ToughButterCup Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 According to our DNO, our meter tails must be no longer than 2 meters. Really? I expect I haven't been asking the right question(s). 2 meters means that the meter must be installed within the heated envelope of our house. It's not that I begrudge the meter its rightful place in the world, but 2 meters? REEaallly? I'm looking to the Collective Wisdom to come up with a stunning plan to allow me tails of about 8 meters: because that's where I (the customer who is nominally King) wants the meter. Why should we keep the DNO's meter nice and warm? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 The solution is to run the tails to a fused DP isolator switch and then run a longer length of suitable 25mm2 cable to the consumer unit. In our case we have the fused switch in the meter box, fed directly by the tails from the meter, with an 80A fuse fitted (so that blows under extreme conditions rather than the 100A fuse in the head) and then the house is fed by a run of 25mm2 3 core SWA that's around 15m long, as the CU is upstairs in the services room. The SWA comes in on the underside of the meter box, via a waterproof gland, and earthed banjo, and at the house end it terminates in a metal adaptable box with another gland and banjo. There's a Henley inside the adaptable box plus an earth block, with 25mm2 tails plus the earth fed to the CU that sits just above it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 This shot shows the head, then the meter, then the DP fused isolator ( KMF ). 16mm2 tails to those. Then 25mm2 tails leave to go to the CU location 13 metres away . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 The issue is not how long can your tails be, but the DNO will only allow THEIR fuse to protect tails up to 3 metres long. So if you want longer, do as already suggested and fit a KMF with an 80A fuse in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Yep same - only difference is I split to a submain panel in an adjacent box that covers the gates/outdoor lights and then 25mm2 2 core SWA to the house, ducted for the last 5m under the slab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 1 hour ago, JSHarris said: [...] a fused DP isolator switch [...] [...] fed by a run of 25mm2 3 core SWA that's around 15m long, as the CU [...] waterproof gland, and earthed banjo, and at the house end it terminates in a metal adaptable box with another gland and banjo. [...]There's a Henley inside the adaptable box plus an earth block, with 25mm2 tails plus the earth fed to the CU that sits just above it. DP = Double Pole? SWA = Steel Wire Armoured? CU = Consumer Unit? Waterproof Gland = one of these? Henley = a connector like this? 46 minutes ago, ProDave said: [...] do as already suggested and fit a KMF with an 80A fuse in it. KMF = a fused main switch - one of these ? You lads with your lingo..... It's good for me to feel flummoxed by techie terms occasionally. I do it too often myself. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) The abbreviations are right, sorry for not spelling them out - I should have remembered to spell them out the first time I used them in a post (not a bad bit of guidance for the forum, really, to do this). The waterproof gland for armoured steel wire (SWA) are like these; second lot down are the waterproof (IP66) ones: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Accessories_Index/Glands_SWA/index.html The KMF is right, too. Edited March 14, 2017 by JSHarris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steptoe Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) A Henley is actually an ISCO - Insulated Service COnnecter (use single pole ones if you can, not double pole) A bit like Hoover is actually a vacuum cleaner SWA glands are CW type as opposed to BW for internal You shouldn't banjo a CW gland. Edit to add: If you are running the tails through a ferrous material all the cables should pass through the same hole. Edited March 14, 2017 by Steptoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 Glad I read this, my meter is in my garage then like others underground cable to the house and distribution board. I Will need to fit an additional fuse before underground cable. p.s. Do I get a prize for no Abbreviations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 2 minutes ago, joe90 said: Glad I read this, my meter is in my garage then like others underground cable to the house and distribution board. I Will need to fit an additional fuse before underground cable. p.s. Do I get a prize for no Abbreviations? Yes. You need a KMF 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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