Need permission from electricity supplier to operate a welder?

[BrokenBiker]

the guy that comes to read my meter looks like he would be more interested in what the little metal tags tasted like rather than if they were fitted properly (which they aren't as the last guy that did work on them lost his pliers)

 

[sparkysy]

the guy that comes to read my meter looks like he would be more interested in what the little metal tags tasted like rather than if they were fitted properly (which they aren't as the last guy that did work on them lost his pliers)

Was that cos you hid them so he couldn't squish them

 

[BrokenBiker]

no he genuinely couldn't find the pliers used to flatten the tab down. he was called out by landlord just after I moved in as I noticed on of the tails coming out of the meter had copper showing. he tried using mole grips in the end. it looks tidy but can be pulled apart by hand easily and replaced...

 

[sparkysy]

Always a bonus! Not good having a tail hanging out I saw one not so long ago that had been arcing away happily for ages next to the households supply of loo roll! Said to them that's probably not the best place to store it in the meter/con unit cupboard!

 

[the snooper]

in the advice leaflet it doesn't state that you must apply for permission to run a welder, most supplies will handle a welder on a 13 amp plug no problem without the rest of the house being affected let alone your neighbours, it also applies to other appliances equally, for instance dimmer packs some will cause interference through audio equipment when not at full power so there is a whole host of equipment that falls into the category but who actually enquires about it ? I would say for average joe public less then a half of 1% of the population and the only time it will come to light will be from an unhappy customer getting interference, as for commercial unless they are causing real problems most of their neighbours will be industrial and not really notice and if they do wont have a clue who's to blame, the guy that posted it from his wording seems like one of those jobs worth's with nothing better to do then quote regulations that the power companies don't even publicise sufficiently as to let everyone know, probably because they don't find it enough of a problem to warrant it

 

[piman]

Hello all,

on a slightly different tack, we are waiting for a new three phase supply to be brought into our premises (single phase at the moment), and as we hadn't heard from the area board people for a while, rang them up for an estimate of when the job would be done. Sometime after Christmas we were told as they now have to apply for planning permission to put in the service. surely this is red tape gone crazy and can only put up the already high cost?
No question about welders in the application though, and I didn't mention it (Well I would not have thought it relevant)

Alec

 

[brightspark]

I've seen them moved befor still on the piece of board they fit their gear to! At least you don't have to cut any seals that way! Last few jobs we have done with westen power they wernt the least bit bothered weather the tags were there or not one bloke left me some for when I'd connected the tails in, very kind! Or just wanted to finish early!!

ive shifted and moved a few and shortened there supply cables . i did my own at home and guy came to read the meter , he went in to the sitting room looked up and it wasnt there its in the cupboard below i said . hmm it says on his ticket up above nahh its down there andas for telling them what the load is dont bother . if the fuse goes they replace free the 1st time . i can buy the fuses at any wholesalers there only 4 quid .

 

[Robotstar5]

ive shifted and moved a few and shortened there supply cables . i did my own at home....

The difference is you're competent (and have the gear) to do that, it's when Mr DIYer or a builder tries it the fun starts

 

[W4yne]

The reason for them wanting to reduce the power output from welders is probably because of the same reason that they have decided to reduce the wattage of motors in hoovers, because "Brussels!" says so?

 

[Jan]

Last year my outside cubby and porch had to demolished - along with half the paths around the house - so that the foundations could be underpinned. The gas meter was moved to one of those little plastic cupboards a few feet along the wall, but the elektrickery meter and consumer unit were left in place. They simply made a 'box' from MDF and covered the lot from the rain while everything was rebuilt. Doubtless a cost saving exercise. The backing chipboard is completely rotten from previous years of roof leakage and could do with replacement, but it'll probably see me out so it can stay for me.

 

[BrokenBiker]

The reason for them wanting to reduce the power output from welders is probably because of the same reason that they have decided to reduce the wattage of motors in hoovers, because "Brussels!" says so?

its not the output of welders they want to reduce, they want everyone with a welder to have a dedicated supply, installed by them at a high cost in orde to reduce interference and noise on other systems

 

[the snooper]

The reason for them wanting to reduce the power output from welders is probably because of the same reason that they have decided to reduce the wattage of motors in hoovers, because "Brussels!" says so?

its impossible to reduce the output of a welder if you need x amount of amps for a given thickness of steel there is no way around it, its probably only one of a few things they couldn't reduce output on

 

[marlinspike]

I think we paid about a grand to have a gas meter moved about 10 feet five years ago. Considering the amount of time they took, it was robbery. They wanted another few hundred quid to fill in the small trench the builder had dug out for them, which I declined obviously.

 

[W4yne]

its impossible to reduce the output of a welder if you need x amount of amps for a given thickness of steel there is no way around it, its probably only one of a few things they couldn't reduce output on

We know that but you try telling that to the grey suits that sit in Parliament.

 

[BrokenBiker]

We know that but you try telling that to the grey suits that sit in Parliament.

again, this is not the point being raised. the point is that the DNO's want anyone with a welder to have a dedicated 'incoming' supply to the welder based on the rated load of the welder, not to reduce the output of the welder, and they want that supply to be installed by themselves at a large cost and wish to dictate who can or cannot have an electric welder

 

[the snooper]

We know that but you try telling that to the grey suits that sit in Parliament.

nothing to do with the government at all its the companies that own the supply equipment upto and including your electricity meter

 

[W4yne]

nothing to do with the government at all its the companies that own the supply equipment upto and including your electricity meter

I would imagine a legislation would have to be first of all approved then passed by Government before any private company can demand that any work carried out on a households "electrical or gas" has the sole right for the work to be carried out by them alone? Otherwise there would be an aweful lot of qualified self employed electricians and gas fitters out of work. To date the electric or gas companies do not have the monopoly on who can or can't fit utilities or extensions to a household if carried out by a qualified technician.

 

[skotl]

when it comes to electrics there are some right ********s on that diy forum....

If we're including "ban-all-sheds" in that list, then I'm 100% with you.
Westie is normally ok, though.

 

[the snooper]

I would imagine a legislation would have to be first of all approved then passed by Government before any private company can demand that any work carried out on a households "electrical or gas" has the sole right for the work to be carried out by them alone? Otherwise there would be an aweful lot of qualified self employed electricians and gas fitters out of work. To date the electric or gas companies do not have the monopoly on who can or can't fit utilities or extensions to a household if carried out by a qualified technician.

only authorised people can work on the distribution network, anything after the meter and any qualified spark can work on it, but this thread is about the distribution network

 

[captain-destructo]

Well, here's a can of worms...

Has anyone else heard of this, fallen foul of it, been granted permission, refused permission, etc?

never heard of that one before
looks like something else thats going to cost us money

the guy that comes to read my meter looks like he would be more interested in what the little metal tags tasted like rather than if they were fitted properly (which they aren't as the last guy that did work on them lost his pliers)

spot the deliberate mistake on this one