I think everyone agrees that it is ok for a leccy to cut the seal on the fuse for isolation purposes when fitting a new consumer unit. But what about the cover over the tails from the meter? Most new consumer unit jobs require new tails. The cover over the tails at the meter end is usually fitted with a seal. Does everyone out there cut this seal too? (I am not talking about the meter seal here.)
Naughty-naughty Look, get the customer/client to ask their SA,that way there's no come-back BUT... If you don't get any joy, then cut-cut away.......
cut away anyway, supply company arround here are **** they once had a slow fault on an under ground cable up the road from me that would blow a fuse at the sub every 2/3 days, and their soloution was to tell all the resedents to 'see if you can see smoke comming from the ground anyware, if you do, tell us' i think that just about proves my point lol ss
if you do cut the seals , make sure you dispose of them properly don't leave them on the floor next to the meter as when the meter reader calls he could use the seals as evidence of cutting
Here's a solution for those people who need to pull their supply main fuse to replace their old fusebox. If you are fortunate to have one of these installed.... Ampy automation have brought out an Meter with Isolator. There is a new type of meter, with a digital calculator like display, which has a built in isolator device, with a small window, which clearly shows the position of the contacts. A round knob, turned by a screwdriver, moves the contacts on and off, therefore allowing you to isolate the supply with ease, and without having to touch any seal at all. The Ampy website is at http://www.ampy.co.uk/product_selector/singlephase/index.htm
All KWH meters have two seals, one for the terminations and one for the meter gubbins for calibaration etc, ultimately if you mess with the seals your in breach of the electricity supply regs and the consumers contract with the supplier. I reakon so long as you only cut the seal to the connections you would probably have a pretty good defence if you got caught, besides if your using 25mm2 tails theres no way there would be enough room in the terminals to install a shunt and bypass or defraud the meter??? Paul
Is it not possible to acquire a tool and a few seals from the black market to do it yourself or if you know a meter installer maybe he could accidentally "lose" his tool and you "find" it thus putting it to good use!
Seals are there to be broken! Just be aware, if you tighten those screws too tight, they snap. Just feel how loose the Elec Board leave them, guess they snapp on them aswell. For those interested, you dont need to install a shunt cable to 'steal' lecky, there is a test link from the live in terminal to a small terminal which allows the meter to measure the supply volts, loosen this, and the meter will not turn! I only know this from private credit meters in caravans, and would not suggest to anyone to try it. For a start, your supplier WILL notice that you are not using as much lecky as you were the month before!
"Seals are there to be broken! Just be aware, if you tighten those screws too tight, they snap. Just feel how loose the Elec Board leave them, guess they snapp on them aswell." yup, has happend to me aswell m8, blodey head split!!!! oh well...thank god it was a perminant job...it is now lol ~~~ ss
If everybody starting to fit Ampy Automation meters, with inbuilt isolators on them, no one will ever need break a seal again!
way i deal with this is as follows,cut wire as close to eb seal as poss and set aside.After fitting new tails etc i then thread wire back through scew,crimp a blue thru crinp on other end and cut in half,then i cut off the blue insulation.Not perfect i know,but better than no seal at all.