Earth Inspection Hatch

[Mr Blobby]

I need to build an earth inspection hatch into the concrete base of my temporary supply. 

What is it? 

Which one should I buy? 

How do I install it?

 

Edited May 19, 2022 by Mr Blobby
stupidity

[Nickfromwales]

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLPT205.html?source=adwords&ad_position=&ad_id=415703895078&placement=&kw=&network=u&matchtype=&ad_type=&product_id=TLPT205&product_partition_id=934892185560&campaign=shopping_cable_accessories&version=finalurl_v3&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1ZeUBhDyARIsAOzAqQKVL0F0ZWLlyZSELKTEYsOT3B2ymK5KsHlTxsv5J3bMnLUaDiY6MpUaAuYGEALw_wcB

[Nickfromwales]

2 minutes ago, Mr Blobby said:

How do I install it?

Your sparky should be doing it  

[Conor]

Spark connects the earth wire to the earth rod, hammers it in to the ground, inspection cover is fitted over, cement it in to place. Spark tests.

[Mr Blobby]

13 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Your sparky should be doing it  

 

9 minutes ago, Conor said:

Spark connects the earth wire to the earth rod, hammers it in to the ground, inspection cover is fitted over, cement it in to place. Spark tests.

 

I get the feeling I'm not allowed to do this then. 

 

Can I install the hatch into the slab and pour my concrete and then get the sparky to put the rod in?

[Conor]

Just now, Mr Blobby said:

 

 

I get the feeling I'm not allowed to do this then. 

 

Can I install the hatch into the slab and pour my concrete and then get the sparky to put the rod in?

Yes. I did the rod myself before doing the slab and got a firm telling off for ruining the threads on top of the rod.

[Mr Blobby]

1 minute ago, Conor said:

Yes. I did the rod myself before doing the slab and got a firm telling off for ruining the threads on top of the rod.

 

Ah, so I shoudn't put the rod in the ground then?

 

But I can place the hatch in postion so that I can pour the slab. And get the spark round later. 

 

As I understand it, the earth is "my side" of the NIE temp enclosure:

 

 

 

... so the sparky-earth rod job does not need to be done before NIE pull the cable through?  I can just put the hatch in the footing and get the sparky out later?

 

 

[Mr Blobby]

47 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

Your sparky should be doing it  

 

Can I do any of this?  Can I embed the hatch into concrete and the spark put the earth rod in later?  Or not?

[ProDave]

It seems NIE have some strange ways of doing things.  I would not put the earth rod and pit under the cabinet, where the ground is going to be drier.  I would put it off to one side of the cabinet with a duct to feed the earth cable through.  But i also get the impression you must do things their way, even if their way defies all logic.

[dpmiller]

Don't see any reason the spike can't be beside rather than under. And it really needs to be in before NIE arrive as a. your spark will probably want to test it and b. NIE will refuse to connect if Ze isn't acceptable. Sometimes one rod isn't enough...

[Mr Blobby]

I didn't really think this through 🤔

 

My temp installation is on rocky ground and no way can I get an earth rod in.  The whole site is pretty rocky so relocating the enclosure is not really an option.

 

Short of getting the digger back in to break the ground up, is there another solution here to get an earth rod into stony ground?

 

 

[Conor]

15 hours ago, Mr Blobby said:

I didn't really think this through 🤔

 

My temp installation is on rocky ground and no way can I get an earth rod in.  The whole site is pretty rocky so relocating the enclosure is not really an option.

 

Short of getting the digger back in to break the ground up, is there another solution here to get an earth rod into stony ground?

 

 

 

Earth rod can be several metres away of needed. I'd stick another duct in through the concrete base and run it to a less rocky area. You can then just cast a small cent or concrete slab with the inspection hatch in it. Or you could use a longer earth rod. The spark won't do the hatch, digging, laying ducting.

That's on the civils (your) side.

 

The spark needs to have everything done - rcbo, main fuse, earth, meter tails etc in place before NIE install the meter and energise your connection. They'll still pull and connect the cable cable even if you haven't got the earth in. 

 

This was how ours looked after the cable was pulled but before the meter was installed.

 

. 

