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Meter box move

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  • 18-08-2020 11:03am
    #1
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 8,028 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I need to reconstruct/demolish the block wall that currently holds my electric and gas meter as it was built without a foundation and has started to move and separate along the block lines. The block wall was built because the houses are timber frame and so couldn't have a recessed meter installed.

    Plan is to engage an electrician to install the new meter box, I will do the trenching for the relocated wiring.

    My main question is around the meter box, are farm type meter boxes acceptable for domestic installations, which would enable me to surface mount the new box. And what's the proper way to word this when discussing the work with the electrician?

    523275.jpg
    1. Current meter location
    2. Consumer unit (behind wall)
    3. Desired new location


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    #2
    aido79
    Registered Users Posts: 5,374 ✭✭✭aido79


    liamog wrote: »
    I need to reconstruct/demolish the block wall that currently holds my electric and gas meter as it was built without a foundation and has started to move and separate along the block lines. The block wall was built because the houses are timber frame and so couldn't have a recessed meter installed.

    Plan is to engage an electrician to install the new meter box, I will do the trenching for the relocated wiring.

    My main question is around the meter box, are farm type meter boxes acceptable for domestic installations, which would enable me to surface mount the new box. And what's the proper way to word this when discussing the work with the electrician?

    523275.jpg
    1. Current meter location
    2. Consumer unit (behind wall)
    3. Desired new location

    I think you might be underestimating the difficulty involved in moving these boxes. For the electricity you would need to relocate both the ESB supply cable, which means involving the ESB, and the cable from the ESB box to the fuseboard which will almost certainly involve damage to the inside of the house as well as the outside. It will cost a small fortune if you need to do it for both houses.

    Would it be just easier to repair the foundation of the wall and strengthen it?


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    #3
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    https://www.esbnetworks.ie/existing-connection/alterations-meter-work/move-meter-location

    Get a quote from the ESB first. You absolutely will not be able to do this without them. In effect, the meter and its connection to the network is entirely under ESB's remit. Your electrician wires up the house to the meter, but is not permitted to modify the meter.

    Afaik, the process is this;

    - Sparks disconnects the consumer board from the existing meter.
    - Sparks run a new connecton from the consumer board to the planned meter location.
    - Sparks certifies the work
    - Certificate is supplied to the ESB
    - ESB comes out and moves the meter.

    As aido says, it's considerably less work to have someone reinforce the foundations of the wall.


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    #4
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 8,028 Mod ✭✭✭✭liamog


    aido79 wrote: »
    I think you might be underestimating the difficulty involved in moving these boxes. For the electricity you would need to relocate both the ESB supply cable, which means involving the ESB, and the cable from the ESB box to the fuseboard which will almost certainly involve damage to the inside of the house as well as the outside. It will cost a small fortune if you need to do it for both houses.

    Would it be just easier to repair the foundation of the wall and strengthen it?

    It's only one house, I appreciate the amount of work involved, I had an engineer out last week, and basically the wall needs to be rebuilt with a suitable foundation. This would require rebuilds of both the gas and electricity meters. I'm not even sure GNI will allow this, as the gas meter is no longer allowed to be directly under an electricity meter.

    I'll reiterate my main question:
    "are farm type meter boxes acceptable for domestic installations, which would enable me to surface mount the new box. And what's the proper way to word this when discussing the work with the electrician?"


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    #5
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 8,028 Mod ✭✭✭✭liamog


    seamus wrote: »
    https://www.esbnetworks.ie/existing-connection/alterations-meter-work/move-meter-location

    Get a quote from the ESB first. You absolutely will not be able to do this without them. In effect, the meter and its connection to the network is entirely under ESB's remit. Your electrician wires up the house to the meter, but is not permitted to modify the meter.

    Already made contact with ESB Networks, it's a bit annoying they want the fixed fee for the meter move before we even decide to go ahead with the work. Right now I've asked for a quick call with one of the district reps to make sure what I'm asking for makes sense.


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    #6
    antix80
    Registered Users Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭antix80


    liamog wrote: »
    I need to reconstruct/demolish the block wall that currently holds my electric and gas meter as it was built without a foundation and has started to move and separate along the block lines.

