Fusebox access disaster

whizbang

I have seen an old house extension build up with a new structural wall internal to the existing old external wall, then extended outwards, and then the old external wall removed.

Worked beautifuily..!

johndoe99

so the OP is taking care of a house which involves dropping by now and then, to make sure its safe. Then for some inexplicable reason he decides he will fix the electrics. You name is not Frank Spencer by any chance.

dublincc2

Spoke to my cousin and cleared a lot of this up.

My late uncle who was a builder himself built the wall in front of the fusebox a few months after the extension was completed so everything was already done at that point. He then filled the void with concrete from the opening in the attic according to my cousin so there is actually no point in the wall that is hollow, the void is filled up meaning the fusebox and meter are completely and utterly encased. As to why my uncle decided to do this my cousin doesn't know but remembered that he was very keen to do it and he was the only one who worked on it. As for electricity there was no problem in the years thereafter, perhaps the box being covered in concrete actually contributed to everything staying in place.

I told him that it didn't make much sense from what I had heard and nobody seems to know why my uncle completely sealed off and then filled up that void where the fusebox is.

It seems that the wall will be demolished after all for the rewiring to start, I'm backing out of this on my cousin's request but he asked me to handle the guys in site who are doing the job. This and rewiring was all going to be funded by him.

So it looks like that's it, there is no way to access it without destroying the whole wall as the void was filled with cement in addition to bring bricked off. At least I won't have to personally do any work on this.

elperello

Glad you got to the bottom of it.

One of the most unusual construction stories I ever heard of.

blackbox

hmmmm

I'm calling horse shite on this whole story.

finnyob

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120493884#Comment_120493884

Seconded. The motion is carried.

Concrete is a conductor (albeit a bad one) - wet concrete even more so. The whole lot would have gone boom as soon as the cavity was allegedly filled up from above.

Presumably the cement mixer was lifted into the attic and the water, sand and cement was put into it from there? How gullible do you think we are?!

phormium

Pity, it was a great story, I'd have liked a better ending! I still can't help wondering about years and years of estimated bills with no meter reading!

While I shouldn't give it more head space you could always fill the void as you build, wouldn't need more than a bucket or two of cement then in attic to seal gap 😊

HotWaterCylinder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120494300#Comment_120494300

In fairness I've never had my meter read. Nothing sinister I just have electric gates and never home when they call.

phormium

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120494312#Comment_120494312

Yes but do you submit the readings yourself? Mine is seldom read either but I submit readings regularly myself. Surely your bill isn't estimated though for years, I know my Dad got a letter telling him no actual reading had been submitted or read for over a year and basically to do it.

HotWaterCylinder

very true

phormium

Just realised I'm actually wrong about the meter, it's the fuseboard that is entombed in the wall, the meter is on the side wall of house! In my house meter is outside, fuseboard is inside, in my Dad's much older house both meter and fuseboard are on internal wall in kitchen so it obviously varies.

But OP said at one stage meter was on different wall to fuseboard so meter could be read. I am not going to think about this anymore 🤣