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by Conor

[PeterW]

16 hours ago, Mr Blobby said:

My temp installation is on rocky ground and no way can I get an earth rod in.  The whole site is pretty rocky so relocating the enclosure is not really an option.

Long SDS drill .. you can get them up to 1m long in 12mm and 15mm. Drill at a 30 degree angle and put 2 or 3 shorter rods in, then grout in place with cement slurry. 

[Mr Blobby]

On 21/05/2022 at 05:46, Conor said:

 

 I'd stick another duct in through the concrete base and run it to a less rocky area. You can then just cast a small cent or concrete slab with the inspection hatch in it.

 

 

After panicking for a day my brain finally engaged I did just that and put a conduit to come out under the slab to install another rod under a seperate pit if needed.  It's obvious now of course.

 

On 21/05/2022 at 05:46, Conor said:

They'll still pull and connect the cable cable even if you haven't got the earth in. 

 

Yes, this is my understanding, and just as well given my state of preparedness.  Hopefully I can get the barby built by thursday.  That's when NIE are scheduled to pull the cable through, and when hopefully I can breathe a sigh of relief. 

 

 

.. and thanks for the pics inside your 'kiosk'.  NIE rules are harsh for commando sockets and brick barbies. 

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by Mr Blobby

[Mr Blobby]

On 21/05/2022 at 06:50, PeterW said:

Long SDS drill .. you can get them up to 1m long in 12mm and 15mm. Drill at a 30 degree angle and put 2 or 3 shorter rods in, then grout in place with cement slurry. 

So can I put more than 1 rod through the bottom of the "kiosk" or do I need to worry about the 'sphere of influence' and space then out?

[Mr Blobby]

36 minutes ago, Mr Blobby said:

So can I put more than 1 rod through the bottom of the "kiosk" or do I need to worry about the 'sphere of influence' and space then out?

 .. I meant of course zone of influence 🙃

 

... and how wet does the cement slurry need to be?

Edited May 26, 2022 by Mr Blobby

[Nickfromwales]

5 hours ago, Mr Blobby said:

do I need to worry about the 'sphere of influence' and space

Where is this supply going in to? Hogwarts? 🤣

[Mr Blobby]

On 21/05/2022 at 06:50, PeterW said:

Long SDS drill .. you can get them up to 1m long in 12mm and 15mm. Drill at a 30 degree angle and put 2 or 3 shorter rods in, then grout in place with cement slurry. 

 

Why grout in place with cement slurry?  Is it conductive?  Does it make a big difference?

[saveasteading]

Once had to put in 4 rods, spaced 5m apart and 3m deep to get enough earth conductivity. Prior to that project it had always been more casual. It was as big supply, but  I assume the principles apply, of getting an acceptable reading.

 

The holes were bored oversize, then filled with bentonite slurry, which was easy enough to get, as it increases conductivity quite a lot.

[PeterW]

6 hours ago, Mr Blobby said:

 

Why grout in place with cement slurry?  Is it conductive?  Does it make a big difference?

as below - increases ground contact and helps increase conductivity 

[Mr Blobby]

Just to wrap this up, my electrician dismissed my concerns about getting the earth rod in. It will be a piece of cake he said.

 

I didn't feel quite so foolish however when he tried and failed to drill into the ground anywhere along the front and side boundary, hitting rock every time. 

 

The only option was to get the demo firm to break through the rock to dig a big hole near the tardis to sink a rod.  Even this proved a challenge but we got there in the end with a hole about 6 metres from the meter box.

 

Power was finally connected at the end of June.

 

 

 

 

 

[Ferdinand]

On 26/05/2022 at 13:55, Mr Blobby said:

So can I put more than 1 rod through the bottom of the "kiosk" or do I need to worry about the 'sphere of influence' and space then out?

 

If you demagnetise Gandalf, you will not be forgiven.

[Onoff]

You can also run earth tape in a trench. Think it's the French that like big, flat, buried copper plates. Here that equates to the old hot water cylinder having been run over a few times with the digger...

 

My favourite, favourite, redneck earth electrode was the scaffold pole and mole grips for the earth clamp...

[Radian]

1 hour ago, Onoff said:

redneck earth electrode

I pictured them burying a pickup truck for that.