I will soon be replacing an existing consumer unit with a new unit and the
new unit will be located about 1 metre from its present position.

This will require the various circuit cables to be shortened but no other
changes will be made to circuits.

Also the existing tails from the meter to the new unit will need to be
extended (actually replaced with new) by 1 metre to reach the consumer unit
position. Total length of the new tails will be about 2.5 metres.

Bearing in mind that no circuit changes are to be made, can anybody tell me
if I need to provide some form of certification for the electricity board
people (nPower) who will connect the new tails from the meter to the
consumer unit?

Tia,

Cic.

>I will soon be replacing an existing consumer unit with a new unit and the
> new unit will be located about 1 metre from its present position.
>
> This will require the various circuit cables to be shortened but no other
> changes will be made to circuits.
>
> Also the existing tails from the meter to the new unit will need to be
> extended (actually replaced with new) by 1 metre to reach the consumer 
> unit
> position. Total length of the new tails will be about 2.5 metres.
>
> Bearing in mind that no circuit changes are to be made, can anybody tell 
> me
> if I need to provide some form of certification for the electricity board
> people (nPower) who will connect the new tails from the meter to the
> consumer unit?



They could quite reasonable ask for the whole house system to be tested but 
I don't know if they would.

Peter Crosland

In article <2qmRe.39643$5m3.17603@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, 
sheldrake@hellfire.co.uk says...

> I will soon be replacing an existing consumer unit with a new unit and the
> new unit will be located about 1 metre from its present position.
> 
> This will require the various circuit cables to be shortened but no other
> changes will be made to circuits.
> 
> Also the existing tails from the meter to the new unit will need to be
> extended (actually replaced with new) by 1 metre to reach the consumer unit
> position. Total length of the new tails will be about 2.5 metres.
> 
> Bearing in mind that no circuit changes are to be made, can anybody tell me
> if I need to provide some form of certification for the electricity board
> people (nPower) who will connect the new tails from the meter to the
> consumer unit?
> 

So basically you're going to disconnect eveything, modify the wiring and 
then reconnect it all again - nothing much to go wrong there then.

Cicero wrote:

> I will soon be replacing an existing consumer unit with a new unit 
> ... Total length of the new tails will be about 2.5 metres.


Some suppliers will not allow tails >1 metre, so you would have to 
provide a DP switchfuse within 1 metre of the meter.


> Bearing in mind that no circuit changes are to be made, can anybody tell me
> if I need to provide some form of certification for the electricity board
> people (nPower) who will connect the new tails from the meter to the
> consumer unit?


To comply with Part P of the Building Regulations <pause for audience 
laughter> you would need to make a B Regs Application to the local council.

You can expect the supplier to either demand a test certificate, or test 
the installation themselves at the point of connection. That's one 
advantage of usign a switchfuse - if it's the only thing on the 
customer's installation it's quite hard for it to fail.

You may need to upgrade your earthing to current requirements too.

Owain

"Cicero"  wrote in message 
news:2qmRe.39643$5m3.17603@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

> Bearing in mind that no circuit changes are to be made, can anybody tell 
> me
> if I need to provide some form of certification for the electricity board
> people (nPower) who will connect the new tails from the meter to the
> consumer unit?


About 18 months ago (maybe longer), I got my supply on a tempory disconnect.
Someone comes out AM to pull the fuse, then someone then comes back PM to 
put it back (They take the fuse away, so you can't connect it back up 
yourself!)

When I spoke to them on the phone, I explained I was going to be installing 
an isolator between the meter and the CU myself, they didn't seem to have a 
problem with this.

When it came to it being reconnected, the bloke who came asked to see the 
test certificate. I said I didn't have one, as I had done the work myself, 
he scratched his head and said he really needs to see a certificate, I 
showed him what I had done, and told him there was no mention of this 
certificate from the person I booked the disconnect with, he seemed happy 
with it, and reconnected the fuse anyway - We didn't receive an electricity 
bill for about a year after this, maybe it was co-incidental, or maybe he 
had to fiddle something because he didn't have the certificate - who knows - 
(We are paying the bills now, after a bloody huge bill hit the doormat (they 
gave us a year to pay it though :-) )

This was all pre part P, so I would think this may well be different now!
If I were you, I would call your elec company, and ask them if any 
certification is required for the reconnection.

If there is, you could just pull the fuse yourself and install an isolator 
to extend the tails (This also has the added benefit of letting you isolate 
the supply before the CU without pulling the fuse again)

Or, get a qualified electrician to do this bit if you don't want to pull the 
fuse yourself although he would probably just pull the fuse, or maybe work 
live (We had our CU replaced about 20 years ago (I was 5, so couldn't quite 
manage it then!) he seemed to have done it live, as the fuse seal was not 
broken - a braver man than me, especially as the CU back is metal!!)

Sparks...

"Rob Morley"  wrote in message
news:MPG.1d801b8e2267a2129896ea@news.individual.net...

> In article <2qmRe.39643$5m3.17603@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk>,
> sheldrake@hellfire.co.uk says...
<snip>

> So basically you're going to disconnect eveything, modify the wiring and
> then reconnect it all again - nothing much to go wrong there then.


==================
Sad! Nothing to contribute except childish sarcasm.

Cic.