    And also, the whole setup looks awful


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    #7
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 8,028 Mod ✭✭✭✭liamog


    Yeah, that's why I'm thinking bite the bullet, and just get rid of the whole damn thing.
    Gas meter will be mounted approx. where the current wall is, but attached to the front of the house.

    It's bad enough I'm going to have to spend so much just to get the damage sorted, so I figure I may as well get some improvement out of it, even if it costs me a bit more


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    #8
    aido79
    Registered Users Posts: 5,374 ✭✭✭aido79


    liamog wrote: »
    It's only one house, I appreciate the amount of work involved, I had an engineer out last week, and basically the wall needs to be rebuilt with a suitable foundation. This would require rebuilds of both the gas and electricity meters. I'm not even sure GNI will allow this, as the gas meter is no longer allowed to be directly under an electricity meter.

    I'll reiterate my main question:
    "are farm type meter boxes acceptable for domestic installations, which would enable me to surface mount the new box. And what's the proper way to word this when discussing the work with the electrician?"

    Sorry I thought it was a wall between 2 semi detached houses. What are all of the other boxes for?

    I can't answer your question but if you contact a registered electrical contractor and explain what you want to do they will be able to assist you. I wouldn't worry about trying to word it properly. If you show them the picture you posted here that will be enough to give them an idea of the work involved.


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    #9
    TheChizler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,456 ✭✭✭TheChizler


    We have to do something similar, but we're due to get a smart meter installed whenever they get to our area. Would it make sense to coordinate the whole operation? Meter is currently inside above a wall we want to knock, if we had all the prep done would the esb move it for free if they're upgrading the meter anyway and getting access for reading out of it? Though I suppose it being smart takes care of that anyway...


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    #10
    meercat
    Registered Users Posts: 4,746 ✭✭✭meercat


    Op,there’s a lot of work and costs involved in your proposal as aido97 has already said . Would it not make more sense to do a temporary timber structure to keep meter box’s in situ when demolishing and rebuilding wall. A farm box would look much worse than your current setup. If you do go this route then flush it in your gable wall.meter box’s can be recessed in timber framed houses as there is usually a brick outer skin.


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    #11
    SeanElec1
    Registered Users Posts: 79 ✭✭SeanElec1


    hi Liamog,
    I'm interested in this issue, from the gas box persepctive. Mine is on a pier that is gradually collapsing after damage by Eir when they put in a broadband duct, and I need to get the pier rebuilt, but with the gas meter box removed, at least for a while. Did you get any advice from gas networks ireland ?


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    #12
    liamog
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 8,028 Mod ✭✭✭✭liamog


    Thanks for the advice everyone, I think the electrician understands what I want now. As mentioned I'm well aware of the cost for the change, but so far it's not costing dramatically more than the indicative cost from the engineer for an in-place re-build (though I've no idea if we could make that cheaper using timber support suggestion).
    SeanElec1 wrote: »
    hi Liamog,
    I'm interested in this issue, from the gas box persepctive. Mine is on a pier that is gradually collapsing after damage by Eir when they put in a broadband duct, and I need to get the pier rebuilt, but with the gas meter box removed, at least for a while. Did you get any advice from gas networks ireland ?

    Not yet, concentrating on getting the electrics moved first, as the gas doesn't have as far to go.


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    #13
    rachaelf750
    Registered Users Posts: 355 ✭✭rachaelf750


    Hi, did you go ahead with the repositioning on the esb box?



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    #14
    9320
    Registered Users Posts: 168 ✭✭9320


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/114341775#Comment_114341775

    Any idea how long it usually takes from when Cert is supplied to ESB to when they come out and move the meter? ESB quoting us 6-8 weeks which is making a mess of our plans to move back into the house after renovation. Particularly annoying as Builders and Spark were told of the process (which they should have known anyway) in January and never flagged the timeline implications of moving the meter.



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    #15
    meercat
    Registered Users Posts: 4,746 ✭✭✭meercat


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118861684#Comment_118861684

    6-8 weeks would be good. I issued a certificate last June for something similar and it wasn’t done until February this year. The time limit ran out on the certificate(6 months). There was always power to the installation however.



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