Which earthing system?

I don't blame you! I lived on a very small (100 ha) island nature reserve for 9 years, where the only electricity was from 12V batteries charged by a tiny solar panel and tiny wind turbine, for powering a "mobile" brick phone, a TV, and eventually a laptop. Loved every moment of it, and long to do it all again. I did however miss motorcycling - nothing else! Making up for that now, on the west coast road! And the relative solitude here kind of makes up for not being on an island.

 

Hi. Had a visit from a bloke from SSE who clearly wasn't keen to tell me very much about the earthing here, other than "It's CEW". I asked him if there was a copper rod in the ground at the base of that pole in the garden with th earth wire running down. "Probably a mass of copper", was his reply. Told him I was concerned that it mightn't be very effective, but was ignored. I have Googled CEW and can find just two refrences to it, neither of which explain any more. Anyone?

What is "TX" please?

Am still waiting for electrician to visit, get him to test Ze?

Thanks again.

 

Thank you for this mad4kitchens. I haven't done so yet, so will do. There is a large junction box next to it, I'll take a look. Thanks.

 

Hi Sean_ork. Unfortunately not. He didn't want to say much at all. He did say there's a rolling programme of work. Same for replacing the meter with a smart one. So I'm still left wondering just how safe the system is really. He did me one favour by leaving the main fuse unsealed, so that I wouldn't be charged to get them out again to remove it! I thought the 'seal' consisted of a sticky label wrapped around it!

The sheds in particular concern me. I will be having a new CU installed, can't wait to have RCDs! How much like a TT system is this so-called CEW? Seems the same to me, the earthing rod is simply a bit further away from the house. Will I need a 100mA delay RCD? Can these be installed on any system? I know they are a necessity with TT, but would one be dangerous with TN-S for example? Should the sheds be TT'd as a safety measure?

I ask these questions because I really want to know before I do have an electrician visit, because I don't want it to be done wrongly - I have heard some tales about some of the work that has been done up here!

 

Thanks for this Sean_ork, seems like a good un. Hopefully they wouldn't consider me too far away.

 

Thank you for your replies about this JP and mad4kitchens. I realise that this isn't the topic of the original thread but it has gone this way...

I have taken a photo behind the switch, attached. Looks rather old. Twin and E (from the photo, I think that's the copper exiting a black-sheathed wire!) in to the "small" / "large" side of the unit, then two going out from the main "on/off" switch and up to a square black junction box, from where the single white cable feeds the heating element. I haven't removed this, but from the serial number it seems to be a single element {pic}. What do folk make of it now? Also, I think its oldness probably means it ought to be replaced, but would value your opinions please. Thank you.