What is this white fluff under my electricity meter?

hardnutman

I have already vacuumed around it, and I want to suck it up but don't know what it is. The home is not on the asbestos register so it shouldn't be the case, but still... anybody know what it is?

fussypensioner

hardnutman wrote: »

I have already vacuumed around it, and I want to suck it up but don't know what it is. The home is not on the asbestos register so it shouldn't be the case, but still... anybody know what it is?

Is this the first time it has happened? are there any "droppings" nearby. Is it like cotton wool?

Babbawah

At a guess, I'd say it was plastic swarf from the holes that were drilled to install the meter box.

You'd need a qualified electrician to comment on that earth arrangement . . . but I wouldn't be happy with it.

HappyMJ

hardnutman wrote: »

I have already vacuumed around it, and I want to suck it up but don't know what it is. The home is not on the asbestos register so it shouldn't be the case, but still... anybody know what it is?

Instead of sucking it up how about using a brush and pan and immediately disposing of it.

andyhop

Cavity wall insulation

rich13348

I would say cavity wall insulation too.

Browntoa

cavity wall insulation , mine is identical

muckybutt

Cavity insulation

zax47

Babbawah wrote: »

At a guess, I'd say it was plastic swarf from the holes that were drilled to install the meter box.

Bad guess, it's cavity wall insulation - looks nothing like swarf and anyway there are pre-cut "knock-outs" in meter boxes

You'd need a qualified electrician to comment on that earth arrangement . . . but I wouldn't be happy with it.

I am, it's fine. What exactly don't you like about it? position of MET? gauge of earth cable? or do you not actually know...?

Kind of irrelevant what you would/wouldn't be happy with - it isn't your house..

This wasn't really your best effort at a reply was it.....?

Ben84

I'm also pretty sure it's the glass wool that's blown in to cavity walls. It can drop out of gaps here and there. If you find the gap you can put some expanding foam or silicone in to stop it falling out.

As for asbestos, I doubt there's any definitive list of houses that contain asbestos out there, because it was used very widely and without any particular regulations for many decades. Nobody paid any attention where it went. However I think it's safe to say just about every house build before 1980 will contain it somewhere or another. Houses after then vary. It wasn't banned until 1999, but a lot of uses declined after 1980. It went in to everything from toilet tanks to boilers and textured ceiling paint. Most applications are fortunately low risk, but knowing the kind of materials it was used in is helpful if you're doing any DIY. Asbestos isn't just a building material however. I still have some asbestos containing oven gloves, and it can be found in older electrical heaters and things.

hardnutman

Thanks for the replies guys

To be honest this all started as I have recently moved here and have been getting a lot of spiders, and I went to the electricity meter which is right by the front door and it was full of them!! So I cleaned it all up and wondered about the fluffy stuff, which I left behind. I am something of a hypercondriac so always assume the worst.

I am in the process of filling up any holes around the house to prevent insects coming in and killing weeds and such outside to discourage them. This is the first time I have done this as I have always lived in flats so it is all a learning experience for me.