a van somewhere. At the Barn end it is all above board and has full RCD protection. Cumbria - Any of us forumites live there? I've been so off the planet busy that I wasn't aware of what's been going on in the news this week until this morning.

Makes me worry about that big pond they have at Sellafield with all the old radioactive stuff under the water the secrets of Sellafield, probably still on iPlayer, great. I've plenty of flood restoration equipment here but nothing on those levels. Polygon will be busy. I don't think many will be turning up for work around there unless they are emergency electricians and so on. Maybe put your feet up tonight and miss the trip to Cumbria? The hotels'll be full. Take it easy and do as I say not as I do.

There is no point to the isolator - your switch-fuse was the correct method, and sounds like it was rated correctly for what it protected. Unfortunately until the connection is made, there is nothing much that can be done, as the actual connection is the evidence, not a tail that could be connected.

Originally posted by: Grumpy Well, it's certainly a pain in the arris. Originally posted by: stateit Have you phoned them and asked if this is the case? I do maybe several like this a year, but still phone beforehand each time to check, in case they've changed their mind There are some god awful hacks in meter cupboads, and they can't all be DNO inspired.

Some classic internet examples. Zs, you are right to be wanting out. Either join those who take cash and are all called Smith or just 'Dave', or better don't get involved its a clear crime, and an organised attempt may be connected to more sinister stuff For this reason, there are a number of specific requirements about the meter tails to ensure that they are safe against accidental contact with a metallic enclosure, TT installations have deeper meter tail regulations than normal TN installations.

In this instance, the meter tails must be secure within the enclosure itself. This can be achieved with the use of a meter tail gland on the consumer unit body. There are also a number of consumer units available which have 2 hoop clamps which fit over the meter tails right about the main switch.

This is an important consideration to ensure that there is a far reduced chance of any potential contact between the live meter tails and the metallic enclosure when installed on a TT system. Newer BS Type2 supply fuse holders have A written on the side on a label. This generally indicates the maximum sized fuse that can be fitted, these heads may have lower rated supply fuses.

When inspecting installations which have 16mm tails, you should not be disturbing the main fuse whether it is sealed or not to check for the correct rating. Sometimes you can get lucky and there is a sticker fitted which indicates the actual rating fitted, as opposed to the max rating of the fuse carrier. Otherwise you may have to enquire with the Distribution Network Owner, although even they rarely know for sure what is fitted in older heads.

It should be noted that when installing meter tails in a new domestic installation, I would always advise fitting 25mm. Ultimately the advent of EV Electric Vehicles and other modern technologies mean that expected current demands are getting higher all the time. These are slightly different meter tail regulations to those outlined above in that this comes from the DNOs own requirements as opposed to BS Most DNOs specify that meter tails cannot be more than 3 metre long without having another method of fault protection inbetween the main service head and the tails.

This has its own fuse built in that provides fault protection to the tails if they are over 3M long. This method often suffers from a lack of selectivity in that any fault downstream often trips the upfront MCB. In these instances, it is common to see a room dedicated to switchgear and meters on the bottom floor.